A/N: I'm Backkk... Sorry there was no update yesterday, but we were really busy. We were out most of the day, and then my little sister left an Animorphs out on the sofa...I couldn't resist! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!!! FUUUUUTILLLEEEE!!! Futile, I say! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!! (Well, I'm not...but there you go.) And I just want to say that it is really stinky over here cause they published The Hork-Bajir Chronicles, The Andalite Chronicles, In The Time of the Dinosaurs, The Andalite's Gift and No's 1-29. Then they stopped for a while. Then they printed numbers 32, 34, 35 and numbers 41, 42 and 45. Then they printed numbers 53 and 54. So excuse me if there's some...gaps...in my knowledge, or if I'm nicking ideas from later books. I didn't know!!

KP: I got your reviews for Ramblings. I'm glad you liked it. Update soon? Well, I'm kinda concentrating on this one at the moment...And I have serious Writer's Block on Ramblings! Mersang's given me an idea...(Cracks up) It's hilarious, but it's not enough to fill an entire chapter. I had read 'The Shrink' before. I've started reading Nadar Chronicles II, but I'm really thinking that I should read number one... What do you think? Stitches in your mouth? Ow...Hope they come out soon! And I'll try not to be so Hilarious.

East Coast Rider: I found you! I started reading 'It's fun to stay at the Y...' That's YMCA, right? Anyway, I'm waiting for your update... Errm...I don't know what else to say. I added a 'Day in the life of Me' section to my bio...Oh! Can I be in your club? Please?!

Anonymous-cat: Is that what happened to Maya? I hate to say it, but...all will be revealed? All will be revealed in Chapter 8? I've never heard of that book...I'll keep an eye out for it though, it sounds cool! I have read a book called 'When the Wind Blows' written by Raymond Briggs. Well, I say 'written'. It's more like 'drawn', as he does picture books. Any way, it's about an old couple that survive a nuclear bomb but get killed by the radiation. It's sad. And kinda gross in places. This from the guy that created 'The Snowman'...

By the way, I have no idea what the time difference is between here and America. Just go with it, okay?

Seven: A thing of Beauty. (Marco)

Maya, with a little help from Sierra and Simone, told us everything.

And there were a whole lot of free humans who knew about the Yeerks.

"So." She finished. "I've told you our story. Now let's hear yours." I wondered if we should tell her. How much did we actually know about these kids? Jake looked round at us. Rachel rolled her eyes and made a little waving hand gesture, like 'Go on'. He looked at Cassie. In this situation, what she thought was most likely right. She sent him a look that seemed to say 'We can trust them.'. Ax, as always, kept his face carefully unscrutable.

Tobias sent his 'look' via private thought speech. (I'll have to go with Cassie on this,) He said. (I have a good feeling about this place...) Me, I thought all this silent conferring was a bit dumb. So I voiced my thoughts aloud.

"We've walked into so many traps." I sighed "What difference will one more make? Plus we've already revealed Tobias and the Ax-man. We might as well."

"Okay." Jake said to the girls, who had been patiently waiting. "We'll tell you. We're humans. But we have Andalite morphing capabilities." He spread his arms wide. "We're your Andalite Bandits." Silence.

"I knew it!" Maya breathed.

"I think," Sierra said, slowly "I'd better go get Chris. I've a feeling he'll want to hear this..."

We told them everything. Nearly. We didn't say anything about mom. We edited out the bits that mentioned that I was related to Visser One's host. Anyway, as the story went on, different people faded out and others took over. We ended up telling not just about what we were, but detailing every mission we'd done. They laughed when we mentioned Visser Three bathing in grape juice. They laughed at my impersonations of the Helmacrons. And on more then one occasion, I heard them gasp.

But they didn't say a word.

They didn't comment, or say we were crazy. They didn't ask any questions, either. They just listened.

It was past midnight when we finished. I hadn't realised there had been so many missions, so many disasters. When we finished, the room felt silent and empty, we'd been talking so long. We'd been lost in memory, and, trust me, I'd rather get lost in a strange, dark, woods on a full moon night then in our memories.

"Wow." Maya said silently. Strange how that one word summed up everything we'd told them in the last couple of hours.

"Well," I said "Now that we all know each other, what next?"

"Now?" Chris asked. "Now we talk business." Jake nodded.

"Yes. We need to figure out where we go from here." He agreed. Chris rubbed his hands across his drawn face.

"The way I see it..." He began hesitantly. It was obvious that whatever he was going to say was going to change everything. "We need to know what the other is doing. We need to work together." He looked up from the tabletop that had so far captivated his attention. "We need an Allegiance."

