A/N; just an idea when you read this. Try listing to some sad love song, like 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls or something.

And by the way, I might be getting a little more lovey-dovey in my next chapters, so be warned. I'm in that kinda mood. But please… don't stop reading and reviewing…

Chapter Four; Hiding and Waiting

Present day…

Ithiell

I placed our few remaining twigs on the fire, staring hard into its depths. Hoped that no-one could see the low fire in the small cave. I noticed again how small it seemed now. All those years ago I'd sat in this exact same place, and now… it was so small.

I looked over at Amanda and Robert, sleeping side by side. Amanda had a small gash on her cheek, which could have been a lot worse if Robert hadn't been as quick as he had. His own head was bandaged, the side of the bandage caked with his blood. He'd been lucky not to have been killed.

This fight had been the worst yet. We didn't even have time to prepare ourselves as the countless Terinans swarmed on us, nearly defeating us. Thankfully, Rtaia had seen and brought the fighter around in time to help.

I'd made a mistake in battle, and it almost cost my friends their lives.

I got up and looked outside, at the sleets of rain that were pounding down on us. For now, we'd be safe. It was well-known that Terinans didn't like water. Sort of like the earth-based creatures called cats. It was why they'd chosen to fight here. Less water. Or… so they'd thought.

"You could only do so much" I heard from behind me, and when I turned I found Rtaia there, looking up at me sadly.

"I nearly got you all killed"

"You are fighting a war, my dear brother. No one is perfect"

"I don't mean to be. I just want to keep my friends alive"

"And you have. Six years you have kept them from death, and given them more of yourself than you ever could or should"

"They're my family"

"I know. I did not mean it-"

"I know what you meant. Thanks anyway Rtaia"

We stared silently out into the rain, both of us hearing the thunder from far off.

"I think we're going to be here all night"

"It is not so bad. They have the chance to rest now, and so do we"

I was about to protest, but found I couldn't. What she said was right; we were both weary, in spite of neither of us needing sleep for long amounts of time. But this war had taken us beyond our breaking points, and I honestly didn't know how much I could give before I collapsed on the ground, perhaps for good.

"Rest, brother. As will I. The Terinans will not find us here, in this secluded place"

"All right. But…" I looked at Amanda, feeling guilt well up inside me again.

"Do not fear. I am here to help guide you. We will stand together, until our friends come"

"If they come. I don't even know if Jade got the message or not. And even if they did, it'll be at least another day before they can safely get here. And I say at least"

"I know. But trust in Jade and the Animorphs. They will come"

"I hope so" I muttered, going and lying beside the fire, unable to fight the weariness that spread through my entire body.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Jade

I woke up feeling thirsty. I opened my eyes to see the others had fallen asleep. Cassie had her head on Jake's shoulder, and he had his own head resting on hers. Rachel was on his other shoulder, Tobias still loosely in her arms. He was the only one that seemed partly awake.

Beside me, I felt the slow rise and fall of Marco's chest, and the slight twitching of Ax's legs as he dreamt. I was warm, I was safe.

Well, as safe as you could get in a cargo bay.

"Tobias?" I whispered softly.

(Yeah) he sounded like me.

"Are you ok? Did you sleep?"

(A little. Kind of hard to sleep without a perch, and I didn't want to be-)

"Yeah, a bird popsicle. I know" I tried to push myself up without waking Marco, but found his head was resting on mine. So I just moved my legs a little to get feeling in them, realising I'd accidentally pushed against Ax. He jerked awake, looking like he was about to bolt.

(Ax! Take it easy! That was just Jade. Don't freak)

"Sorry Ax" I said as I found a way to move Marco's head so I could move my own around to look at him. He looked at Tobias with his stalk eyes, then at me with his main eyes.

(It is… all right. Are we there yet?)

I stifled a giggle as Tobias answered for me.

(No. But… I thought you could keep track of time?)

(Ah) he thought for a moment (It has been seven of your hours since we departed)

"Are you deaf? It's everyone's hours, Ax!" The voice from the other side of me made me look up. Great. I'd woken Marco up too.

(You seem to be really good at that) Tobias commented, moving away from Rachel and coming over to us.

"Thanks Tobias. Nice vote of confidence" I mumbled. Fortunately, the others woke up half an hour later, all of us needing to 'freshen up'. Thankfully we had a place down here to do that, and were all soon comfortably back under the blankets, all nice and warm again. I still missed my shoe though.

We went in and out of sleep a few more times, before none of us could sleep anymore.

"This is boring" Rachel muttered, still half-holding Tobias. Ax had become human, and was on the other side of me again.

"Well, at least we have each other. When I was alone I didn't know what I'd do" Cassie said.

"Uh, Cassie? You were kind of fighting brain stealing aliens then. You had something to do" Marco said, rolling his eyes. Under the blanket, I could feel his slow and steady heartbeat. It was comforting to know he was there.

