A/N- Last chapter, guys! Inspiration strikes slowly. It may be awhile til the next story goes up, if it goes up. Never fear, though! Even if I don't continue Zak/Bri's story, I have more ideas for the Animorphs- the best thing you can do to keep me writing is review!

Review Responses

KP- Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you continue to read my stories. It means a lot to me! AndI always aprieciate your comments.

Traycon3- Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked it.

Panthergirl- You get the info at the same time as everyone else- now. Thanks for your review!

DH- Thanks for your tips! I cranked out another couple chapters at home, and deleted many that weren't important to the story. But I'm hoping to post my next one soon, if I finish it! Thanks so much for your constructive comments throughout the series, they've been a big help. And thanks for sticking with me!

Morph- Hhhm. That's an idea, Megamorphs. I might do that. Thanks for reviewing!

There is Hope- The Kelbrid being feline is probably due to the fact that my favorite animals are cats, which you can tell by my pen name.

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Chapter 12- Zak

(Hey, guys. Jake said to tell you to visit Cassie this afternoon.)

I twisted an eye-stalk up. Ax and I were feeding again, and Tobias had dropped by. It was the morning after our encounter with the Animorphs.

(Why?)

(He says that you, Ax, and Bri should get some better morphs. Cassie's family runs a wild-life center, so there'll be plenty of animals for you to acquire. Then she'll take you to the Gardens to get some fire-power. At least, Bri needs some. Andalites are probably more dangerous in their own forms than any earth morphs, huh?)

I grimaced, and looked away. (Actually, I haven't really learned how to fight that well. I've grown up in seclusion.)

(I will teach Zak how to tail-fight,) Ax offered.

(That sounds good,) Tobias said. (I'll tell Cassie you'll be there. Bring Bri along, too.)

(Okay. Um, tell Jake that we need to meet at my house tonight, okay? Bri and I have more to tell you guys.)

(Really?)

(Uh, yeah.)

(Um, okay, I'll tell him.) I could tell Tobias was confused. Why hadn't we told everything before? But he said nothing about it. (See you guys.) He took off for Jake's house.

Ax turned to me. (What is it that you have not told them?) he questioned. (You seemed very thorough in your first report.)

(Yeah, well, this thing we have to tell will be news to you too, Ax.)

He seemed offended. What is it you have not told me?

(We need to tell everyone at once, okay? Wait a bit longer.)

After a long debate last night, Bri and I had decided to tell the Animorphs about the Kelbrid. And after our debate, Sam and Bri's mom had agreed that we could tell the Animorphs, as long as the information was not made widely known among Andalites. So Ax would have to keep secrets from his people. I felt bad about this, but we had no other choice. The Andalites could not know of the Kelbrid.

Ax fed in silence for the rest of the morning, obviously upset that we had not told him everything yet.

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We acquired our main morphs that day. At Cassie's barn, we acquired transit morphs. Bri acquired a female sharp-shinned hawk, which bit her before she could acquire it, and Ax and I both acquired the same Northern Harrier. Then it was off to the Gardens to acquire some power.

Walking down the halls behind the cages, Cassie said, "If you see an animal you'd like, just tell me and we can stop and acquire it." She grinned. "I have almost all these animals inside me. I couldn't wait to experience each animal at first."

Ax and I were in human morph, of course. We would attract too much attention as ourselves. Yesterday, Ax had acquired all of the human Animorphs and performed a Kacheet, or a Frolis maneuver in the Andalite language. Now he looked like a strange and pretty human boy, with a bit of each person mixed in- Marco's hair, Rachel's face with Cassie's eyes and somehow Jake's ears. And this was his first time in morph.

Cassie had been surprised when Ax stuttered, "Oh! Ho. Th-this is vuh-ree in-tuh-rest-ing. Uh-ring."

Bri just rolled her eyes, grabbed him by the elbow as he began to fall, and muttered, "Here we go again."

Cassie asked, concerned, "What's wrong with him?" So we ended up explaining about Andalites in human morph.

Andalites, including myself, have a hard time in human morph with speaking, and eating. Since we don't have mouths, it is an entirely new experience. As I said earlier, I had taken a speech therapy class to rid myself of this habit, and was by now used to eating with a mouth. And I'm fully accustomed to using two legs instead of four. Ax, however, was not.

Bri and I were supporting Ax while we walked down behind the cages. As Ax said, "It-tuh is vuh-ree hard-duh to bal-al-ance. Ants. On two-oo legs-suh."

"Yes. Yeh-suh," I said, grinning as Bri kicked me for being a bad example.

We stopped by the Zebra's cage first.