Woah. He liked to things properly. This wasn't like the Chee- ask their advice and if they say no do it without them- this was a full out You-scratch-my-back, I'll-scratch-yours situation. I wondered if it could work. If we could make it work. I knew that if one group could easily mess up the other group's plans. But to be honest, I didn't like the idea much. I liked us being independent. But then again, it could be very useful to have a small army at our disposal...

This was Jake's choice. There would be no voting this time. This decision needed to be made here and now. To be honest, even if we had voted, I don't know whether I'd go yes or no. On the one hand, I liked our group as it was. But, realistically, I knew I could like it all I wanted, but numbers are invaluable in war. And how much difference would it make to us? We'd probably never see them until they needed us, or vice versa. It could be a very useful thing. I could see the same things going through the minds of the others. But who knew if they drew the same conclusion?

"Okay." Jake said, looking up from the floor. They shook.

"Maybe we should salute or something." I said in a loud stage whisper. The others laughed half-heartedly. Maya stretched.

"Okay, if all the life-changing decisions are done for tonight," Maya began "I think I'll hit the sack." The twins looked at us.

"Sorry guys." Simone said- I recognised her by the owl wings- "I don't think that we'll be able to get you home tonight. We can't do another warp of that size today...we don't have the energy."

"Do you mind stopping here tonight?" Sierra asked. To be honest, I didn't really care where I slept. I was oddly tired, even though usually staying up till 12:30 wasn't a problem. Just then, Rachel's phone started going. She answered.

"Hello? Oh, mom, it's you. I'm fine..." She cast around looking for an excuse. "Don't you remember me telling you? Cassie and I are round at Susan's."

"Susan?" Cassie asked "She doesn't even know I exist!" Rachel motioned to her to sush.

"I so did tell you!" She cried. "Well, I don't know why Cassie didn't tell her parents. Yeah, she's right here. Well, phone them back and say she's fine. Duh. What? Why? Mom, you can't ground me just because you forgot!"

"Rachel's in trouble!" I gloated.

"No, Marco is NOT here." She sent death glares at me "You need to get yours ears checked. They're missing?" She glanced at Jake and me "Where are they?"

"If they knew that then we wouldn't be missing..." I muttered.

"No, I don't know where they are. Uh-huh. Yep. I won't. I will mom...look, I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Right." She rolled her eyes and mouthed 'Shut up!' "Bye, mom." She hung up. Then, as an afterthought, turned it off.

"Okay, we're all missing." She said. "Cassie and I are round at Susan's." She laughed. "Good job I realised Cassie's parents would phone round. I about to say I was spending the night there. As for you guys..." She looked at me and Jake "You guys are on your own."

"Why would your mom be phoning at this time?" Cassie asked. It was Ax who figured it out.

(Different Time Zones.) He said, matter-of-factly. (It may still only be early evening in America.)

"That must be why I feel so tired..." Cassie yawned. "Jet lag."

"More like warp lag..." I joked. "I mean, I don't think there was a jet involved." No-one laughed. I guess it wasn't that funny.

I was the first one awake next morning. Maya had shown us all to an empty stall. She had explained that boys and girls were usually separate, but this would do for now. There were no beds, just pillows and blankets on the floor. Although I had seen one bed in the first stall we went past. Presumably that was for her. I guess it's kinda hard to lie on the floor when you can't move your legs. If that's what was wrong with her. It's not something you ask, is it?

We had just crashed onto the floor, when something had occurred to me. I may have been more tired then I ever had been before, but I couldn't resist.

"Hey," I said sleepily "I'm sharing a room with my best friend's girlfriend and her best friend. I always knew I'd end up here. Never thought said best friend would be present, though."

"SHUT. UP." Three grumpy voices around me said. Ax and Tobias had chosen to sleep outside.

"Fine." I said, and even though it wasn't the slightest bit comfortable on the floor, I fell asleep instantly.

So there I was. Lying awake in the eerie twilight of dawn. I looked at Jake's watch, still on his arm, poking out from under the blanket. No go. It was still running on American time.

I pulled myself up, just wanting to move. I was still in the clothes I'd been wearing the night before. Oh well.

As I passed the stalls I noted that many of the blankets and pillows had been abandoned. Maybe it wasn't as early as I thought.

I left the stable and looked around. Fields everywhere around. I could hear birds singing. No sounds of traffic. And these wild flowers all around.

I knew I should find it beautiful. I knew Cassie would love it. But I guess I'm more a city kinda guy. Cars, restaurants, drunks a few streets away...That's where I was meant to be. In a few years, who knew? Maybe I could be one of those drunks. I think after all we'd been through, I had more right to drink then any of them.

"Ahhh!" I yelled, as I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around. "Ax, don't do that!"

