The Generation
Notes: I gots reviews! Lots of them... okay I only got two, but here's my answer to them...
Dahu 2004-02-15 2 Signed i loved it ^^ i didn't all understand, because i'm french, but it was fine anyway ^^
That's okay, I don't think they have Animorphs in French, u'll catch on. If you can read enough english you'll probably be able to read the website, just type in the keyword Animorph. I'll just be more careful to explain things from now on... I'll describe a few things for you, just so that you understand them...
Controller- Any creature who is infested with a Yeerk
Time limit, after two hours and one minute in any morph, the morpher in question would be trapped in that body forever, that's what happened to Judin. A trapped Morpher is called a nothlit. Tobias was trapped in a red tailed hawk morph during the first Animorph book. His jobs when not on a mission include surveillance of Yeerk bases, resident messenger for the Animorphs, and teaching new Animorphs how to use bird morphs.
Ax-Full name, Aximili Esgarrouth Isthil. His elder brother, Elfangor Sirenial Shamtul, gave the Animorphs the power to change into any animal who's DNA they could acquire through touch. The Animorphs rescued him from his ship, which had sunk under water. A description of his species, the Andilites, are as follows from the head down. Blue fur, tan skin, stalk eyes with no whites that are emerald green in color, pointed ears, three slits for a nose, no mouth, human like torso, seven fingers, centaur like body, long tail with a blade resembling a scorpion's which can be cracked like a bullwhip faster than human eyes can see. His species speaks in something called thoughtspeak. Anybody who's morphed also speaks in thoughtspeak.
SpiritedRose 2004-02-12 5 Signed E, I love this soo much XD. I know who Judin is, Judy, right?
Anyway, this is a really good fic, I like your style of writing. It's been a while since I've read animorphs actually, I'm going to need to dig my copies out.
Anyway, I'm glad you updated =D
Maybe she is, maybe she ain't, but you just wait until she finds out about Tobias. She thinks that Tobias is an Andilite, and freaks out because she doesn't want Max to know about Andilites, let alone joining the fight against the Yeerks!
Chapter 5- Max
//WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!// Tyson cried as he blew ahead of us.
We were a pack of wolves, following a red tailed hawk through the trees, some pack. Ax had morphed a wolf for the first time along with us, and after a brief struggle with the wolf instincts, we ran off through the woods in pursuit of the entrance to Tobias' cave. We'd already demorphed once to avoid the two hour time limit. I mean, the wolf body was cool enough, but I don't think I'd want to spend the rest of my life in it.
//Here it is!// Tobias told us. //I couldn't get in because there's some kind of panel that you have to press for it to open, I don't have any hands. And I know that it can't be a yeerk pool entrance because I haven't seen anybody coming in or out of it.// He landed and waited while we demorphed.
I walked over to the tree, searching for the panel Tobias described. There, about five and a half feet up the tree, I saw what looked like a line around a knot in the dead tree. I dug my nails in and the knot swung back to reveal a blue, square panel with some kind of insignia etched on it. "Woah." I stated. "cool!"
"Howl, yip maaax!" Kenny protested as his mouth changed shape. "Wait for us! You know we can't morph that fast!"
We had acquired wolf morphs, and just to be safe, we had acquired a bat morph, a 'little brown myotis' as Cassie called it. I'd check the bat morph out later. I waited, slightly impatient, as the other blade breakers demorphed. The Animorphs were already finished.
When they'd finished, we lifted Kenny up on a fallen log near the panel to look. "Any thoughts Dizzy?" He asked, holding up his laptop.
A wolf carrying a laptop had been one of the most bizarre sights I'd ever seen. However, I didn't have the heart to tell Kenny not to bring it, I don't think Kai or Jake had either, because nobody raised protest to Kenny bringing Dizzy along.
"It looks kind of like those security devices we saw while scopeing out the Abbey, try pressing your palm to it." Dizzy suggested.
Kenny stood up on tiptoes. "I can't reach you guys, Tyson, can you give me a leg up?"
"Sure!" Tyson leapt forward. He lifted Kenny up, and Kenny placed his palm flat on the panel.
"YOW!" Kenny's hand drew back. "hey! It burned me!"