"I'm hungry too" Rachel added. So, we raided the cargo bay, finding some stored plane food. Soon, Rachel didn't have much to complain about except the boredom.

"I'm bored"

"You won't be soon. When we get to Australia, we have to get to my old home town. After that, we have to look for them"

(How do you know they're near there?)

"I don't, but it's the best place I know to start from"

(All righty then)

(It has been almost ten of your hours)

"Ax, I swear if Jade wasn't between us, I'd shake you silly" Marco growled.

"And that's a promise" Rachel laughed.

"People, please. We have to focus. First, we have to find a way to get out of the airport without being seen" Jake said, looking like he wanted to sleep again.

"Easy. Do the same as before" I said.

"Jade, if you get caught…"

"Jake, I will do it whether you want me to or not. My friends lives are at stake, and I'm sorry to say but you're not my 'Prince' as Ax says. I have my leader, and he's out there, in trouble"

"All right, I get where you're coming from. But getting killed isn't going to help any of them, all right?"

"Okay"

"Now, let's all sleep while we have the chance, okay? This is the most sleep I've had in months"

So we did. And five hours later there was reports of a strange young man running away from the airport.

They never said anything about him having any passengers.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Past…

It took Robert over an hour to show up. When he did he looked tired.

"Sorry. I've been helping my mother this afternoon" he said, sitting just outside, away from the fire. Ithiell put it out, and the cave cooled again enough for him to come in.

"Now, what's this big emergency?"

Amanda quickly filled him in, and at first he looked like he was about to laugh. Then, he seemed to consider it.

"Ithiell?"

"Yes"

"What's going on?"

Ithiell sighed "Sit down. I will attempt to explain things to the best of my knowledge"

So we sat in a circle, away from the embers of the fire.

"My… my race is Chanaiben, as you know. As best as I can translate, in your language it means Changeling. One who can alter their form. It seems… my blood has somehow made its way into your systems, and has… contaminated in a way… your pure human blood"

"I'm still lost"

"I think I know what it means! It means that our cuts and stuff healed because his blood was somehow mixed in with our own" Amanda looked at him, bright-eyed. He nodded slightly.

"That is partly right. Yet, there is another part of my blood you seemed to have inherited"

"Your changing thing, right?" Amanda sounded like a teachers pet!

"Correct. Here, allow me to show you what I mean" he got up and went outside, with the three of us following.

"Robert. Would you stand in front of me please? Right here, and stay still" Ithiell instructed Robert, who reluctantly did what he said. Ithiell walked around Robert, like inspecting an animal, then stood facing Robert, about six feet away.

Then, something amazing happened.

Ithiell's eyes shrunk and became more human, turning a startling light blue. There was a slight silvery shimmer as the big head shrunk as well, and became more like a human head. It was only then I realised what was happening.

He was becoming Robert!

Amanda and I… and in fact Robert as well… stared in awe as black curling hair sprouted from his head, falling in just the way Roberts did. Then came the torso. I was amazed to see that Robert's shirt came into the mix as well. Although, it seemed melted to the skin. The legs thickened slightly, and the tail slurped back up into his spine. Finally, in the place of the thing we knew as Ithiell, there now stood an almost identical Robert. Besides the clothes seemingly grafted onto the skin. That was the only creepy thing about it.

"I am… sorry. I myself am still getting used to the shifting idea" Ithiell said in Roberts voice.

I was wrong. That was the creepiest thing about all of this.

"Wow. How the heck did you do that?" The real Robert asked, amazed. Then "You're not one of those body-stealing aliens are you?"

Ithiell/ Robert just looked confused.

"So… that's what happened to me? My hand… but how?"

He nodded, then started to speak. But I held out a hand to stop him.

"Please, before you do anything else. Change back. This is just too creepy for words"

So, he did.

"Yes, Amanda. But, you did it with the power of your mind. You halfway willed your hand into that shape, and that is what you came up with. At least, your body did. Your mind must have stopped-"

"After I totally freaked and went to find Jade? Well, that sounds logical enough"

I barked a laugh "Logical? Logical! What planet are you on, Mars! Amanda, our lives stopped making sense the second we all ran into the woods!"

"Well I wouldn't have gone if you two idiots hadn't decided to go have yourselves a little adventure! It's-"

"Please. Do not speak of the past, but more worry about the present" Ithiell said in the softest of voices, stopping us in our tracks. It was softer than Amanda and I yelling, but somehow seemed to reach right into our souls. His voice was almost calming.

Instead, the three of us turned to the strange creature called a Chanaiben, all of us with one thing on our minds. It was Robert who said it.

"So…. what do we do now?"

Ithiell smiled "Now, I teach you how to shape-shift"