Chapter 2
Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill

I stared around at the people gathered. All the adults looked furious, their tails quivering behind them., mother's stood by their children, their stance protective in front of them. I looked up at my father, who looked just as angry as the people around him. My mother clung to his arm, her eyes looking everywhere but to the two people standing alone in the middle of the circle we made around them.

To my right stood Elfangor. All four of his eyes staring forwards. I was not sure of what he was feeling, his face nor posture gave it away.

((Gailion-Shoma-Taalin and Kovmar-Oulwob-Citon.)) A gruff voice called out, as Electorate Manila stepped forwards, ((You both have committed a serious crime. As judged at your trials you have been sentenced to exile, witnessed by those you once called friends. A vessel ship will be provided for you set for a predestinated location.))

((Elfangor, what did they do?)) I asked in thought-speak, staring up at my brother.

((Hush Aximili-kala.)) he replied softly, brushing a hand against my back.

((Exile for loving someone?)) The larger of the exiles exclaimed. ((What kind of justice is this?))

((Be quiet convict!)) Electorate Manila demanded, ((You have had your chance to speak.))

The exiled Andalite scuffed the ground with his hoof, ((In a fixed trial! We have done nothing wrong!))

((Your crimes are true.)) Manila stated firmly, and many of the people around me shouted their agreement, my father included. ((Enough of this. Get them on the vessel.))

Four warriors started forwards, shredders and tails trained on the two Andalite-exiles. Slowly, they were backed up to the entrance of the small craft, shouts and leers trailing after them from the audience.

((Let it be known: breaking laws have consequences. Be prepared to face those consequences if you shall break them as these two have.))

((This is injustice!)) The larger exile yelled out, suddenly dashing towards the warriors in front of him, his tail raised.

((Gailion! No!)) The other called out, reaching for him. Two bright blasts of light flashed from the Shredders, and Gailion fell to the ground-

I jolted awake. Looking around in panic as the screams from Kovmar echoed in my head, the excitement from the crowed which seemed almost worse.

Shaking my head, I looked around the darkness. I headed out of my scoop, heading the stream. The sun was beginning to rise, painting the sky gray. It wasn't until after I was done the morning ritual did I allow myself to think about the dream.

A memory, is more like it. One that I had been having for many nights now. The ending of that memory is Kovmar being dragged onto the vessel and it taking off, his cries echoing until the distance between him and the crowd became too large. Gailion's body had been left were it fell, after all, he was no longer an Andalite citizen, and did not deserve a burial.

When we had all gone back home, my father had lectured me on their crime, not actually telling me what it was, but saying that what they had done was awful and completely dishonorable, my mother agreeing with him.

But Elfangor had stayed silent and when he took me out to feed that night he explained what they had done. That Kovmar and Gailion had a relationship, much like mother and father had. Their crime was that they had both been male.

At the time I had been too young to really understand, but I grew up thinking just as my father did. After all, my father could never be wrong.

When I entered the Academy though, growing attraction to other aristh's creeped up, terrifying me, and in retaliation I threw myself into my studies, making me a bit of an outsider to those I studied beside, but advanced my career faster than any of them.

I sighed, turning my eyes away from the fading stars. Then what was I doing with Marco? The laws against interspecies relationships were even harsher. This fact had been drilled into our heads once we recieved the morphing powers. Added on top of us being the same gender-

But the temptation had been too great, and I truly care for Marco. I would not say love, but it was fast approaching that.

Letting out another sigh headed off into the woods passing the time until my friends were done school.

Marco's dad stared at me as I gazed back at him.

"So... You're an alien?" He said after a while and I simply nodded. Marco and the others went to make sure the Chee succeded in fooling the Yeerks.

"You're... Not what I was expecting." he admitted, still staring at me with wide eyes.

I tilted my head to the side, ((Were you expecting me to be green?))

He tossed his head back in a laugh, his body relaxing, "Something like that, sure."

Marco's father and his team of Scientists had, remarkably, found Zero Space. Unfortunately, they had unknowingly made themselves targets of the Yeerks. Not wanting his father to become a Controller, Marco revealed himself as an Animorph and told him every that has happened in the past couple of years.

Excluding what was transpiring between him and I of course.

Marco's dad had been working on a device that would allow communication over Z-space. It could prove to be very useful to us, Prince Jake's plan is to contact the Andalites asking them to send problem is that since we took Marco's dad away from his work, all we had was his knowledge on the device, and my knowledge on Zero-Space.

With Marco's father (who's name was Peter), more relaxed than he was, he sorted through the electronics we gathered.

"So, have I ever- met you before?" He asked after a few moments of silence.

((Yes you have.)) I said, smiling at him, ((I once introduced myself as 'No' to you. A miscommunication between Marco and I.))

His mouth fell open in surprise, "You're the kid that changed my program! You're a genius!"
I shuffled, embarrassed, ((No sir. Andalite's as simply more advanced in technology. To be honest, I thought it was a game and fixed what I believed were mistakes. Marco was very angry at me for doing that.))

Peter chuckled to himself, ging back to his work, "I guess that would have been considered a security breech? If Marco's still mad, I'll tell him to forgive you. We lost the program anyways."

((Yes, I know. I was the one who destroyed it.)) Peter blinked at me in surprise again, shaking his head finally.

We fell into a comfortable routine, Peter bouncing ideas off of me until we finally had a basis to begin building a device.

It was a few hours before Marco returned with Erek and the other's. Mr. King had been badly injured in the performance, but it was done. The Yeerks believed Marco and Peter were dead.

((Are you alright?)) I asked Marco privately, training a stalk-eye towards him. He gave a short shake of his head but moved away to talk to his father. Over a few hours the other's all left, returning to their homes for the night, Marco watched them leave, an expression on his face I could not recognize. He slipped out when he thought no one was looking.

I excused myself from Peter who was too absorbed to really care weather I was there or not. I morphed human and slipped out after Marco, whom I found in the backyard, looking up at the stars.

"Marco?" I asked him softly, coming behind him. He didn't answer me, but I understood. Gently, I wrapped my arms around him, resting my chin on his shoulder. He leaned back into me and I watched a few tears fall from his eyes.

It was sometime later, when I demorphed and remorphed to extend my time when we finally spoke again. We were laying in the grass, staring up at the clear sky. Marco was on his back, his arms crossed behind his head, and I rested beside him, using his shoulder as a rest for my own head.

"Marco?" I asked softly, making sure he was awake.

"Yeah Ax-man?" he asked, turning his head towards me.

I paused, feeling embarrassed, "I... have made a decision."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"When the Andalite's come, I have decided to stay here. On Earth. As long as you want me to, of course."

I felt his surprise, but I could not look to see the expression on his face. He brought a hand up, turning my head staring into my eyes before kissing me. I could feel the emotions coming from him, which may sound odd, but in that kiss I felt his answer.