"Let me try." Said Rei helpfully. He put his hand to the panel. "HOT HOT HOT!" He snatched it away.
"Allow me." I said, rolling my eyes. I pressed my hand flat against the panel thinking. /Open up, open up we don't mean any harm./
The panel tingled beneath my palm, I was about to draw back, but then the tree began to shiver. The ground began to rumble beneath my feet. Slowly, almost painfully, the tree drew back, leaving an empty hole in the ground. A cylinder of glass rose up from the ground.
Ax gasped, drawing back. //A drop shaft!// He cried. //Tobias, you were right, there was somebody there.//
//I told you.// Tobias said smugly. //The problem is that I couldn't figure out what was down there. It wasn't a Yeerk pool, I was sitting in the trees nearby or in some form or another for a week and I still didn't see anybody coming in or going out.//
"Max, you opened it, you go first." Jake said politely.
"How do I get down?" I asked.
//Close your eyes, and focus on how fast or slow you wish to descend, and what level, if there's more than one.// Ax explained.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and stepped into the drop shaft. /Slowly, slowly, first level, slowly/ I whispered in my head.
I was falling, but I could have sworn there was something beneath my feet, because it didn't seem like I was out of control. Then my feet touched ground, and I stepped out of the shaft and to the side. Then I heard,
THUD "OOF"
THUD "OW"
THUD "EEP"
THUD "OUCH"
THUD "YAH!"
The other blade breakers ended up in a heap at the bottom of the shaft. The older animorphs slid down the shaft like old hands, Ax coming last of all, then Tobias flew down after them and landed in his usual perch on Rachel's shoulder.
"How come you all are so good at this?" Tyson demanded when Marco helped him to his feet.
"Practice." Rachel said, tossing her hair back before extending a hand to Hillary.
Then we heard... //Unauthorized life form detected, unauthorized life form detected, Gleet Biofilter Scanning now...//
The older Animorphs tensed. Jake's teeth were gritted in an apprehensive snarl.
//Species Identified, Human, human, human, human, human, human, human, human, human, human, Red Tailed Hawk, Andilite. Beginning yeerk detection sequence as authorized by War Princess Judin Olarn Sorath, Beyblade Battle Association World Chapion Sierran, Baron Voltaire Hiwatari, and Proffessor Dickenson, President of the Beyblade Battle Association. Yeerk Detection Sequence Completed. Results negative. Beginning Bit beast identification sequence, as Authorized by War Princess Judin Olarn Sorath, Beyblade Battle Association World Champion Sierran, Baron Voltaire Hiwatari, and Professor Dickenson, President of the Beyblade Battle Association. Bitbeast Identification Sequence Completed. Updating computer record databanks.//
We just stared. "Don't move, any of you." Jake warned. The other original Animorphs were equally tense, absolutely still, listening.
//Update complete, Authorization Issued, state your name and title for the record so that a voice print may be registered.//
Jake gulped, and then began hesitantly. "My name is Jake, I am the leader of the Earth Resistance to the Yeerk Empire. We call ourselves the Animorphs."
//Voiceprint registered. Next...//
"My name is Rachel. Jake is my cousin. I am also a member of the Animorphs. My favorite morphs are Grizzly Bear and African Elephant."
//Voiceprint Registered. Next...//
"My name is Cassie. I am a Veterinarian in training who works for the Animorphs"
//Voiceprint Registered. Next...//
"My name is Marco, Technology expert for the Animorphs."
//Voiceprint Registered. Next...//
//My name is Tobias, I am a member of the Animorphs, I am a nothlit who was trapped as a Ret Tailed Hawk.//
//Voiceprint Registered. Next...//
//I am aristh Aximili Esgarrouth Isthil, formerly serving under my elder brother War Prince Elfangor Sirinial Shamtoul, now serving under Prince Jake of the Animorphs.//
//Voiceprint Registered, Next...//
Kai looked towards Jake for encouragement. //Next...// The computer queried.
"I am Kai Hiwatari, Captain of the World Champion Team Blade Breakers and leader of a new subgroup of Animorphs under Jake, My Bit Beast is Dranzer." Kai's tone was hesitant. I didn't blame him, none of us realized what was going on.
