Early the next morning, I went back to the construction site to search for other mementos of the great Andalite, Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul. I now knew his memories almost by heart, and was eager to see if I could find something else.

The Time Matrix would be impossible to procure. I couldn't dig that far down without attracting unwanted attention, and I, power-hungry as I was, wasn't foolish enough to let the Matrix fall in the wrong hands.

But if Elfangor's Hirac Delest had escaped his ship before it had either left Earth or more probably been destroyed, why couldn't something else?

I was hoping for a picture of the alien, or something that would show me how Andalites or Yeerks or Taxxons looked. Instead, I found something else.

It was a blue cube, about four inches in diameter. It seemed to grow with an unearthly light, which reinforced my suspicions that it was Elfangor's. But what was it?

Then the cat reappeared.

It was a perfectly normal stray, with a blue-gray coloring on its face. The rest of this mysterious cat was pure white, with a gold tail. It was perfect in form, and also looked totally ordinary.

Except that it was the cat that had led me toward Elfangor's Hirac Delest.

I stared at it, and then let out a timid meow.

He answered.

As I heard the yowling, I heard in my head, Place your hand flat against the cube.

"D-did you just talk to me?" I asked the cat. No answer.

Shrugging, I touched the cube.

A tingle engulfed me. I felt a warmth envelope my body, and for some reason, I recalled some of Elfangor's last words.

I have given the morphing power to five human youths…

The morphing power! Was this it? I could scarcely believe that something so great and magical existed within my reach!

With much trepidation, I leaned over and gently let my finger make contact with the cat's soft fur. I remembered Elfangor's narration of acquiring a Taxxon, and focused on making this cat a part of me.

To my surprise, he became limp, as if he had fallen asleep. A bit concerned, I let go and a few seconds later, he jumped up and raced away.

I checked my watch. 7:54. It would take me 40 minutes to get to school that day, and I only had thirty-six. Well, if I was going to be late, I might as well have a good reason for myself.

I stuck the cube in a hole in a cement block and thought about becoming the lithe, graceful cat. And almost too quickly, my hair was sucked into my head.

I felt it go while screaming, because my feet and legs had become catlike before my eyes.

SHPROOT! A gold tail shot out of my butt.

My hand shrunk until it was only a palm and finger nails. My fingernails hardened and rounded until they were cat's claws.

My face… it was bulging outwards and shrinking all at once. My body was a misshapen mess.

I abruptly stopped screaming as my vocal cords became like those of a feline. I promptly began yowling.

Then very suddenly, I was a cat.

I was shocked and intrigued all at once. I had done it! Achieved one of Man's greatest dreams- I had become a cat.

This kitty's mind was calm. Bored, almost. He knew that he was boss of the neighborhood, yeah, yeah, yeah; everyone loved or feared him, but who cared? As long as he was eating birds and garbage and had a place to sleep, the cat was happy.

I was not happy. My watch, lying on the dirt beside me, read 8:03. I had less than half an hour to get to school on time. I raced out of the construction site as fast as I could, and discovered that cats were pretty fast runners. Then suddenly…

"Don't move, Andalite, or I'll shoot!" A woman had stepped into my path. Of course, from Elfangor's Hirac Delest, I knew that she was obviously a Controller. Taken over by a Yeerk and never to have free will again.

In your dreams, Yeerk scum! The voice had come from my head, much like Elfangor's thought-speech.

The Controller swung her weapon around to point directly at me.

A blur leaped on top of her and clawed at her face.

That blur was I. The cat's mind had said attack, and so it did, pushing my puny human mind aside as it took care of himself.

It scared me how easily the cat had taken over.

"Aaah!" The Controller tried to push me off, dropping her laser-Dracon Beam, I guessed- in the process.

I scratched her neck hard, causing a trickle of blood.

I soon saw the slug leave the ear. It made me mad, the way it only used her, then left her to die alone.

I pounced on it and swallowed it in one gulp. I never was a picky eater. Then I walked back to the hurt ex-Controller.

Are you okay? Sorry I had to hurt you.

"I'm fine," she wheezed. "I don't think that I'll die, although the Yeerk seemed to think so. Thank you for freeing me."

No problem. What's your name?

"Basi. Basi Lisker. I live next door. I…the Yeerk saw you half morphed and tried to kill you and gain favor in Visser Three's eyes. Maybe be promoted or something."

Ah. I've heard of Visser Three.

She looked skeptically at me. "I thought that all you Andalites hated and feared Visser Three. Why do you say it as though you haven't been drilled to despise him all your life?"

I laughed. I'm no Andalite. I'm a human, just like you! I just learnt about the Yeerks yesterday! I told her my story.

She was impressed, and as we said goodbye, she expressed her gratitude.

Uh, if you don't mind, Basi, could you do me a favor?

"Anything!"

8:25. Could you please drive me to school?

A/N: this was originally supposed to be part of the first chapter, so there might be some problems with it. Please point them out; I enjoy getting feedback from my readers!

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Animorphs. If I did, I would have stretched it out at least ten more books. (Oh, and murdered Jake and let Aldrea take over Cassie's body completely, forever.) It belongs to K. A. Applegate (duh).