Actually it was Ax who stopped first and caused Bri and me to fall down on top of him. When we stood, Ax remarked, "See? Suh-ee. It is dane-jer-ous. Us. To walk-awk on two legs-suh."

Cassie was laughing off to the side, while Bri was glaring. "It is not dangerous, as long as you walk the right way. What happened to you?"

"I merely-ly stopped. Opped. To ex-ex-amine the qua-quadrupeds. Upids."

"What quadrupeds?" I asked.

"Those." Cassie pointed. "Zebra's are quadrupeds, or horse-slash-deer-like animals, with four legs."

"And-uh-lites are-ruh quadrupeds. Zzzz-zebras must be-ee very sensss-ab-ul to be quadrupeds."

Cassie sighed. "How did you put up with this?" she asked Bri.

Bri grinned. "Practice. But I think someday, it'll drive me mad."

Cassie went on to say, "Just because it walks on four legs doesn't mean it's smart. Zebras can't be ridden like horses because they are ill tempered and don't obey well. And they are not the right size for humans anyway."

"What-tuh are-ruh hor-or-ses?" Guess who.

"We'll show you when we get back to Cassie's barn," I promised.

I didn't acquire many animals at the Gardens. I got a cool snake and a coyote, but not much else. Ax acquired a dolphin, in case we had to go out to sea again. But Bri acquired a seriously dangerous animal- black panther. She decided it would be her battle morph.

"I really like cats. And this one will blend in at night, as well as being fast and sleek," She explained.

When we were done touring the Gardens, we stopped by the snack shack on our way out. Big mistake.

We ordered nachos and sodas. If you read my description of Alanthi and I at the food court, then you know what Ax was like. Cheese smeared in his hair, soda on his shirt, and a piece of the carton of chips in his mouth before we could explain that it wasn't supposed to be eaten. We left the zoo early that day.

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I was early to Bri's house for the meeting that night. Ax had gone with Cassie to acquire and morph a horse, while we spoke with her family alone.

"So you're sure it's okay that we tell them your secret?" I asked for the thousandth time.

"Yes, Zantar," Bri's mother said. Her face grew pained for a minute. "But you must be sure they know the risks. You know that if the Kelbrid discover that an 'inferior' species has found out about them, they will annihilate the witnesses. If the Kelbrid ever come to this area to study the humans as they did the Andalites, your friends will likely be killed."

My stomach tightened; then I forced myself to relax. The Kelbrid would never come here, probably. It was unlikely. And yet…

I shook my head to clear it. Jake and the others needed to know. We were partners now. There could be no secrets between us, especially one like this. If only Ax would keep quiet, everything would be fine.

They arrived one by one, in bird morphs. All wearing their morphing clothes. All looking a bit suspicious. Cassie smiled at us, but there was still a bit of tension between the two groups- the Animorphs, and Bri and I. Ax stood alone, unsure who to side with. He knew us better, but he didn't know what we had to say tonight. So he was undecided.

We sat on opposite sides of the room, on two couches facing each other. When all were present, Marco spoke up. "So. I hear you've been keeping secrets."

Cassie frowned at him, but Bri said, "No, its fine. We just weren't sure if we could trust you. If we should trust you."

Rachel glared. "We're friends, aren't we, Sand- I mean, Bri? We've been friends for a while. And now we know each other's secret lives. So why not trust us?" I should mention that Rachel has a short temper.

Bri has a bit of an attitude as well. Glaring back at Rachel, she said, "Hey, I had a good…"

I interrupted. "What she means to say is, we had a good reason to keep this secret. This is information that could get you killed, should a certain alien race ever choose to visit Earth. But this is something you should know, if we're going to fight together." I turned to Ax. "None of you should ever tell anyone else this, especially you, Ax."

Ax frowned. (Why not? What is so dangerous?)

I pursed my lips. "Ax, if you're going to hear this, you need to promise us something."

(What?) He was getting suspicious.

"You need to swear you won't breath a word of this to any other Andalite. The Andalite race may not ever hear this information. They would be driven to war. And they would lose."

Ax was furious. (You cannot ask this of me! If it is important information, the Andalite high council must hear of it! I cannot withhold information from my people.) He glared. (And we have never lost a war yet.)

What with Bri and Rachel boring holes in each other with their eyes, and Ax twitching his tail-blade as if he might wish to strike me, you could cut the tension with a knife. Jake stood up and held up his hands.

"People! We can't get hung up on this issue. There's too much at stake for us to fight amongst ourselves." He turned to Rachel. "They had a valid reason for withholding information, and they are coming forward now. Let's just stay calm about this."

Marco grinned. "Yeah, Rachel. Breath. Relax. In, out, in, out…" Which of course made her only more mad. Jake frowned at him.

