* CRACK*

I pinned my ears against my head as my hocks snapped forward before aligning with the rest of the bones in my leg. I could feel my organs shrinking, shifting, and disappearing though distantly. I breathed in deep before letting out a startled thought-speak gasp I as I realized my lungs had shrunk. I should've felt the effects weakening my body due to the decreased amount of oxygen but thanks to the morphing technology's numbing effect, I couldn't feel anything.

I focused on morphing my tail last. I felt my fur slowly twine together before stretching out into a hard quill like hollowed structure. From it sprouted the prickly black vanes that covered the structures. I ignored the sound of my fingers melting together and my arms stretching out into proper crow wings.

*SCRIIP*

Large tail feathers sprouted around the base of my tail as my body shortened and began to look more bird like with each moment. My front hooves shriveled back into my body. My stalk eyes went dark and I heard a strange gurgling sensation as the optic nerves of my stalks were sucked back into my brain. Soon enough the rest followed. I began to shrink just as this happened

I gave a slight shiver as my chest and rib bones fused together to make the keel sternum. There was a gentle ripple through my body as my bones lost their thickness and became hollow. Finally my tail shriveled and disappeared back into my body. I opened my eyes and glanced around, flicking my nictitating membrane over my eyes a few times.

I opened my wings and took off into the sky.

(Took you long enough!) Marco was circling above me in his Osprey morph. Much to my amusement, the crow was just as annoyed at his presence as I was. But without being in a group it wasn't willing to go after him; So the crow went silent and I was left to steer us.

(Be silent human. It was not my fault you came early.) I snapped, hiding my amusement at his annoyance. (Perhaps you were excited to see someone so that's why you came early?)

I noticed the osprey above me stutter in it's movements before flapping to fly ahead.

(You're the second to last alien I'm happy to see.) He retorted hotly. It surprised me that he would even think I would assume he was eager to see me. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough on who I was referring to.

(Oh? Who is the first?) I questioned him teasingly pushing away my confusion to the back of my mind.

(Visser three.) He lets out a booming thought speak laugh at this. I simply turned my head in his direction, wondering why he would state something so obvious. Of course no one would be happy to see that abomination. Humans obviously did not understand subtlety.

I noticed a hawk flying in front of us now. It didn't take me but a second to realize that it was just Tobias.

(Hey can you two spread out? It's a bit too obvious seeing a crow and a osprey flying close to each other like that.) Tobias snapped in his own usual irritable way. (And Estrid try to keep low to the trees and buildings. Crows don't fly as high as raptors.)

Not feeling up to pointing out the inconsistencies with his statement, I simply tipped my wings upwards and dived down to tree level. I was starting to consider getting a avian predator morph simply to have Tobias quit bemoaning the fact that he was flying near a crow. Did he do this with the rest of his group or was it simply just me?

Though something told me that it was just me…

(So where to first? The mall, Mc Donalds… Ooo! How about-)

(Marco we can't just go wherever we want. We've got a set path we've gotta follow.) Tobias was rather quick to interrupt Marco's gleeful suggesting.

(Huh… Who made you leader again?) Marco muttered in response.

(Jake. It would seem he had made the right choice.) I broke in, rapidly flapping my wings to rise a little bit higher as the trees became slightly taller. In the distance I could see the city then further on the sea. Though with my weaker crow eyes I couldn't pick out the details of what was going on. So all I could tell what was what in the distance really.

(What's that suppose to mean?) Marco indignantly replied.

(She means you get distracted too easily.) Marco let out an indignant thought speak wave before everyone went silent. I was glad for it too. It was starting to get slightly awkward just speaking to a pair of humans. It wasn't like I could start a conversation about the newest holoplays or talk about the newest kind of transport ships they were making. They simply did not have the knowledge to understand those things.

We soon made it over the city and continued on our route towards the beach. At one point I found myself surrounded by a group of other crows who seemed to be quite content just flying around with me. Though I didn't quite understand as to why they would follow an unknown crow. Perhaps the way I was flying told them that I perhaps found a food source?

(Oh jeez, Estrid why the hell do you have so many of those things following you? I swear one of them is looking to take a few feathers.) Tobias groaned ahead of me. I flapped my wings a bit before quietly asking,

(Shall I lead them away?)

Tobias was silent for a moment then he lets out a small mental sigh. (Yeah, lose them over the beach. Marco, keep an eye on her okay? I'll keep a lookout for any known controllers we can follow.)