//Voiceprint registered, next...//
"My name is Rei, formerly of the White Tiger Clan, now a member of the World Champion Team, the Blade Breakers. I am part of the subgroup of Animorphs lead by Kai and under the command of Jake. My bitbeast is the mascot of the White Tigers Team, Driger."
//Voiceprint Registered, next...//
"My name is Tyson, founder of the World Champion Team Blade Breakers. Member of the Animorphs group lead by Kai. My bitbeast is Dragoon."
Kai glared at Tyson, but the computer didn't seem to notice. //Voiceprint Registered. Next...//
"My name is Kenny, technology expert for the World Champion Team, Blade Breakers. I am also a member of the new group of Animorphs lead by Kai and under the command of Jake."
//Voiceprint registered, next...//
"My name is Hillary, friend of Tyson of the Blade Breakers, member of the team of Animorphs lead by Kai and under the command of Jake. I joined the Blade Breakers after Tyson discovered that I could see Team Saint Shield's invisible bit beast and spot patterns in enemy tactics."
//Voiceprint registered, next...//
My heart was hammering in my chest. "My name is Max, member of the World Champion Team, the Blade Breakers. My mother is the coach of the American Champion Team, the All Starz. I am also a member of the group of Animorphs lead by Kai and under command of Jake. My bit beast is Draciel."
"Max, Tyson, and Kai Hiwatari, your DNA is already on file, samples were contributed by Voltaire, Dickinson, Judy, and Sierran after your birth, please proceed and have a nice day." The computer intoned.
The other blade breakers and I just stared at each other. "What the Hell?" Kai demanded.
"That was close." Marco sighed.
"What was that?" I asked.
//It is a gleet biofilter. It is a sort of DNA scanner and security system. It will destroy any creature who's species is not registered in its Data banks.// Ax explained. //It allowed us to proceed. Why should we not keep going?//
"Yeah..." I said shakily. "Lets check it out."
Lights began to come on in the cave. They were dim at first, but slowly becoming brighter. Suddenly... "WOW!" I exclaimed.
Wow did not even begin to describe the scene.
The cave was held up by painted columns, carved to look like Dragoon and Dark Dranzer entwined. Some of the Dragoons had their mouths open, others closed. An underground stream wound its way through the rocks. Small trees, about the size of the ficus tree that mom had planted in the entry hall in the house, had been planted. These trees had pink leaves and the bark was slightly greener than earth trees. Plants and flowers grew in profusion.
"Its like an enormous underground garden!" Cassie exclaimed.
Ax smiled with his eyes, something only an andilite could do. //Yes, there are therant trees in here. They appear to be at least thirty years old, but look at these three...// He pointed out a group of three trees, bunched together. //These three appear to be the youngest...// He knelt by them, placing a hand on the trunks. Then Ax jumped back.
"What's wrong Ax?" Jake asked.
//They are Garibah, Guide trees. Only the people they are planted for may speak with them.//
"Speak?" Hillary asked.
I felt something, some kind of itching at the back of my mind. It was as if the smallest tree, in the middle of the row, were calling me. I knelt by it.
"Max, I don't think you should..." Rei stepped forward.
"Rei don't..." Kai held him back.
"But... I thought we weren't supposed to touch them..." Rei said, confused.
"Think about it." Jake grinned. "Who did the computer mention when it scanned us?"
"Huh?" The others all looked at him.
Ax laughed. //They were planted for Max, Tyson, and Kai.//
"Great," Tyson joked. "I always wanted a talking tree."
Marco snorted, rolling his eyes.
I placed my hand on the bark. I knew it was stupid though, I mean, I'm a human, theoretically I wouldn't be able to "speak" to the trees.
But to my amazement I felt the tree's mind just... open up! It was almost like a book. The tree didn't speak the way I thought it would, not even in thoughtspeak. It spoke in pictures. "It remembered... a woman coming down here... it had been so long since she'd come. A woman and three men had come down here for the planting ceremony. They had come again only to make sure that it was healthy, and they hadn't returned..." I didn't realize that I'd spoken aloud.
"Max, you are seriously freaking me out." Tyson stated.
