I do not in anyway own Ronin Warriors or Animorphs. I really wish I did…but since I don't, oh well. I'll use artistic license to the best of my ability.

Book 1: Animorphs
By: Meowsilbub
Chapter 3: Bit of Story Telling

Authors notes: I'm soo sorry about this taking so long! Quite a few months, in fact. School has kept me amazingly busy. Junior year in high school – while it may be easy, it doesn't mean I don't have things to do. I've written as often as I could. I know it took a long time for so short a chapter, but like I've said before, I'm re-vamping it as I write. Please review! Tia!

Joe Tripz: Thanks for the review. I know, the date is really messed up for his birthday. But I mean for this to be a long series. After looking through everything, that was the date that made the most sense.

Ax looked upon his charge, sleeping somewhat peacefully under a mound of blankets. Cye had fallen straight asleep once they had arrived at Ax's place, and had barely moved since. Ax himself stood next to the entrance of his home, looking at the stars, which were barely visible in the nighttime sky, and thinking about Cye. The kid (for that was what he looked like) said he was as old as Ax. But was that possible? He knew that there was technology to look younger, but no human he had ever heard of lived past about 100, if they were lucky enough to reach even that young age. And yet this human said he was 200, possibly older.

::I wonder…:: Ax murmured to himself. ::Is Cye an Andalite? That could explain why he was that old, and looked that young…but that doesn't explain why he had trapped himself in morph, how he had even arrived on earth, or why he was hiding what he truly was.:: Ax shook his head, another gesture he had picked up from living with humans. ::No…I think he is really a human. But I would like to know how he came to be the way he is…::

As he lost himself in though, a light blue color flashed throughout the scope. Ax tensed, and looked around. Nothing at all was different, except for Cye. He was glowing a dull blue. ::Glowing?:: Ax muttered in astonishment. As Ax watched, the glowing brightened for a moment, then disappeared. Cye moved around restlessly for a few seconds, then settled down into a deep sleep, and stayed still. Ax scowled, honestly hoping that Cye would have woken up to explain that phenomenon. But he calmed down, thinking that Cye could explain the next day. Tobias had stopped by momentarily earlier that night, saying that the guys would meet up there the next day around noon. They couldn't be at Cassie's…her parents would be home. So Ax quietly sighed again, waiting for the first ray of light to come over the horizon…

"Ax?" Ax started, having not noticed Cye had woken up.

::Yes?:: Ax replied, turning around.

"Is there a stream or lake around here somewhere? I desperately need to get washed up before the others come." Ax jumped a bit, how on earth had he known that? "If your wondering, I figure either your friends are coming here, or were going there…I also figured that its more likely they're coming here. Simple logic." Ax nodded to himself; that did make sense. But still…Cye did have a creepy habit of knowing things.

::There is a stream only a few minutes away…but can you make it there?:: Ax's main eyes looked at Cye, seeing the bruises on his cheek.

"No worries." Cye stated, and quickly jumped out of bed, showing Ax with little room for doubt that Cye was well and truly healed.

::How…?:: Ax started, but stopped himself and sighed. He already knew the answer…he'd hear it later. Cye smiled, knowing what Ax was thinking. ::This way.:: Ax started walking toward the stream that was about a ten-minute walk away.

"How'd you sleep?" Cye asked as the walked. He was staring at all of the lush vegetation, seeing new species of plants all around.

::I didn't sleep.:: Ax replied steadily.

"…" Cye paused. "One of those alien things?" Ax shrugged; he'd done it before, stayed up all night. They were quiet for the rest of the walk, Ax thinking about Cye, and Cye thinking about the Animorphs. (Confusing, hai?)

"It's so peaceful around here," Cye said.

::Yes. Cassie's parents own this land. The arrangement made when they bought the land was that it would never be cut down.:: Ax replied.

::When Cassie's family line dies, then the land will be made into a reserve.::

"That's cool. Mia has the same type of agreement with the Japanese government. Her land is acres wide, and includes a lake." He signed, thinking of how much he missed his friends, his brothers. They had been to the lake almost daily. It had been about a month since he had lat been to the lake, and he was homesick.

::You miss your home?:: Ax asked, swiveling one stalk eye to look at him.

Cye nodded. "I was at that place about daily for years…more then years. So many memories there. Like…teaching Kento to swim, or watching Ryo try and give Blaze a bath." Cye chuckled. "I had a ton of friends in the lake itself." He stopped short at the sight of a small lake, glistening crystal blue hidden within the forest.