Marco said something quietly, too quietly for me to hear at the distance I was at. But I was certain by the after tone that he wasn't happy about being order to do that. But with a flick of my tail feathers and a slight twist of my wing, I was heading off to the small spit of sand in the distance. I was happy to see the crows following me soon after. My noisy flock mates seemed to really be following me.

The trip to the beach of non-eventful and I had not seen anything out of the ordinary. At least as far as I knew. There were many odd things happening below me that I didn't quite understood.

There was a group of young humans gathered around a group of steps one riding down the pipe in the center while the others cheered them on. It seemed rather reckless for a creature without a tail to perform such a dangerous trick. I had seen it before on the television but seeing it in person made it all the more dangerous.

Another thing I noticed was the amount of half clothed humans moving around once I got closer to the beach. As far as I knew the articles of clothing they were wearing were something called a 'swimsuit'. It's normally one or two pieces of clothing that is worn while a human is in public. Do not mistake it for underwear. From what Aximili has told me, wearing just your underwear in public is taboo.

But what I couldn't understand is how it was any different from the swimsuit? Both covered a small amount of skin in practically the same places. Why make two separate types when you could just make one and save resources?

Humans really did not understand practicality did they?

Just as I came upon a long half-bridge that stretched out into the ocean I noticed a commotion at the end of it. Curious, I flapped my wings sending myself down towards it. My flock mates did not seem as interested in following me now that I was heading lower towards a group of shouting, angry humans. They quickly broke apart from me before flying in the other direction.

Pulling my wings back, I landed on top of a tall post near the commotion. I tipped my head to the side, realizing that the group of humans were gathered around a small young male human who seemed to be fighting off a pair of larger more muscular humans with a large rod. The humans around them were shouting and waving their hands but neither seemed to notice the group that had gather around them. They were deathly focused on each other.

One of the large humans dived for the young human and he swung! There was a sharp crack as the rod met the large human's shoulder sending him stumbling off to the side. The other large human took their chance and dived for the boy but received the same treatment as the other one. None of the gathered humans seemed keen on stopping the fight.

If a fight broke out in public like this on the homeworld it would've been stopped within moments of starting. It was seen as incredibly poor behavior if one were to try to resolve an argument in public. That was something you did in private at your own scoop.

"HEY!" My attention was drawn back to the fight before me. I watched in surprise as the boy ran for the end of the pier away from the pair of larger humans struggling to get up. In his hands he held a shredder which made me caw in surprise. I felt the urge to call out to him to see if he really was what I thought he was but something kept my beak clamped closed.

Without even hesitating, he jumps off the edge and a few seconds later I heard a loud splash as he hits the water below. The humans break into an uproar as the group breaks apart to get to where the boy had jumped. I flapped my wings taking off into the sky to see what had become of the boy. Getting to the edge of the pier I wasn't too surprised to find him nowhere in sight.

As I flew a little lower I noticed a dark shape below the pier. It was shifting in odd ways which only confirmed what I thought. They were most certainly an andalite. But why were they out in the open like this not only demorphing but also drawing attention to themselves!?

(What are you doing?) I managed to snap at them after watching them for a few moments. Their head snapped up with an odd crack and I found myself in the sights of not one pair but two pairs of eyes. I was surprised he had found me so fast. I wouldn't think an andalite would be able to tell I wasn't a seafaring avian. I had trouble still telling the difference between each bird species on this planet.

I took the chance to get a good look at the foolish andalite below me. He was only partially formed at the moment but I was quite certain, and relieved, that this wasn't Arbat. He looked far too young to be him and on top of that the fur color was way off. This male had dark blue fur which was not a common color. Normally males had lighter blue fur than that. I would easily be able to pick him out from a group of andalites if I had to.

(A female?) I felt a bit startled by how soft the voice was. I was not expecting such a gentle tone coming from a male that a few moments ago was practically beating a pair of humans with a rod.

(What are you doing here? Are you from the andalite military? What is your rank?) He demanded rather hastily.

The male was now clinging to one of the pier pillars with his forelegs, looking at me with a partially excited yet confused look. I flapped a few times to regain altitude before responding to him. I was planning on telling him the partial truth until I could contact my Prince with what I had found.

(I am aristh Estrid-Corill-Darrath.) I replied as certainly as I could. (I am here with my Prince and a few others but we are not part of a complete fleet. We are a small guerilla task force stationed on this planet.)