"HUH?" I jumped.
"You just talked to a tree!" Tyson sweatdropped.
"Can't you understand it?" I asked, blinking in surprise.
The others facefaulted.
//It is very odd.// Ax said, blinking in surprise. //Only an andilite would be able to speak with a therant tree, with any of our trees. I believe Max, that you are the first non-andilite to be able to speak with them.//
I remembered the dream about my mom. I felt a chill going up my spine. Suddenly fearful, I stood up and backed away from the tree.
"Wait, does that mean that Max isn't human?" Rachel asked.
"I look human..." I said, looking down at my hands. Suddenly, I saw a flash, a flash of a hand covered in blue fur, with too many fingers. I shook my head, trying to force the image out of my mind. Stop it Max, I told myself. "And I've never been able to morph until a few days ago, so how could I not be human?"
Kai looked at me. He knew I wasn't telling him something. See, that was why Kai was our team captain and not Tyson. Kai could see through you. Tyson had the drive, but not the empathy to lead, to understand his team mates.
Jake was studying me as well. I knew he would ask Ax about it later.
Tobias saved me. //Hey you guys! Check this out! When I press this button on the Dragoon statues, it goes like this!// He punched a button on top of one of the statues with a closed mouth. With a soft, K'CHAK noise, Dragoon's jaw hinged open, almost like a vacume seal. Something small and blue fell from its mouth.
Rachel picked it up. "Aren't your princes a little old for dolls Ax?" She asked, handing it to him.
//Oh, it's a pakka doll.// His eyes blinked. //I believe the custom is similar to exchanging friendship bracelets. Brothers, sisters and friends will make a doll of themselves and give it to each other for their birthdays, or when they're leaving on a journey, so that the recipient will always remember what the giver looked like...// Ax broke off. //Oh my gods, I recognize who this is... it's Elfangor! When he was very young! This must have been...// Ax fell to his knees, main and stalk eyes widening in comprehension. //MY SISTER! THIS MUST HAVE BEEN HER CAVE! But then...// Ax bolted to the far end of the cavern. I followed him at a run.
We rounded a corner and saw it. //A ship...// Ax stepped back in surprise. //This is an Andilite fighter!//
I studied the ship. It's main body was a pod, almost a bullet in shape. On either side were short, stubby wings with another round bullet on each that must have been the engines. Sweeping forward was a sort of... scorpion tail shaped structure that must have been the weapons systems.
Then I saw why it was buried underground. The front half of the ship was scorched in places, the nose had been crumpled. One of the engines was hanging off a tumble of wires, and it was torn completely open, exposing some kind of metallic white material. I felt my heart breaking. Whoever this alien had been, he or she was long gone.
Ax knelt by some kind of statue that had been placed at the entrance. He ran his hand over the base. I knelt down next to him.
The others came up behind us. Rachel still had the pakka doll in her hand. "There's some kind of inscription here." I told them.
"Ax, can you read it?" Jake asked.
//Even better Prince Jake. I can recite it. My elder sister, Judin Olarn Sorath wrote it when she was on the Hork Bajir homeworld and sent it in only a few months before her disappearance. It is called, until my eyes open...// He looked over at Jake for permission to translate.
"Go ahead." Cassie said gently, "Read it."
//I am blind
Until there is no war
I am deaf
Until there is no suffering
I am crippled
Until there is harmony
I am dead
Until there is no more sorrow
I will sleep here
Until my eyes open on a free world.//
I shivered. The older animorphs bowed their heads. I felt a tear roll down my cheeks. "This was your sister's place." Cassie looked around at our surroundings.
//Yes, the grass and trees, the high vaulted ceilings, the fighter and andilite artifacts, this could only be an andilite home.// Ax told her.
//And when I opened the first one, I found this.// Tobias dropped a tiny cylinder into Ax's hands.
//View.// Ax commanded.
A holographic picture sprang out of the cylinder, probably the andilite version of a photograph. But when we saw who was depicted, all six of us blade breakers fell to our knees in shock.
Jake's eyes widened when he realized who was depicted. Marco spoke first. "Tomorrow morning, I think its time we asked Mr. Dickinson what he knows about Andilites."
