Animorphs

The Ancient

(A fan fiction)

Again, my apologies for the shortness of this chapter. Anyway, time for the plot to be fully layed out! So here it is! Enjoy.

Chapter Two

I arrived at the graveyard in no time at all, and as usual security let me in like old friends – because they were. I immediately found Rachel's grave and sat down by it. And then I started talking to her. For the first time since that fateful day, I talked to my cousin Rachel. I mean, I was literally talking to her as in back-and-forth conversation. She just appeared right in front of, inhumanly beautiful as ever woth her fine, blond hair and her sparkling blue eyes. Just like before she died.

"Hey, Rachel," I said. Weird how this all seemed so comfortable. Like things were back to normal again. Like she'd never died.

"Wha....?" She sounded so very disorientated, looking around drowsily. That wasn't like old times. She'd been gone for such a long time, I couldn't expect much else. But she was here with me, and she shouldn't have been. She was dead. She should have stayed dead. And I should have left right then and there. This wasn't right. I had no idea what I was about to start. What I had already started by just talking to her; by just acknowledging her presence there before me.

Instead, I laughed. Laughed manically and uncontrollably. It was pure joy, having her back, hearing her voice again. And yet having her here with me felt... normal. "Hey," she said, back into focus slightly, though she spoke slowly, trying to get used to the language she had knowledge of, but hadn't spoken in two years. "What's so funny?"

When I finally managed to stop laughing, and after constant insults from and whining from Rachel, I said, "Nothing, Rachel. It's just... great to have you back." And it was.

She smiled, but with a faraway look in her eyes. "Yeah... Great to be back." She paused and tilted her head slightly, her expression curious. "Where have I been again?"

I chuckled. "Well, I don't know, Rachel," I said jokingly. "You tell me!"

She laughed along with me.

"Are you two having fun?" said a slightly tenor male voice. We both looked over to our right – well, Rachel's left – and there stood a young man in a pitch black robe with the hood down, and with haggard, yet slightly full hair, light brown, with almost blond tints, though in a natural way. It was cut short, but the back almost to his shoulders. His face was a bit oval-like, kind of Polish mixed with Scottish, and he was very pale. But his eyes... his eyes were the most vibrant shade of red I had ever seen, and were slightly wide, in an alert, insane, and almost paranoid sort of way. "Forgive me," he said, his lips curving into sly smile, as though he had some sort of inside joke we couldn't comprehend. "Does my appearance... unnerve you?"

"Um..." Was all I could say. Rachel on the other hand...

"No, not at all, sir," she said calmly, not missing a beat. "It just... surprised us. That's all. But if you don't mind my asking..." She paused. "What ARE you?" That might not have been the best thing to say. Typical of Rachel, I thought. Go ahead and make the crazy stranger mad, why don't you. The man's lips twitched into a brief smile the moment I though that, and then he looked at Rachel, grinning a manic grin.

"I'm glad you asked, my dear," he beamed. "Although my true name is unspeakable with these feeble vocal chords, the people on my planet call me M'dralathu. To them I am the God of Destruction, Madness, Pain, and Change."

"Then... why are you here... and not on your own planet?" I asked shakily.

"Boy, do not fear me, for I will not harm you. I have already given you a gift."

"What gift?" I retorted.

He pointed to Rachel. "Why, that one right there, my boy,"

"You mean... you brought Rachel back?" I asked.

He nodded his head. "I had too," he replied. "For she is a vital piece of the events that are about to unfold. You and all your friends are about to play a key role in a war that could decide the fate of the universe... and life itself. You will also decide whether this apocalypse starts or not."

"But if you're the God of Destruction, then wouldn't you want an apocalypse?" Rachel asked.

He sighed. "I never said I was on your side. I simply had to allow this war to take place. You see, since I am the God of Change, I am also the God of Prophecy and Happenings, and so resurrecting your friend I stay true to my sphere."

"So what is this war? Who are we fighting? The Kelbrids? The Yeerks? The Skrit Na? The Taxxons? The Andalites?" Rachel's questioning may have gone on for a lot longer if M'dralathu hadn't cut her off.

"No, my child. You are about to face off against the race whom worships me and my family. They are the most war-like, brutal, destructive, violent, and cruel beings in existence. You are about to go to war with the Gantharin race. They have destoryed three past home-planets – all their own home-planets – in the past 10,000 years, and they lived on Anuara – their first home-planet for 70,000 years. All planets were destroyed by endless civil war, as well as a draining of resources in war efforts against countless other species. The Andalites faced them once, you know. And they lost. Badly. They don't even speak about it anymore, and they've probably all but forgotten it. Personally, I don't think you stand a chance."

"Wait, wait, wait." I said. "What the Ellimists? And Crayak?"

"The Ellimists have no influence in this. This is a matter of the Gantharin pantheon, and the Ellimists learned not to interfere in our affairs the hard way. Same goes for Crayak. My parents out-date even him. Speaking of which, you should know exactly what the Gatharins believe, and what they look like." We nodded our acceptance. We were honestly too intrigued to speak. "Very good. First of all, they look just like I have appeared to you. Secondly, my mother and father are Rothmira and An-Dragath. In the beginning, though, they were the primordial beings, Ezas – the primordial being of Time – and Ythgora – the primordial being of Chaos – respectively. They created the universe and became Rothmira – the Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Sexuality – and An-Dragath, the God of War. Together they had four children: Me, Nemae, Goddess of Vengeance and Wrath, Gurandua, God of the Hunt, and Tellanira, Goddess of Wisdom. So here's how it works: You have my father and the Goddess of Wrath against you, and those with you are my brother, Gurandua, and my sister, Tellanira. And me... well, I'm neutral. I just pull the strings, my friends.

"But good luck to, you. Because luck is just about all you can have when the God of War wants you dead!" he chuckled loudly, throwing his head back. Smoke began to envelope him, curling and expanding further. "Farewell..." A demonic voice whispered cryptically. The voice sounded just like the one from my dream! At that thought, the voice chuckled triumphantly.

And then the smoke cleared, and the God of Destruction was gone.

"Well, that was... interesting..." Rachel said, unsure.

I grabbed her sleeve lightly. "We have to gather the others!" I said. Rachel nodded in agreement. "Okay I'll get Marco and – "

"I'll get Tobias." she said firmly. I looked at her sadly, but she just looked at me with proud, sure, and defiant eyes. I sighed. No way I was changing her mind.

"Okay, just... just make it as... easy for him as possible... if you can." I said, and she nodded sadly. Strange how tight her bond with Tobias was. Even after death, she must have still been in love with him. "And I'll get Cassie, too." I finished.

I told her where to find Tobias, and then we went our separate ways.

I hope you like the story, and please review to tell me what you think!