Ax smiled with his eyes to himself. ::I often come here to do my rituals.::

"I can see why. What a gorgeous place…" Cye stripped off his shirt, revealing skin that was carried purple and blue splotches. He jumped in, head first, without looking where the water was, or if he could even dive. Ax flinched momentarily, thinking he would hit the bottom, until Cye popped his head above water about 10 feet away. He grinned, just like a child, at Ax, then dove back under with a flash of blue.

::Was- was that the same blue?:: Ax asked himself. ::What it that?:: He watched as Cye grabbed a handful of sand, and started rubbing his skin, and washing his hair in the clean water. His pants, he took off under water, scrubbed at them for a minute, and then put them back on.

Now Ax's eyes widened. The pants, moments ago black with grime and blood, were again a light blue.

Cye walked out of the water, and shook himself like Jake's dog, Homer, does. He then grabbed his shirt, and washed it too, and the same thing happened. The shirt revealed that it was a white color, with "Hard Rock Café, Japan" written on it.

::How…?:: Ax started, staring at the clothing. Cye grinned, closed his eyes, and Ax's eyes slowly widened even more as streams of water ran off of Cye, leaving him and his shirt he was holding completely dry. Ax was about to ask again, when a screech was heard.

::Heya Ax, Cye. The guys are on their way. They'll be at your scope in a few.:: Tobias settled on a branch, and stared at Cye. ::How'd the blood come off of white clothing?:: He asked.

"Magic," Cye replied impishly, and smiled. "The water tends to like me, and hates it when my clothes are dirty." Tobias just shook his head, a human trait he still used.

::Let's go,:: Ax said, and started walking back. Cye hung back for a moment, staring at the water.

"Thank you, my friend," He whispered, before following. Tobias stared after him, wondering about that boy. A boy who looked their age, but claimed to be old. One who says thank you to a lake.

Cye walked into the small opening in the forest, clearly enjoying the day. He stopped once he saw 4 youths standing there, all in their morphing clothing, staring at him. Cye blinked, and looked at himself.

"Geeze! That must hurt!" Cassie exclaimed, staring at Cye's bare chest, which showed his many bruises. Cye shrugged.

"Not really." He stretched to show that he still had mobility. But that wasn't all the Animorphs noticed. They also saw the rippling of muscles. Not large, but certainly not weak either. He shrugged again, and suddenly his skin was covered.

Jake was watching this –this kid, no matter what he said, and looking at the multiple dark patches marring the skin. What looked like what should have hurt, the kid just shrugged about. As Jake pondered this, something appeared on Cye. One second, there was skin; the next, there was a white and light blue thing on him.

"This is a part of me." Cye grinned, "It brought me to 9 others, who are my brothers now. But…" Cye trailed off, and rubbed a wrist. "It brought with it much disaster and pain. The aliens that held me hostage…they aren't the first. Or, they aren't the first to try and take over this land. Many others have tried. But failed, because of this armor." He looked up, and saw the Animorphs just staring at him, uncomprehending.

"Sit, and listen to a tale hundreds of years old." The Animorphs sat on the grass, and watched him settle down carefully. "This is my tale, and the story of 9 youths that were changed when they started dreaming of an armor…"

As Cye progressed in his story, Jake continued listening in disbelief. The only reason he believed Cye at all, was because of the proof right before his eyes. How could 5 youths – 7 including their 'civilian' friends – go though so much? How could they still be sane after so long of the pain they went though? Yet Cye sat there, telling his story, sane as could be. At moments, pain would cloud his eyes, yet it would always pass, like he had gone past the pain, and into a new inner peace.

"…and that's when I heard something, and figured it was the people from my dream." He grinned, "I doubt their allies would make them scream in rage or pain."

"But how did they get past your defenses in the first place? You said they bopped you on the head." Marco cocked his head to one side. Cye shook his head, and looked tired.

"I don't know. I really don't." There was a pause, the Animorphs thinking about what they had heard in the last few hours.

"What does you're kanji sigh look like?"

Cye grinned, and looked at Jake. "You've seen it. When you didn't trust me because I knew your name." Jake looked puzzled, while the others frowned at him.

"What – oh! You mean that weird blue thing on your forehead?" The Japanese boy closed his head, and suddenly, the 'weird blue thing' showed up. It was a light blue, the same shade as his armor.