(Sorry. I was merely trying to get your attention.)

"Well, you certainly did that, Ax-man." I sighed. "So what you up to? Getting breakfast?" He nodded, a gesture he had picked up on since his time on Earth.

(Yes. The grass is very good here. I wonder why...) I shrugged.

"Maybe it's from the crops and stuff they used to grow here." I said "The land must be fertile. So, where's Tobias? Out hunting."

(He is sleeping.) Ax replied. (I didn't wake him. He seemed very tired.)

"That'll be the time-zone change." I said "Hey. Why hasn't it affected you?"

(I believe it has effected me in a different way.) He replied, grinding a hoof into the soil. (I think my internal clock may be anywhere up to a minute inaccurate.)

"Yeah, it's hard a really bad effect on you." I snapped, still tired.

(Yes.) He replied, not realising I was being sarcastic. I guess his Stalk-eyes must have seen something behind him, because his main eyes suddenly widened and he ran off to hide behind the barn.

I started to morph Gorilla, all the time searching for what had spooked Ax. It had been a trap after all! And my friends were still asleep.

Then I saw the danger.

It wasn't Hork-Bajir or Taxxons.

It wasn't even Gedds.

It was a troop of four little kids, none of them more then five years old. I let the morph go.

"Have you seen Ax?" One girl asked.

"She means Axi- Axey-"The boy clarified, stumbling on the name.

"I know who she meant..." I replied, wondering what the hec was going on.

(Do not tell them where I am!) Ax said urgently.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled.

"We're looking for him." A third kid said slowly, to make sure she got through.

(We are playing Hide-and-Seek.) Ax responded from some unknown location (I believe the goal is to remain hidden?) I laughed, and then bent down to speak to the kids.

"I'm looking for someone to," I told them "If you tell me where they are, I'll tell you where Ax is." They nodded eagerly "Okay. I'm looking for Chris, Maya, and the Twins. Do you know where they are?"
"They're in the house." A forth kid piped up, pointing at the farm house we'd been in the night before. "Now, where is he?!" She demanded.

"Ax is very good at hiding..." I said. "But I think he's over there somewhere." I pointed towards a tree that I could just make out Tobias perching in. They ran off. I'd sent the Bird-Boy a wake up call in the form of a bunch of screaming kids. Laughing, I set off towards the house.

I reached the cottage just as Chris was leaving it.

"Morning." He smiled.
"Hey." I replied "Where you going?"

"Work." He grimaced "Most of the kids do paper rounds, but...someone's gotta bring some money in. And I'm the only one old enough for a full-time job, worse luck. Anyway, gotta go." I walked into the house, glancing up at the clock above the wall. 7:00 am. I had never known this hour had actually existed. Maya was working on something at the table. She smiled as I entered.

"Why does he leave so early?" I asked, by way of greeting.

"It's a fair walk to the nearest town, you know."

"Why don't the twins just warp him there?" I pointed out. She shrugged.

"He won't let them. Moron." Just then, the two girls entered from some other room.

"Hey, we don't have unlimited power you know." Simone griped.

"Yeah, you guys don't appreciate how hard it is." Sierra added.

"We're not your slaves! Oh, warp this, warp that, we don't matter because we're mutants..." Simone continued. Maya punched her playfully on the arm.

"Yeah, yeah, it's a tragedy." She quipped, rolling her eyes. "Do you two actually want something, or are you just hanging around?"

"Hey!" Sierra faked injured feelings again. "I'm a heckler. Hence, I heckle."

"And I'm just here to fill space." Simone added "I'm a space filler."

"Uh-huh. Look, just shut up, okay?" I decided to break into the conversation.

"So, what do you guys do all day?" I asked them.

"Well, we keep tabs on the Yeerks movement, try and see what they're up to..." Maya said "And we try to figure out who's a controller. And, when we have to, we go and trash whatever it is they're doing." It sounded like a full time job.

"What are you doing today?" I asked. "Busting into a Yeerk pool? Trashing some mission? What?" Maya laughed.

"Actually, I'm just going to try and teach those little kids to read." She giggled. "Sorry to disappoint you, but someone's gotta do it."

"Oh." I said. Looked like I was in for a boring day. Or at least morning. We couldn't warp till the others woke up. I guess it showed on my face, because they cracked up again.

"Tell you what, Marco." Sierra said, when they'd recovered. "We're going to go and check out some guy's house- we think he may be a controller. Do you wanna come?"

"It won't involve running for my life, will it?" I replied suspiciously.

"Nope." Simone said "You forget- we can't morph out of injuries." I had nothing better to do, so I decided to go with them.

Half an hour and one warp later, we were hanging around on a corner, trying not to look like we were checking out the house. Which we were.