Notes: I gots reviews! Lots of them... okay I only got two, but here's my answer to them...
Dahu 2004-02-15 2 Signed i loved it ^^ i didn't all understand, because i'm french, but it was fine anyway ^^
That's okay, I don't think they have Animorphs in French, u'll catch on. If you can read enough english you'll probably be able to read the website, just type in the keyword Animorph. I'll just be more careful to explain things from now on... I'll describe a few things for you, just so that you understand them...
Controller- Any creature who is infested with a Yeerk
Time limit, after two hours and one minute in any morph, the morpher in question would be trapped in that body forever, that's what happened to Judin. A trapped Morpher is called a nothlit. Tobias was trapped in a red tailed hawk morph during the first Animorph book. His jobs when not on a mission include surveillance of Yeerk bases, resident messenger for the Animorphs, and teaching new Animorphs how to use bird morphs.
Ax-Full name, Aximili Esgarrouth Isthil. His elder brother, Elfangor Sirenial Shamtul, gave the Animorphs the power to change into any animal who's DNA they could acquire through touch. The Animorphs rescued him from his ship, which had sunk under water. A description of his species, the Andilites, are as follows from the head down. Blue fur, tan skin, stalk eyes with no whites that are emerald green in color, pointed ears, three slits for a nose, no mouth, human like torso, seven fingers, centaur like body, long tail with a blade resembling a scorpion's which can be cracked like a bullwhip faster than human eyes can see. His species speaks in something called thoughtspeak. Anybody who's morphed also speaks in thoughtspeak.
SpiritedRose 2004-02-12 5 Signed E, I love this soo much XD. I know who Judin is, Judy, right?
Anyway, this is a really good fic, I like your style of writing. It's been a while since I've read animorphs actually, I'm going to need to dig my copies out.
Anyway, I'm glad you updated =D
Maybe she is, maybe she ain't, but you just wait until she finds out about Tobias. She thinks that Tobias is an Andilite, and freaks out because she doesn't want Max to know about Andilites, let alone joining the fight against the Yeerks!
Chapter 5- Max
//WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!// Tyson cried as he blew ahead of us.
We were a pack of wolves, following a red tailed hawk through the trees, some pack. Ax had morphed a wolf for the first time along with us, and after a brief struggle with the wolf instincts, we ran off through the woods in pursuit of the entrance to Tobias' cave. We'd already demorphed once to avoid the two hour time limit. I mean, the wolf body was cool enough, but I don't think I'd want to spend the rest of my life in it.
//Here it is!// Tobias told us. //I couldn't get in because there's some kind of panel that you have to press for it to open, I don't have any hands. And I know that it can't be a yeerk pool entrance because I haven't seen anybody coming in or out of it.// He landed and waited while we demorphed.
I walked over to the tree, searching for the panel Tobias described. There, about five and a half feet up the tree, I saw what looked like a line around a knot in the dead tree. I dug my nails in and the knot swung back to reveal a blue, square panel with some kind of insignia etched on it. "Woah." I stated. "cool!"
"Howl, yip maaax!" Kenny protested as his mouth changed shape. "Wait for us! You know we can't morph that fast!"
We had acquired wolf morphs, and just to be safe, we had acquired a bat morph, a 'little brown myotis' as Cassie called it. I'd check the bat morph out later. I waited, slightly impatient, as the other blade breakers demorphed. The Animorphs were already finished.
When they'd finished, we lifted Kenny up on a fallen log near the panel to look. "Any thoughts Dizzy?" He asked, holding up his laptop.
A wolf carrying a laptop had been one of the most bizarre sights I'd ever seen. However, I didn't have the heart to tell Kenny not to bring it, I don't think Kai or Jake had either, because nobody raised protest to Kenny bringing Dizzy along.
"It looks kind of like those security devices we saw while scopeing out the Abbey, try pressing your palm to it." Dizzy suggested.
Kenny stood up on tiptoes. "I can't reach you guys, Tyson, can you give me a leg up?"
"Sure!" Tyson leapt forward. He lifted Kenny up, and Kenny placed his palm flat on the panel.
"YOW!" Kenny's hand drew back. "hey! It burned me!"
