CHAPTER 5: Mike's First Morph

(MIKE'S POV)

I thought my sleep that first night after receiving the morphing power would be full of terrifying nightmares. It turns out that I didn't have any at all, but I guess that's because the reality was now even scarier than any nightmare could ever be.

I also thought I'd end up sleeping in late (as I usually do given the choice); but that turned out not to be true either. I guess even my subconscious mind was eager to try out my newly acquired powers. I woke up at around seven and was just considering going back to sleep, when I noticed a medium-sized bird of prey on my window sill with a note attached to its leg. I recognized it to be a Harris hawk; I had seen it in a book I'd read about birds of prey.

The Harris Hawk is a fairly large bird with brown, black, and white feathers. It also happens to be my favourite bird of prey. The main reason for that is that I once saw a TV documentary about them and they are apparently one of the only raptors in the world that hunt in groups, like a Wolf pack or Lion pride. Harris Hawks are also commonly used by falconers and bird trainers to put on public displays.

I walked up to the magnificent bird and it stuck out its leg for me to take the note. Confused by the bird's behaviour, I took the note and read:

To Mike,

I thought you might appreciate a bird of prey morph. I certainly hope so as Crayak says I am pushing my luck with this one. He's going to want something big in return for me setting you up in this universe, so I'm afraid this is the last time I can assist you. See you in book seven!

Ellimist.

I smiled for a moment, and then placed my hand on the hawk. As I acquired its DNA pattern, I noticed the hawk close its eyes for a few seconds. Then it opened its eyes and flew out of the window and into the orange glow of the rising sun.

I looked at my watch (it read 7:02). Then I looked back at the silhouette of the magnificent hawk. I smiled again and closed my eyes. Then I felt the changes begin.

The transformation began with an itching sensation. I opened my eyes to find a feathered pattern being sketched into my skin. It almost looked like a very realistic tattoo, until the pattern began to rise out of the surface of my skin to form real feathers! It came as quite a shock, even though I had been expecting it, but I managed to keep my concentration on the other changes that had started happening all over the rest of my body.

My entire body was shrinking, making it almost feel like I was falling from a great height. As my body drastically reduced in mass, my clothes fell to the floor. My feet hardened into sharp talons, while my lips became stiff, forming a curved beak.

It had taken over 3 minutes, but the change was complete. I was a Harris Hawk.

I was shocked by how good the hawk's sight and hearing were. I mean, I had been expecting it, but it still came to me as a huge shock. I could even see a flea that was sitting on a tree thirty metres from my window! Not only that, I could also hear a mouse creeping through the undergrowth about twenty metres away, and I had to fight the hawk's instincts to swoop down and catch it in my talons.

To prevent myself from making that mouse my lunch, I tried to concentrate on what I knew about the Harris hawk. As I mentioned previously, it is one of the very few types of birds of prey that hunts in groups, usually in groups of five or six, and is quite a successful hunter. I also dimly recalled that they're sometimes found somewhere in Texas, which could be a slight problem if I wanted to remain inconspicuous. I decided however, that the Yeerks would not have infested many bird-watchers, as they don't tend to be highly ranked in society.

However, that was the least of my problems at the moment, because unfortunately, I had forgotten about the clothing problem. Fortunately I had morphed something smaller than myself, so my clothes weren't tattered rags, but I had been planning on going to see the other Animorphs. I had no wish to demorph in front of them and end up naked.

I sighed (in my head of course, since hawks aren't physically capable of sighing). The wings would just have to wait a few minutes. I demorphed and searched my cupboard for something I could use as a morphing suit (Ellimist had provided me with the clothes from my universe). After I had found (and put on) a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, I remorphed the Harris hawk.

The hawk's senses were just as amazing as before (the mouse had learnt its lesson; it seemed to have run off). But now I decided that it was time to have some fun. It was time to fly.

I jumped up onto the window sill, opened my wings, and leaped into the air, flapping my wings and struggling to find a thermal on the early morning breeze. I flapped until I reached the tops of the trees, my bird belly almost touching some of the taller ones.

All I can say is that if anybody ever asked me to describe flying in one word, that word would be "Awesome!" It really is the most incredible feeling! Roller coasters have got nothing on this ride! If you've ever been on a plane and felt a bit like you were floating as the plane leaves the ground, multiply that feeling by a billion and you might be able to imagine how I felt in my first moment of self-propelled flight. I flapped my wings harder to gain lift, fighting against a force I could never fight as a human: gravity. However, in my hawk body gravity wasn't a law anymore, it was an easily ignored street sign.