"I could go insect, and get the door from the inside..." I said doubtfully "But that would men demorphing in some controller's hallway. Not a good idea."

"Marco, you have no faith." One of them said. They were both wearing thick jackets to hide their wings, so I couldn't tell the difference any more.

"Yeah, just watch and learn." The other said, hoisting her shoulder bag higher up her arm. She walked towards the house we were trying to look at without looking like we were looking at it. She stopped at the door, pulled a cap out of the bag and once it was firmly on her head, she waved to us.

"Let's get a little closer, so we can see." The twin whispered in my ear. We crossed the road and hid in the bushes next door. "This is Simone's speciality. Simple, but brilliant. A thing of beauty." The twin I could now identify as Sierra continued.

Simone motioned to us to be quiet, and rang the bell. A few minutes later, it opened a crack, on one of those chain things.

"Yes?" A mans voice asked. Simone pulled out a note and and a square box. I'd had enough take-away to know what it was.

"A pizza?!" I asked.

"Sssh..." Sierra hissed "And watch a master at work."

"I've got a pizza here for a Mr...Jones?" She said, looking up from the note.

"At half past seven in the morning?" He asked suspiciously.

"Look, don't ask me, I just deliver them." She pouted.

"But I didn't order any Pizza!" He sounded upset.

"Look, I'm just doing my job." She pointed at the pizza "Now, I've got a pizza for this address, and if I don't deliver within half an hour, then I don't get paid."

"I'm telling you, I didn't order any!" Simone shrugged. Her act was perfect. The attitude, the drawl, everything was spot on.

"Well, maybe someone ordered it for you." She tutted, like she was having some major inconvenience. "I think it came with a message..."
"What message?" The door, that had almost been slammed, opened a millimetre more.

"I dunno." She shrugged again "I've got it written down somewhere...hold this while I get it out." The man decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Okay. Pass it through the crack."

"Dude! This is a family sized pizza!" Simone said, sounding scandalized. "No way it's going through there!"

"Turn it on it's side, then." He sighed impatiently. I have to admit, Simone thought fast.

"I can't do that! It'll all stick to the lid. Besides, I can't see you through there. And I have to put it in your hand or-"

"You don't get paid." The man completed wearily. "Alright." He opened the door properly, and we could see a balding, middle aged man, still in his dressing gown. "What's the message?"

"Hold this." Simone said, shoving the pizza into his hands. She dug through her pockets, eventually pulling out a crumpled scrap from her jacket pocket.

"What does it say?" He asked sounding curious.

"It says..." Simone began carefully. Suddenly she pulled back her arm and belted him in the forehead. Another punch went to the stomach, followed by a quick knee into his...'Dark Dimension'. He was down. And he'd stay like that for a while. "Sucker." Simone completed, shoving the scrap back into her pocket.

"The Three-Punch Pizza manovere." She grinned at us. "Never fails."

The three of us crossed the threshold, closing the door behind us.

"I'll check upstairs!" Sierra decided quickly. "Marco, can you down here?"

"What am I looking for?" I called as she made her way up.

"I don't know!" She replied vaguely. "Anything unusual!"

I made my way into one of the rooms on the left. A living room. I checked round. Nothing unusual. I went back into the hall.

Simone was there, crushing and scattering empty beer cans around. Raising my eyebrows was all I needed to do to pose the question.

"So he won't remember us." She explained "He'll think he just had one to many last night. Kitchen's clear by the way."
"Any oatmeal?" I asked.

"What?"

"Never mind." I was heading for a third room when Sierra appeared at the top of the stairs.

"I found this in the bedroom," She said, holding up a strange mass of wires, chips and some sort of cylinders. "Does this look human to either of you?" We shook our heads. "Then let's bail. Maybe Maya will know what it is..." Simone grabbed the pizza.

"This is lunch," She explained.

A moment later, we were back at the not-so-abandoned-any-more farm. We headed inside the cottage.

"Hey, Maya!" Sierra shouted "Any ideas what this is?" Maya rolled up and took the bizarre bundle of components from her.

"They actually made this...?" She muttered to herself. Then, to us she added. "Oh, I know what it is alright. It's a proto-type. A proto-type of the Yeerk's version of the Morphing cube." We stared.

"Are you sure?" Simone asked "I mean, they can't have. It's the Andalite's only advantage!" Maya nodded.

"I'm sure." She said grimily. "I know. I know because...My hands designed it." We stared some more. She smiled weakly.

"I guess it's time I told you guys about my past, huh?" She said.

A/N: DUN DUN DUNNNN!!! Okay, sorry it was late guys. But was it worth the wait? Yes? No? Review, spudunkles, review!