"Let me try." Said Rei helpfully. He put his hand to the panel. "HOT HOT HOT!" He snatched it away.
"Allow me." I said, rolling my eyes. I pressed my hand flat against the panel thinking. /Open up, open up we don't mean any harm./
The panel tingled beneath my palm, I was about to draw back, but then the tree began to shiver. The ground began to rumble beneath my feet. Slowly, almost painfully, the tree drew back, leaving an empty hole in the ground. A cylinder of glass rose up from the ground.
Ax gasped, drawing back. //A drop shaft!// He cried. //Tobias, you were right, there was somebody there.//
//I told you.// Tobias said smugly. //The problem is that I couldn't figure out what was down there. It wasn't a Yeerk pool, I was sitting in the trees nearby or in some form or another for a week and I still didn't see anybody coming in or going out.//
"Max, you opened it, you go first." Jake said politely.
"How do I get down?" I asked.
//Close your eyes, and focus on how fast or slow you wish to descend, and what level, if there's more than one.// Ax explained.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and stepped into the drop shaft. /Slowly, slowly, first level, slowly/ I whispered in my head.
I was falling, but I could have sworn there was something beneath my feet, because it didn't seem like I was out of control. Then my feet touched ground, and I stepped out of the shaft and to the side. Then I heard,
THUD "OOF"
THUD "OW"
THUD "EEP"
THUD "OUCH"
THUD "YAH!"
The other blade breakers ended up in a heap at the bottom of the shaft. The older animorphs slid down the shaft like old hands, Ax coming last of all, then Tobias flew down after them and landed in his usual perch on Rachel's shoulder.
"How come you all are so good at this?" Tyson demanded when Marco helped him to his feet.
"Practice." Rachel said, tossing her hair back before extending a hand to Hillary.
Then we heard... //Unauthorized life form detected, unauthorized life form detected, Gleet Biofilter Scanning now...//
The older Animorphs tensed. Jake's teeth were gritted in an apprehensive snarl.
//Species Identified, Human, human, human, human, human, human, human, human, human, human, Red Tailed Hawk, Andilite. Beginning yeerk detection sequence as authorized by War Princess Judin Olarn Sorath, Beyblade Battle Association World Chapion Sierran, Baron Voltaire Hiwatari, and Proffessor Dickenson, President of the Beyblade Battle Association. Yeerk Detection Sequence Completed. Results negative. Beginning Bit beast identification sequence, as Authorized by War Princess Judin Olarn Sorath, Beyblade Battle Association World Champion Sierran, Baron Voltaire Hiwatari, and Professor Dickenson, President of the Beyblade Battle Association. Bitbeast Identification Sequence Completed. Updating computer record databanks.//
We just stared. "Don't move, any of you." Jake warned. The other original Animorphs were equally tense, absolutely still, listening.
//Update complete, Authorization Issued, state your name and title for the record so that a voice print may be registered.//
Jake gulped, and then began hesitantly. "My name is Jake, I am the leader of the Earth Resistance to the Yeerk Empire. We call ourselves the Animorphs."
//Voiceprint registered. Next...//
"My name is Rachel. Jake is my cousin. I am also a member of the Animorphs. My favorite morphs are Grizzly Bear and African Elephant."
//Voiceprint Registered. Next...//
"My name is Cassie. I am a Veterinarian in training who works for the Animorphs"
//Voiceprint Registered. Next...//
"My name is Marco, Technology expert for the Animorphs."
//Voiceprint Registered. Next...//
//My name is Tobias, I am a member of the Animorphs, I am a nothlit who was trapped as a Ret Tailed Hawk.//
//Voiceprint Registered. Next...//
//I am aristh Aximili Esgarrouth Isthil, formerly serving under my elder brother War Prince Elfangor Sirinial Shamtoul, now serving under Prince Jake of the Animorphs.//
//Voiceprint Registered, Next...//
Kai looked towards Jake for encouragement. //Next...// The computer queried.
"I am Kai Hiwatari, Captain of the World Champion Team Blade Breakers and leader of a new subgroup of Animorphs under Jake, My Bit Beast is Dranzer." Kai's tone was hesitant. I didn't blame him, none of us realized what was going on.