I was then surprised to find my body suddenly lifted up by a warm current of air. I stopped flapping and spread my wings to ride the thermal, and I floated upwards and stopped about a kilometre above ground level. I floated there for a moment, almost hovering, then I let the hawk's instincts adjust my tail feathers slightly. I aimed my beak at the ground, powered my bird body forward and then folded my wings.

I must have been going at least eighty kilometres per hour before I flared my wings and pulled out of the dive, my belly about a metre from the nearest tree.

--THIS IS SO COOL!-- I yelled. A saw a movement out of the corner of my eye, and discovered that I had probably just given a deer a heart attack.

--Sorry!-- I called after it as it tore off into the forest.

I swooped lower and somehow managed to land with relative ease (I was starting to get used to flying now) on the branch of a tree near Cassie's house.

I hadn't originally intended to come to see Cassie first; but after roughly an hour of flying, I somehow found myself within visual range of the farm and thought why not?

I flew low over the house, and spotted Cassie making her way towards the barn. I followed her and decided that now was the time to make my entrance.

(CASSIE'S POV)

It wasn't that I minded checking on the animals for my dad, I love animals. In fact, I trust animals more than I trust some people. The only problem was that I couldn't stop thinking about that poor Andalite. The way Visser Three just mutated himself into that hideous creature. The way he lowered him into those jaws of death and began to… I don't like to think about it, but I can't help myself.

I had just finished feeding the Red-tailed Hawk we have (he broke a wing when he was mobbed by some crows), when I noticed a large bird perched on top of the hayloft.

It was a Harris hawk. It was covered in brown, black, and white feathers. I frowned. I didn't know much about this particular raptor, but I could have sworn that it lived in Texas.

"Aren't you a friendly bird?" I cooed softly.

--Perhaps; but my brother and sister may disagree with you on that one.--

The bird was talking in my head! Just like the Andalite had! Could it be possible that he had somehow escaped?

No, I thought miserably. You saw him die with your own eyes Cassie, he couldn't have escaped. But if that were true, how could this bird be talking to me? I had to be asleep.

"I'm still asleep," I spoke out loud. "It must be another nightmare."

The hawk fluttered down to land on a nearby hay bale, it glared at me with its intense predator's eyes.

--It's not a nightmare Cassie and you're not sleeping; pinch your arm if you don't believe me. It's me Mike, I was with you at the construction site last night, remember? The Andalite gave us the ability to change into animals. And I've used it.-- the bird told me.

The bird that claimed to be some guy I'd met last night. Yeah. Right. Who on Earth would believe a story like that with absolutely no proof at all? Well not me! That's for sure.

"Oh come on Mike, if that's who you really are. Do you actually expect anyone to believe something like that without proof?" I asked.

The hawk seemed to consider me for a moment before it nodded (and believe me, a hawk nodding at you is strangely disturbing).

--You're right Cassie,-- he said. --I'll give you the proof you need, as long as you promise not to throw up.--

The hawk closed its eyes. Two minutes later, the hawk had melted away to reveal the boy known as Mike who I had met the night before.

He smiled at the look of pure shock that I knew was showing on my face; he had a nice smile.

"Okayyyyyy," I said. I took a deep breath, before adding: "Explain."

His grin grew bigger for a moment before disappearing, as he explained what had happened.

"I can't believe that this is happening," I said. "I really can't."

"What's wrong Cassie?" Mike asked me.

I looked Mike in the eye and smiled.

"In case you didn't notice Mike, I'm petting a horse in preparation for me to turn into it. And no offence Mike, but I'm doing this on the word of a guy who I don't even know. At this time yesterday Mike; I didn't even know you existed!" I pointed out to him.

I heard Mike mutter something under his breath, but it was too quiet for me to hear.

"What is it Mike?" I asked.

"Nothing important Cassie; and no offence taken by the way. Just trust me Cassie, it'll work." He told me.

I finished 'acquiring the DNA' as Mike called it, stood in the centre of the barn, and prepared to 'morph.'

I concentrated on the horse, focused on the horse. I pictured the horse in my mind. I wanted to be the horse. And I felt the changes begin.

For the record Mike was whispering: "That's because I didn't exist in this universe this time yesterday!"