Hi, yes it's another chapter. As my friend doesn't seem to want to know me, I'll just write another chapter. So there!

Kharina: I know the lastchapter was boring but I felt it had to be added to the story. Please write another Homecoming chapter I'm dieing here!

Thanks for the review!

The REAL Cheese Monkey: Oh yeah, not even Asculan wants to be Asculan. Just read on it gets worse.

Elwing: There are many reasons why Asculan can't use the morphing technology. One; at the moment this is before even the H-BC and the morphing technology hasn't been invented yet.

Two; in #54, Asculan is described as missing a stalk-eye and having a huge scar, I was thinking why don't you morph? Then I remembered about Mertil and thought that maybe Asculan is allergic.

Three; I think scars are cool!

I know I'm sorry that Deodatus had to go like that but I never truly intended for him to be a main character. Aylary is more than furious trust me!

It's not actually very big, I don't think, The Animals of Farthing Wood I mean. I just remember watching the TV series so a while ago I thought I'd buy the books, so I did.

I know it must be very frustrating without e-mail. Oh well…

Thanks, hmm I can't believe I didn't notice spelling it the Animals of FARTing Wood. LOL.

Okay, here's the next chapter with a little bit of the 'others' for you guys.

Chapter Fifteen

Beautiful not Faithful

(To Andalite fighter…who is this?)

The thought speak voice came through the communications.

I was staring out of the main viewer at a ship I did not recognise. It was obviously Andalite but beyond that…

(This is…) it had been such a long time since I'd spoken to anybody. (This is Prince Asculan-Semitur-Langor.)

Silence. Then an image came on screen. An image of someone I recognised from a lifetime ago. Freyorn, and beside him Breeyar.

Freyorn's eyes widened in shock, (Asculan! But we thought that -)

(Freyorn! It is good to see you!) I couldn't believe my eyes, finally after who knows how long, a friend, someone who wasn't just my mind playing tricks on me.

Suddenly Freyorn looked sad, he lowered his main eyes and said (I'm afraid that I'll have to arrest you Asculan.)

(Why!) I all but shrieked.

(On the grounds that you attempted to commit a mutiny against a superior officer,) Freyorn replied with more calm than I could stand.

(No! Freyorn! I've been abandoned an a frozen rock for years with no one to come and look for me, and now you're going to arrest me for doing what was right! NO!) I was angry now, how could Freyorn have changed so much? Or maybe he hadn't changed at all. Maybe it was me.

Freyorn just looked at me in shock. Apparently he could not think of what to say about my accusations.

Breeyar spoke up, (We all thought you were dead, including Captain Eoptis. But you did commit a crime. And you will have to come with us back to the Homeworld.)

This can not be happening, I thought, this can not be happening. My friends…are trying to arrest me?

(Fine,) I said bitterly. (Fine, I'm lowering shields. If this is the hello I get from two of my oldest friends after so long…I'll remember this.)

A few minuets later two fighters were launched from the unknown ship. One docked and two young warriors came marching, swaggering in like they owned the galaxy. Behind them stood Breeyar.

I had been careful to stand with my scar hidden from view when communicating with Freyorn but now I turned to face Breeyar. Fully.

All the warriors recoiled slightly. It gave me a strange pleasure to see them like that. If I am to be a criminal at least now I look like one of those evil people in the stories.

Without a word I marched up to Breeyar and held out my hands, waiting for the mag-cuffs. He caught himself and slipped them on.

(So much for friends,) I said as they marched me on to his fighter.

Still Breeyar said nothing. I took some time to look around the fighter. It was obviously new technology. Many of the controls I didn't recognise. There was actually grass on the floor rather than the usual wire mesh and the walls were cream, unlike the old hard metal.

(What rank are you now?) I asked.

Breeyar straitened. (Prince.)

(Congratulations, Prince. What about Freyorn?) I struggled to keep the anger out of my voice.

Prince Breeyar still did not look away from the controls. (He's a Captain now.)

(Tell me, how long have I been 'dead'?)

(Three years,) Prince Breeyar said.

Had I truly been gone that long? So much could have changed, had changed. Three years? No. It couldn't be, surely not.

I was subdued the rest of the trip back to the ship. Prince Breeyar seemed thankful that I said nothing and so I decided not to speak again. Three years? No, never. My internal clock would have told me.

It was in silence that I was led into the brig. Breeyar just gave me one last look, for a minuet I didn't realise what I saw in his eyes. But then I remembered. It was the way I had seen Seerow looking at that vecol all those years ago. Pity.

This annoyed me.

BU-BUMFF! I made a dent in the cell wall.

Many hours passed and I saw no one, not even a guard. This did not bother me as it would have once, long ago. Now I just stood looking at the stars that I had not seen for so long a time. Home. Up in space, I was finally home.