//Voiceprint registered, next...//
"My name is Rei, formerly of the White Tiger Clan, now a member of the World Champion Team, the Blade Breakers. I am part of the subgroup of Animorphs lead by Kai and under the command of Jake. My bitbeast is the mascot of the White Tigers Team, Driger."
//Voiceprint Registered, next...//
"My name is Tyson, founder of the World Champion Team Blade Breakers. Member of the Animorphs group lead by Kai. My bitbeast is Dragoon."
Kai glared at Tyson, but the computer didn't seem to notice. //Voiceprint Registered. Next...//
"My name is Kenny, technology expert for the World Champion Team, Blade Breakers. I am also a member of the new group of Animorphs lead by Kai and under the command of Jake."
//Voiceprint registered, next...//
"My name is Hillary, friend of Tyson of the Blade Breakers, member of the team of Animorphs lead by Kai and under the command of Jake. I joined the Blade Breakers after Tyson discovered that I could see Team Saint Shield's invisible bit beast and spot patterns in enemy tactics."
//Voiceprint registered, next...//
My heart was hammering in my chest. "My name is Max, member of the World Champion Team, the Blade Breakers. My mother is the coach of the American Champion Team, the All Starz. I am also a member of the group of Animorphs lead by Kai and under command of Jake. My bit beast is Draciel."
"Max, Tyson, and Kai Hiwatari, your DNA is already on file, samples were contributed by Voltaire, Dickinson, Judy, and Sierran after your birth, please proceed and have a nice day." The computer intoned.
The other blade breakers and I just stared at each other. "What the Hell?" Kai demanded.
"That was close." Marco sighed.
"What was that?" I asked.
//It is a gleet biofilter. It is a sort of DNA scanner and security system. It will destroy any creature who's species is not registered in its Data banks.// Ax explained. //It allowed us to proceed. Why should we not keep going?//
"Yeah..." I said shakily. "Lets check it out."
Lights began to come on in the cave. They were dim at first, but slowly becoming brighter. Suddenly... "WOW!" I exclaimed.
Wow did not even begin to describe the scene.
The cave was held up by painted columns, carved to look like Dragoon and Dark Dranzer entwined. Some of the Dragoons had their mouths open, others closed. An underground stream wound its way through the rocks. Small trees, about the size of the ficus tree that mom had planted in the entry hall in the house, had been planted. These trees had pink leaves and the bark was slightly greener than earth trees. Plants and flowers grew in profusion.
"Its like an enormous underground garden!" Cassie exclaimed.
Ax smiled with his eyes, something only an andilite could do. //Yes, there are therant trees in here. They appear to be at least thirty years old, but look at these three...// He pointed out a group of three trees, bunched together. //These three appear to be the youngest...// He knelt by them, placing a hand on the trunks. Then Ax jumped back.
"What's wrong Ax?" Jake asked.
//They are Garibah, Guide trees. Only the people they are planted for may speak with them.//
"Speak?" Hillary asked.
I felt something, some kind of itching at the back of my mind. It was as if the smallest tree, in the middle of the row, were calling me. I knelt by it.
"Max, I don't think you should..." Rei stepped forward.
"Rei don't..." Kai held him back.
"But... I thought we weren't supposed to touch them..." Rei said, confused.
"Think about it." Jake grinned. "Who did the computer mention when it scanned us?"
"Huh?" The others all looked at him.
Ax laughed. //They were planted for Max, Tyson, and Kai.//
"Great," Tyson joked. "I always wanted a talking tree."
Marco snorted, rolling his eyes.
I placed my hand on the bark. I knew it was stupid though, I mean, I'm a human, theoretically I wouldn't be able to "speak" to the trees.
But to my amazement I felt the tree's mind just... open up! It was almost like a book. The tree didn't speak the way I thought it would, not even in thoughtspeak. It spoke in pictures. "It remembered... a woman coming down here... it had been so long since she'd come. A woman and three men had come down here for the planting ceremony. They had come again only to make sure that it was healthy, and they hadn't returned..." I didn't realize that I'd spoken aloud.
"Max, you are seriously freaking me out." Tyson stated.
