Brainiac **

Characters: Estrid

Sol Alpha rose, filling the alien sky with pinks and oranges, the assorted grasses painted pastels along the surface of the planet. Sol Beta began to peak out frm the behind the dominant sun soon afterward, ringing out of the mid morning over the sprawling university, students filtering around the building complex.

Hover transports came and went by what was assumed to be the front as the morning passed, Andalites coming and going. Most carried small cases strapped across their chests, samples imported from all over the sector, or simply computers carrying reports. Males and females trekked into solar powered university, though it was mostly dominated by males, the occasional female spotted from inside.

They were all fully grown and delusional adults, the university an almost idealist utopia. The propagandists spread throughout the home world that they could be the ones to decide the future of the war, and even some of the best and persuasive holos were posted inside the main building. The professors at the University of Advanced Scientific Theory could be spotted easily by their tanning, aged fur and an almost wandering gait-until they met with something particularly amusing.

{What?} blurted one of the oldest of the professors between roars of laughter. Asculein was an expert in Theoretical Astrorhythmicphyrm Biology. What everyday Andalites thought of as a study of the hearts inside of a creature surviving in deep space. {This youth? This female-child has been enrolled at this university?}

One of the university's officials, slowly nodded his eye stalks, confirming the ludicrous event. They didn't even bother discussing the matter behind closed doors, the barely two year old female standing at the side of the official. Her eyes were focused down at the ground, as if trying to make herself even more invisible, while at the same time enabling herself to not believe that the comments were aimed at her. Ever since she had arrived, she had not been directly spoken to, save for a couple of 'yes-no' questions, the more complete answers given by her brother on the way. And finally she would be able to answer her first direct question.

{And what do you want to study in?} asked the old professor. He spoke to her as if she were a just-born child. Immediately she looked up.

{I am very much interested in Plintconarhythmic Physics.} And after a second thought, she added,{ Applied.}

Some of the professors came in to the main complex, and saw the conversation. A few laughed, gently because they didn't realize that she was serious. Asculein looked like his face had hit a wall.

{Excuse me?} His tone became darker. {Most, if not all, of our females in this university specialize in sub-particle fusion. And that is where you shall be placed. If you are actually a child-genius.}

Before she had been accepted into the University, she hardly knew what it meant to be a genius. To be a genius seemed to be some sort of dirty joke amongst the people around her. Save for her family.

Her childhood had at first consisted of the pain of her father's death because of the war. There was no body brought home to their familial lands, and she watched her mother fall to her knees as all strength left her. For years after that, her mother did not have the strength to continue her career as an Estreen. There had been no closer during the funeral, the ritual empty, the pyre empty.

Home changed drastically after that. Ajaht came home immidiately from the exhibition to take over as the head of the family, and that was when she finally got to know her brother. To relive the pain, as well as keep his very young sister busy, he taught her the art of tail fighting. Before she had been intended to take up the mother-daughter business: Estreen Dancing.

She was a female afterall, and that was the ideal future. Normally the older brother would have gone on ifnoring her, but he quickly became attached to her because of her eagerness and quick learning. He taught her math, science, anything; and she took it all in when he was too tired out from teaching her tail fighting. Everything became clearer to the small family when it came tim efor her lessons. Their tutor left after just two days of lessons. Before Ajaht had stuck some tail to him, the tutor was angrily shaking his eye stalks, calling the the female youth impertinent.

A similar pattern began to appear when she entered school. But it all didn't matter to Estrid: she took to science like it was a dance, as she had done with tail fighting. It was all a dance to her, spiralling and swirling into patterns, things connecting and interconnecting. It gave her the joy that mother nor brother had felt for a very long time. They pushed her, protected her.

And then it spiraled out of the hands and tails of her faimly: Estrid had finally reached the top. And she was only three years old. The young female andalite was finally tested and accepted into the University. What else could they do?

She stepped deeper into the bustling complex, following the professor to where the the classes were held. The temporary awe took over her as she watched students, years older than her, go about their careers and research. Few eyed her. Her skin soon began to crawl, purple fur prickling at his words. Sub particle fusion?

The young Andalite spun her stalk eyes towards the entrance, and saw her brother standing alone as he watched her leave.

{Be good Estrid,} he said, a hint of warning in his voice. Then his tale raised high, blade flicking in the air. {But give them some tail if they decide to push you around,} he added privately.

AN: I have another sketch on Estrid finished, and another one in the works (though I have a few others started as well on other characters). The more I work with her, the more interesting she gets! It's really weird, because I hate her. A lot.

I wanted to give Asculein an important sounding science, but in the end make it a useless one over all.