"This is the very essence on myself. I know when to trust someone, and when not to. Without trust," Cye smiled one small, sad smile. "Without trust, there is no me. I would be someone else entirely, and I would never be able to wield the Torrent. My friends are the same way. Sage is wisdom, Kento justice, and I have never met a person more virtuous then Ryo. Rowen is life, or spirit. The warlords," He chuckled, "we never saw their kanji in themselves until they changed to the light. Talpa hid them, but could never fully take away the kanji."

::Cye? Last night, while you were sleeping, your body turned blue. And again when you jumped into the lake. Why?::

"It means my armor was reacting. In the water, it always does that. It was recharging itself, I guess you could say." Cye looked disturbed. "But last night…I dreamt. My friends and I are 'connected' to each to each other, you could say. Any one of them could have interfered with the dream, gotten rid of it. We do that a lot now, without even knowing we do it. We started doing that after big fights. We're not infallible. Bad things happen, and it haunts us."

"If you guys are connected to each other, can they tell you're alright?" Rachel asked as she played with her hair. Cye stopped stock still, and closed his eyes. His brows furrowed after a second.

"Some things – wrong – with them. Not bad wrong, just, not right. Kento blocked me. The others only have their link open a bit, akin to just barely having a door open." Cye shook his head. "I had them blocked, even if I couldn't get to them. I didn't want something to happen, and then them suddenly feel my pain. I need to go back to them today. With one of us missing…it's like losing a limb. It's hard to function. After losing Anubis for that long, Kayura wasn't much of a replacement. The armor only tolerated her because Anubis himself sent the armor to her. Something was wrong, and we could all feel it."

"I'll leave today, keep them from worrying too much more. But…what of you guys? I know the evil guys hate you, but what's the story?"

Jake sighed. He looked at the others, and seeing them reluctant to talk, he started. "We all met up at the mall one day – Ax wasn't in the scene yet – and decided to hang out. We weren't really a group, just friends of friends in some cases. On the way home, we could of either gone the long way, or cut through an abandoned construction site that we were forbidden from. Of course, we chose the construction site. It was dark, and suddenly Tobias pointed out something in the sky..."

For the second time that day, a hero's story was told. Both of them astonishing, and very much sci-fi like. To a person who might be eavesdropping, it sounded like they were trading stories they heard growing up as a kid. To the people themselves that were talking, it was a deadly tale being told.

"And so nothing has happened since then. Well…until Erik called us to a meeting and told us about a prisoner that the yeerks had kept for the past month. We decided we had to find out why they kept someone for that long, and never infested them." Cye looked embarrassed

"My armor had something to do with that. They tried to infest me. But – it didn't work. Nothing they tried worked. All of the yeerks died." The Animorphs looked shocked. They had never heard of a person unable to be infested, never mind the circumstances. "So…can I see one of your morphs? I know I saw part of Jake demorphing, but I'm still curious."

Jake agreed, and looked at his friends before settling his eyes on Cassie and nodded. Cassie gazed at him a second, then she started changing. Her entire body was cover in fur, a thick gray pelt of a wolf. As she started shrinking, her face elongated. Her joints moved around with sickening sound until she stood on all four feet, which quickly become paws. Her ears moved up, and turned to the pointed, furred over ears of a wolf. A tail shot out, and her face finished changing into something much akin to a dog. And there she stood, in all the glory of a gray wolf, sharp eyes taking in everything that stood in front of her.

Cye blinked. "That was cool."

"Cassie is the best morpher of all of us. She has control over her morph, she can choose was to morph and when. Even Ax can't do that; it's really rare." Jake explained. Even as Jake spoke, Cassie changed back, looking like someone rewound a tape. At the very end she had that pelt left, before it melted into her leotard.

"You know, for a moment there you reminded me of a were-wolf."

"There's a first," Marco muttered in amusement.

"I wonder –" Cye cut himself off. "I have to go. Kento just completely blocked himself. That can't mean anything good."

Jake nodded. "Go then. I know friends are important. Will you return?"

"You can count on it. Maybe not immediately, but soon." Cye smiled at the group. "Thank you, and good-bye for now." He did a slight bow to them, before disappearing…

Author's note: I'll be getting the next chapter up as soon as I can. But please, in the meantime, review!

P.S. Does anyone know how to get less-than carrots to appear? Also, does tab work? Double-spacing isn't fun.

Also: Has anyone else noticed that since the server change, sometimes chapters you know are up, don't appear? So far...this chapter is going and coming O.o