"HUH?" I jumped.
"You just talked to a tree!" Tyson sweatdropped.
"Can't you understand it?" I asked, blinking in surprise.
The others facefaulted.
//It is very odd.// Ax said, blinking in surprise. //Only an andilite would be able to speak with a therant tree, with any of our trees. I believe Max, that you are the first non-andilite to be able to speak with them.//
I remembered the dream about my mom. I felt a chill going up my spine. Suddenly fearful, I stood up and backed away from the tree.
"Wait, does that mean that Max isn't human?" Rachel asked.
"I look human..." I said, looking down at my hands. Suddenly, I saw a flash, a flash of a hand covered in blue fur, with too many fingers. I shook my head, trying to force the image out of my mind. Stop it Max, I told myself. "And I've never been able to morph until a few days ago, so how could I not be human?"
Kai looked at me. He knew I wasn't telling him something. See, that was why Kai was our team captain and not Tyson. Kai could see through you. Tyson had the drive, but not the empathy to lead, to understand his team mates.
Jake was studying me as well. I knew he would ask Ax about it later.
Tobias saved me. //Hey you guys! Check this out! When I press this button on the Dragoon statues, it goes like this!// He punched a button on top of one of the statues with a closed mouth. With a soft, K'CHAK noise, Dragoon's jaw hinged open, almost like a vacume seal. Something small and blue fell from its mouth.
Rachel picked it up. "Aren't your princes a little old for dolls Ax?" She asked, handing it to him.
//Oh, it's a pakka doll.// His eyes blinked. //I believe the custom is similar to exchanging friendship bracelets. Brothers, sisters and friends will make a doll of themselves and give it to each other for their birthdays, or when they're leaving on a journey, so that the recipient will always remember what the giver looked like...// Ax broke off. //Oh my gods, I recognize who this is... it's Elfangor! When he was very young! This must have been...// Ax fell to his knees, main and stalk eyes widening in comprehension. //MY SISTER! THIS MUST HAVE BEEN HER CAVE! But then...// Ax bolted to the far end of the cavern. I followed him at a run.
We rounded a corner and saw it. //A ship...// Ax stepped back in surprise. //This is an Andilite fighter!//
I studied the ship. It's main body was a pod, almost a bullet in shape. On either side were short, stubby wings with another round bullet on each that must have been the engines. Sweeping forward was a sort of... scorpion tail shaped structure that must have been the weapons systems.
Then I saw why it was buried underground. The front half of the ship was scorched in places, the nose had been crumpled. One of the engines was hanging off a tumble of wires, and it was torn completely open, exposing some kind of metallic white material. I felt my heart breaking. Whoever this alien had been, he or she was long gone.
Ax knelt by some kind of statue that had been placed at the entrance. He ran his hand over the base. I knelt down next to him.
The others came up behind us. Rachel still had the pakka doll in her hand. "There's some kind of inscription here." I told them.
"Ax, can you read it?" Jake asked.
//Even better Prince Jake. I can recite it. My elder sister, Judin Olarn Sorath wrote it when she was on the Hork Bajir homeworld and sent it in only a few months before her disappearance. It is called, until my eyes open...// He looked over at Jake for permission to translate.
"Go ahead." Cassie said gently, "Read it."
//I am blind
Until there is no war
I am deaf
Until there is no suffering
I am crippled
Until there is harmony
I am dead
Until there is no more sorrow
I will sleep here
Until my eyes open on a free world.//
I shivered. The older animorphs bowed their heads. I felt a tear roll down my cheeks. "This was your sister's place." Cassie looked around at our surroundings.
//Yes, the grass and trees, the high vaulted ceilings, the fighter and andilite artifacts, this could only be an andilite home.// Ax told her.
//And when I opened the first one, I found this.// Tobias dropped a tiny cylinder into Ax's hands.
//View.// Ax commanded.
A holographic picture sprang out of the cylinder, probably the andilite version of a photograph. But when we saw who was depicted, all six of us blade breakers fell to our knees in shock.
Jake's eyes widened when he realized who was depicted. Marco spoke first. "Tomorrow morning, I think its time we asked Mr. Dickinson what he knows about Andilites."