Then he turned to Ax. "Ax, can't you agree to this? If they believe it shouldn't be told, we have to trust them. Please."

But Ax was still quivering with indignation. (I cannot betray my people.) He stared at me with one stalk-eye. (Perhaps Zak wishes to do so. But I will not.)

My stomach churned with acid. I wasn't betraying the Andalites! I was protecting them! Wasn't I? Jake quieted me before I could even speak with a look. Then he turned back to Ax.

"Ax, will you at least consider it? You said I'm your Prince. Listen to what they have to say, and then make your decision. That's an order."

Ax glared a few moments more, then quieted. (Fine. But if I decide the council deserves to here this, then I will report it.)

Jake nodded. "Fair enough."

I sighed. It was probably the best response we would get from Ax. But we were still taking a risk.

Jake sat back down, and calmly waited, but Rachel wasn't so patient. "Okay. So what's the big secret? What are you here to tell us?"

Bri grinned for the first time since they came in. "Actually, we're not going to tell you anything."

(What?) That was Tobias, from his perch on the couch. He and Cassie had been quiet during this conversation. I gathered they were not the talkative ones of the group.

"What are you saying?" Rachel said, trying to conceal her annoyance.

"What I mean is, we're not going to tell you anything. She is."

Sam walked into the family room, and the others stared a bit.

Cassie asked, "That's your sister, right?"

Marco frowned. "You told your sister about this?"

"Actually, I knew about it the entire time," Sam said smoothly. "My name is Samantha. I was Zantar's caretaker when he was young."

(You had a babysitter?) Tobias asked.

I nodded.

"What kind of a person takes care of a baby alien?" Jake asked.

Sam smiled. "An alien." And she morphed.

The changes weren't that drastic. Sam still walked on two legs, and had two arms and a mouth. Fur lightly covered her entire body, but it was thin fur, and light skin colored. Her hair, which had been blond, became thicker and wavier, like a lions mane. Her eyes slitted into cat's eyes. Her ears became pointed, tipped with fur. Her fingernails turned to claws. And she grew a tail.

The other Animorphs, especially Ax, stared at her. It was Marco who commented, "It's nice to finally meet you, Catwoman." Rachel elbowed him.

Jake turned to Ax. "What type of alien is she, Ax?"

Ax shook his head, all four eyes on Sam. (I have never seen this type before.)

Sam spoke, in a lilting accent now. "I am Kelbrid."

Ax jerked visibly. (It cannot be. Kelbrid? No, it cannot be!) He said it with awe, though, as it he couldn't convince himself that it wasn't true.

(What are the Kelbrid, Ax?) Tobias asked.

Ax barely recovered. (The Kelbrid are a race the Andalites have a truce with. We know nothing of them. They know nothing about us. We do not cross into each other's territory, for to do so would start a war. We are both powerful, advanced races, so to avoid territory disputes and fighting, we created a truce.) He still seemed a bit in shock.

Sam smiled sadly. "A truce the Kelbrid did not keep, Aximili. The Kelbrid are more advanced than you think. Our morphing technology is far more advanced. They wish to study other species without being studied in turn. Thus they created the boundary for you. If a war did break out, Aximili, the Kelbrid would win. You can be sure of it."

Ax glared. (You lie!) He couldn't get anything else out.

"I'm sorry, Aximili. It is true."

(If it is true, then why would you tell this to me? Why do you reveal yourself to an inferior species?)

"I am not fully Kelbrid. My mother was Kelbrid, yes. She was a Kelbrid scholar and spy. But my father…" Sam began to morph again. Andalite this time.

Ax stared in disbelief. (Yes, Aximili. My father was Andalite. My mother fell in love with him while on the Andalite Homeworld. I am their only child.)

She sighed, sadly. (My father was killed by the Kelbrid when he discovered their secrets. And mother and I were banished to earth.)

Ax sat back, stunned at this information, while Marco waved his hand wildly. "Excuse me. Remember us? I have a question. Is your true form Kelbrid or Andalite?"

(Neither. And both. Whichever I want.)

Cassie frowned. "But you can't morph strait from one form to another. You have to pass through your true form first."

(That is with Andalite technology. Kelbrid can stay in any form for unlimited time, and morph strait from one form to another. We have no true form, although I am usually human.) She morphed human once more.

Then everyone was quiet for a while. Then Rachel said brightly, "Well, that's it? Kelbrid, huh? Are you Kelbrid too?"

Bri grinned. "Nope. I'm adopted."

Silence again. Then Jake turned to Ax, who was still shell-shocked. "Well, Ax? Are you going to report this to the Andalites?"

(I…I cannot believe it. Yet she is the proof. He paused. I can give no answer right now, my prince. I must think on this.)

