Author's Note: I'm sorry I didn't upload this faster. I wrote some of this chapter while waiting for the votes on whose POV chapter four should be from, but then I got major writer's block, and had to change this one slightly so that it was the right story. First it was going to be 'how Elfangor adjusted to living in Ax's scoop'. Now, it's 'how Arbron shows up'.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Animorphs, and you really should know that by now.

Chapter Seven: Aximili's POV

"So, Elfangor, were are you going to hide now?" Cassie asked. "I mean, we can't go to the construction site every time we need your help or opinion about something."

[Why not?]

"Because our parents would ground us until we're in college if they find out we've EVER gone there," Prince Jake explained.

[Why would they do that?]

"Because the construction site is supposedly really dangerous."

[Prince Jake, I have a suggestion, if I may offer it,] I said cautiously. I glanced at my brother, wondering why he hadn't reacted to my title for Prince Jake yet.

"Sure, Ax. Just don't call me Prince."

[Yes, Prince Jake. Elfangor could stay at my scoop in the woods. That is... if he wants to.] I turned to my brother, trying to guess his answer.

[I would be delighted,] said Elfangor graciously. It was in vain that I tried to hide my excitement. I had missed my brother a great deal. I had so much I wanted to speak with him about.

"Okay, so we've settled that issue. Here's another—how the heck is Elfangor going to acquire battle morphs?" asked Marco.

"Why the heck would he need any?" Tom/Esp shot back. "He's deadly enough in Andalite form."

[For spy missions, I acquired a cockroach in the construction site. I can acquire a bird morph right here and now,] Elfangor added. He reached out for the caged seagull he had been examining. [These birds appear to be quite common in this area.]

"Yeah, they are. You might want to acquire a bird of prey morph too, though," Cassie advised him. "Incase we need to move really fast."

[Wouldn't duck or goose morphs more inconspicuous? They are more commonly seen flying in groups, are they not?]

Everyone stared at Elfangor. They mostly looked shocked. Cassie, however, was smiling.

"That's a great idea," she said. "I'm amazed none of us thought of it before."

"Well, if everything is settled-"Jake began, but Marco interrupted him.

"It's not. What about Esp?"

"What about me?" Esp snapped.

"Well, where are you going to stay?"

"Um... Tom's place, maybe?" His sarcasm was obvious, even to me. "His parents will get worried if he disappears."

[We have a bigger problem, actually,] said Elfangor. [If we aren't going back to the construction site, how are we going to tell Arbron about this?]

"Returning to the site will be unnecessary," said Tom/Esp instantly.

[And why would that be?] my brother inquired.

Tom/Esp pointed at a hole, which had suddenly appeared before the barn door. "Because Arbron has followed us here."

As though in confirmation of his words, a large Taxxon emerged from the hole. I was forcibly reminded of Esp crawling out of Tom's ear. The squirming motions were the same, except that this was both vertical and much larger.

Once it was completely out of the tunnel, the Taxxon raised the front third of its body, so that it towered above us. I must admit—I was frightened. This Taxxon was huge even by Taxxon standards. He looked, to my terrified eyes, like he could swallow me whole it one casual bite.

[HAVE YOU BEEN HERE ALL THIS TIME?] the Taxxon roared at my brother.

[Have you been practicing perfect imitations of the Living Hive?] Elfangor responded.

[I asked you first.]

[Well, how would you define 'all this time'?]

[Answer my question and I'll answer yours,] the Taxxon shot back.

[But I need the answer to my second question to answer your first question,] my brother protested.

[JUST ANSWER!] the Taxxon bellowed, clearly losing patience.

[Okay, then yes,] Elfangor said meekly. [I have been here 'all this time'.]

[No, I have not been practicing perfect imitations of the Living Hive, and I define 'all this time' as being 'the previous twenty-three minutes', or 'since I realized that you weren't in the construction site'.]

"Midget, Marco, Rachel, Cassie, Aximili, Tobias, this is Arbron," said Tom/Esp. "Arbron, these people are—"He stopped, then turned back to us. "Well, as I don't think he's listening to me, you all can introduce yourselves later."

Arbron suddenly seemed to notice us. [Who are YOU?] he demanded.

"And, of course, he asks that AFTER I attempt to make introductions," Tom/Esp muttered.

Prince Jake made the introductions instead. "I'm Jake, this is my best friend Marco, that's my cousin Rachel, that's Rachel's best friend, Cassie, Tobias is the one in the rafters, and this is Ax." He gestured towards each Animorph, and then towards me.

Arbron looked at me—or at least, he turned his head in my general direction. I noticed Elfangor going completely rigid.

[Are you two related?] he asked me, pointing at Elfangor with one of his claws.

[We're brothers,] I answered timidly.

[Ah, yes. Elfangor has told me a great deal about you.]

[I wish I could say the same,] I said, as politely as I could. I wondered uneasily if Taxxons could smell fear, the way that Tobias had told me dogs could.

[I DID tell you about him!] Elfangor protested. [Weren't you listening when I explained about how he saved my life?]

[It wasn't very hard,] Arbron informed him. [They were all Taxxon rebels, and my friends. They trusted me—even though they were upset that they couldn't eat you.]

After a five minute period, during which Arbron apologized for yelling, debated with Cassie whether or not he should be allowed to eat a fatally injured raccoon he had been eyeing, and was told how we had found out about Elfangor's survival, he tuned to me and asked a question I guiltily felt should have come up sooner.

[Why were you at the mall by yourself in the first place?]

[Well...] I began, somewhat embarrassed. [I found some human currency on the ground and decided to go buy a cinnamon bun. Unfortunately, once I began eating I was unable to stop myself.]

[Ah,] said Arbron sympathetically. [There's no shame in that. Appetites are very hard to control sometimes.]

Tom/Esp snorted. "So says the Bottomless Pit."

Author's Note: So, what do you think? (IT'S NOT A CLIFFIE, I TELL YOU! THIS IS NOT A CLIFFIE! IT'S A BREAK BETWEEN CHAPTERS, BUT IT IS NOT A CLIFFIE!) You have three choices: Give me a nice review and be loved by me forever, give me a bad review and be ignored, or don't give me a review at all, which I won't care about because I either won't know you've read this chapter or won't even know that you exist.