I felt a slight vibration as we entered the white realm of Z-space. I knew in my hearts where we were heading, the Homeworld. Back to Aylary, back to Captain Eoptis.

I was not sure at that moment as to whether I really wanted to see Aylary. I had come to the conclusion on the Ice Planet that while I loved her, she might not actually return my devotion.

I heard a sound and turned to face it; standing framed in the hatch was Captain Freyorn. He nodded to the guards and walked in.

(Nice ship you have here Captain,) I said to him.

He gave a wry chuckle. (At least you've developed a sense of humour, Asculan.)

(Have I?) I asked.

(Warrior Alloran always said you were thick as a tree when it came to humour,) the captain said to me. (Her name is the GuideTree, the ship I mean.)

I snorted, (Who named the ship?)

Captain Freyorn raised his stalks (I did.)

(It is a stupid name,) I said bluntly.

Captain Freyorn laughed, (When did you start becoming so rude?)

I stood as tall as I could and looked Captain Freyorn in the eye, (When my friends started throwing me in the brig.)

Captain Freyorn said nothing. He just stared at me through sad eyes. He turned to leave but before he did he said (Then it is true. You have truly changed my old friend.)

It was my turn to say nothing.

Weeks later we arrived back at the Homeworld. Many things surprised me, one of which was the size of the fleet. It had nearly doubled since I last saw it!

It appeared that the Rebellious was no longer a prototype, half the fleet was made from that design. Then I saw her herself, the Rebellious, obviously a new model as I had been on the first when she crashed.

I knew who was on that ship, I knew.

(Do you plead guilty for your actions aboard the Rebellious?) the head of the Council looked down at me.

I was standing in the centre of the Council chambers surrounded by various captains and princes. There were also all the members of the Council and the Electorate.

This was not a small hearing, I had concluded. I looked around and saw Captain Eoptis watching me. Well, actually everybody was watching me.

My friends were somewhere in the crowd.

(Asculan?) the council member prompted.

(It's Prince Asculan,) I said. (My rank has not yet been removed.)

From somewhere in the ring of watchers I heard someone snigger. Alloran, I thought to myself.

(Well?) He said again.

(I am guilty for doing the right thing,) I replied scathingly.

(It was not the right thing! He tried to mutiny against my decision!) Captain Eoptis exploded.

(It was the right and honourable thing, you stupid old fool!) I screeched back at him.

The entire hall fell into a deadly silence. Captain Eoptis looked ready to take my head off, but then I was ready to take his head off too.

Bang! The doors to the hall flew open. (Council!) Seerow came cantering into the hall. He skidded to a halt just before the council themselves. (I….am….sorry….about…being…late,) he panted.

I frowned. What was Seerow doing here? (Seerow?)

It was the council member who spoke, (Prince Seerow-Tpal-Iskillion has asked to be allowed to back you Prince Asculan.)

Seerow smiled at me, (We are shorms.)

Somehow I did not feel it was that simple, and yet I accepted his help.

By the end of the hearing I had escaped prison on the grounds that I had already as good as suffered prison on the Ice Planet, but, I was discharged from active service immediately and stripped of my rank.

I had indeed expected this, so it came of no shock to me. Seerow had said that I was lucky to escape with such an easy punishment.

(- I mean, if you hadn't already been a – a vecol, they would have taken your blade too,) he said to me as I walked across the fields of home.

(I feel so much better now,) I said to him.

He laughed, (Has anyone told you that you seem to have developed a sense of humour?)

(Yes,) I answered. (I guess I'll never see space again, at least -)

(Father!) I turned sharply to see a small female running towards us. She was young, barely a year old. She ran up to Seerow and stopped. She looked at me with dazzling green eyes. Eyes that I remembered. Her coat was not the mid-blue of her fathers, it was a deep purple. Like Captain Eoptis. Like Aylary.

Oh Ellimist, no.

(Who – who's this?) I asked feeling the world come down on me.

Seerow looked up at the sky with all for eyes. (Her name is Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan.)

Aldrea? I had heard that name before. I decided to 'play it tactful', as the saying goes. (So. You finally got yourself coupled. Good, who is the mother?)

(We – I – thought you were dead, Asculan. You must understand. I thought I was doing the right thing – I never thought that you'd come back! I – I -) Seerow trailed off.

I narrowed my right main eye; I could not feel my left side let alone move it. (Why, Seerow? Why so guilty? You are my shorm Seerow. And yet it was not out of friendship that you defended me, it was guilt. Why are you guilty my shorm? I ask you on your honour: who is the mother?)

Seerow continued to look up at the red and gold sky. (Aylary) was all he said.

Aylary. Beautiful, brilliant, smart. The daughter of a renowned Captain and now the wife of an esteemed Prince.

She was beautiful, oh yes, but she was also scheming, unloving.

I hated her.

She should have died rather than Deodatus.

She would die.

There you go, another chapter. Please REVIEW! Duh!