Jake nodded. "Fair enough."

Then he turned to Sam. "How advanced are the Kelbrid?"

"Very advanced. We can hack easily into an Andalite computer. Because I have Andalite knowledge and instincts combined with Kelbrid, I am even smarter than the average Kelbrid."

Jake seemed to be thinking. "Then you could hack into the Yeerks computer record." It wasn't a question.

Sam nodded slowly. "Yes. But their records wouldn't be available from a human computer. I would need to be at the Yeerk computer itself to break in. And it would be heavily guarded. Such a mission… I could send a few Bug Fighters on wrong courses, maybe stir up some confusion. Maybe give them the wrong feeding schedules. Send a message to the Council of 13 that everything is hopeless. But they would suspect Andalite involvement. They wouldn't believe that type of message. I don't know what else I could do. Not enough to justify a trip to the Yeerk pool."

"It would be enough!" Rachel insisted. "I bet you could seriously mess the Yeerks up."

Sam shook her head. "You underestimate the Yeerks. I could get pass their passwords, rewrite some programs to be faulty, but it wouldn't be enough. It would not be worth it."

Jake nodded. "I understand. We may have to try it later, though. In the meantime…Sam, is there any chance of Kelbrid rescue? Would they ever consider destroying the Yeerks?"

Sam shook her head, her eyes snapping. "No. The Kelbrid would not come to anyone's rescue. Instead, they would study the situation. Study how well the humans and Andalites would resist the Yeerks. Study the invasion techniques of the Yeerks. They would record this information, and do nothing. After letting things run their course, they would learn what they could from it. All the Kelbrid care for is knowledge for themselves. They do not care of the perils of other species."

Jake sighed tiredly. "Okay, then. No Kelbrid help. Is there anything else you can offer us?"

"My mother is skilled in chemistry. She has a wide number of healing salves and poisons at her disposal. That is all we can offer besides shelter."

Marco said, "So. You have unlimited morph time. Did you ever consider harassing and defeating body-stealing aliens on suicidal missions as a part time job?"

She laughed. "No, actually." Her face grew more serious. "My mother has told me much of war. If you need help or backup, you can call on me."

"Wait a minute. You're not going to join?" Rachel asked.

She shook her head.

(Look at it this way, guys, Tobias said. If we ever don't come out of a mission alive, Sam is still here to keep up earth's resistance.)

Cassie nodded. "I could understand why someone wouldn't want to fight. And then, if we don't succeed, at least we have backup." Rachel looked as if she didn't agree to this, but said nothing.

Jake stood up, glancing at his watch. "Okay, team. I think that's it for the night. My parents are gonna be mad enough as it is. I think we should turn in."

Ax, coming out of a sort of daze, asked, (What is turning in?)

(Bedtime for you and me,) Tobias explained.

(Ah.)

The other Animorphs flew away, one by one. Soon only Ax, Bri, and I were left.

She looked at me. "Well. That went well. Now what?"

"Now, I demorph, and Ax and I get home. My parents might be anxious too, especially Mom." I began to demorph.

Bri nodded and yawned. "M'kay. I'll see you tomorrow, Zak, Ax." And she 'turned in'.

Sam escorted us to the door. "Your friends took that rather well," She commented.

I nodded. (Yeah. I have a feeling they've dealt with a lot of things more strange and terrifying than that,) I grinned. (See ya.)

"Goodnight."

Ax and I trotted back through the night to my house, once again in silence.

---------------------------------------------------

That night, Ax's pacing awoke me.

(What's on your mind, Ax?)

He paced some more. (I…I do not want to admit it, but I believe your friends are right.) He turned to face me. (Zak, if the Andalite High Council ever learned that they had been spied on for some time by an advanced race, they would be angered, and rightfully so. But their pride would be damaged. They would declare war. And if what you say is true, they will lose. The Andalites will be a shadow of what we are now. I cannot let that happen.) He straitened his shoulders. (I will keep your secret, Zak. For the sake of the Andalite race.)

He laughed. (As it is, if I called up the Andalites and told them I had contacted a Kelbrid, they would not believe me. They would dismiss me as a lunatic or a liar.)

We spent much of that night talking. I couldn't sleep, and neither could Ax. So he told me about the traditions of the Andalite people, and demonstrated a few tail moves. I spoke of earth, and its wonderful foods, and my school. We talked until we dropped.

The war would later consume much of my life. Later, it would become so extreme I wasn't sure I could cope. But I knew, that whatever I went through, I knew I would always have a friend to share my experiences with. I was no longer isolated on earth. And no matter what I did as an Animorph, I would survive as long as I kept those friendships alive.