(A female aristh part of a covert mission on a yeerk infested planet? What do you take me for? Who are you really?) He snaps angrily. I noticed his form starting to shift again and I quickly looked away not wanting to watch it happen. I should've known he wouldn't have taken that as a proper answer. What military leader in their right mind would send a female for an assignment like that?

It might've worked on Aximili but that didn't mean it would work on everyone. On top of that I didn't have any adult andalites helping make my story feasible. I would need to think of a better half-truth then. But at this point it was going to be harder to convince him. He was getting suspicious of me.

(You are rather observant.) I managed to find a perch on a jutting piece of wood. Just as I was about to speak again I heard Marco's voice.

(Oh good, you found them.)

I did not turn my gaze away from the morphing andalite below me. I didn't want to risk them realizing that there was another with me. I ruffled my wings against the salty air before continuing to speak. I wasn't going to reply to Marco just yet.

(Yes, I am not part of a military assignment. I was simply part of a science team that had been assigned to do work on Earth. Some unfortunate things happened and I fell into the hands of a group of rogue andalites.) Still partially the truth. (I work under them currently.) But I suddenly felt a wave of horror wash over me once those words left me. I really hoped that he didn't take the 'rogue' part to heart.

There was a moment of silence before I felt a wave of anger slowly rise from him. (Rogue andalites ?)

I felt myself internally flinch at his outraged tone. Perhaps rogue wasn't quite the word I should've used. Though I never said I was good at making stories.

Actually rogue was quite possibly the worst word I could've used. Rogue andalites were far beyond dishonorable. They not only break laws they also have disregard for any and all military officials. Many of them are notorious for stealing government data for their own uses. But at least they hated the yeerks as much as we did. We hadn't found any of that data in the hands of our enemies. But that didn't make my mistake any less serious.

(How long have these… rogue andalites been using you?) He sounded severely disgusted though I couldn't tell what his expression was since I wasn't directly looking at him. I felt my feathers ruffle slightly at the connotations he had just made.

(They hadn't been using me at all. They simply require my help to deal with the yeerk scum invading this planet.) I defensively answered him. The sounds of slurping and cracking seemed to slow down now. I turned my head, noticing that there was now an earth aquatic creature in the water. It was looking up at me with a dead-eye look.

(Ah, you poor thing. They brainwashed you haven't they?) He sounded both angry and sympathetic. I actually felt myself flinch when he said that.

Oh I had really made the situation sour hadn't I? Perhaps I should leave now before I make the situation any worse with my idiocy. I might be brilliant when it came to my studies and research but when it came to speaking with other andalites I could quite say with some confidence… I was poor at it.

I might be able to hold a proper conversation with another or have secrets but beyond that…

I started to open my wings, turning my gaze upwards. Marco was flying high above, just a small speck in the sky. Aiming for that speck, I start rapidly flapping my wings getting ready to take off.

(One of them spoke to you hadn't they?) There was a quiet plop as he slipped under the water, now just a dark shadow under the blue-grey waves. I felt the breeze catch my wings and within a couple of flaps I felt myself rise up into the air. (I am Warrior Tuxiden-Semitur-Jalafin and as my duty to protect the people, I will help free you from these rogues.)

' Idiot! Now look at what you did!' I angrily scolded myself, feeling my stomach turn with anxiety. ' He thinks you're some poor female in need of his help! On top of that you made your prince sound like a criminal! How could you do such a foolish thing? Can't you even stop for a moment to think of a better story than a group of rogue andalites took you? This isn't a fictional tale that you listen to while you're studying! This could quite possibly end-'

(Hey Estrid, so who was he?) I felt my stomach roll again as a shadow fell over me. The crow was quick to react by dive bombing into a palm tree and flying under it's branches. I scolded myself furiously for losing control of my morph for a second and slowly came out.

(Can you perhaps try to use that soft organ in your head called a 'brain'? You scared me! Do you not realize that this avian sees your form as a predator. Even if it is smaller than my morph!) I snapped, feeling wave after wave of anxiety wash over me. Not only from the bird but from my own mind as well. I looked to the sky, noticing he was still flying high above me watching me carefully.

(Amazing.) Was all he said before flapping away.(Now come on, tell me who he was.)

I ruffled my back feathers before following after him. Why did I have to be in a patrol with him? Why couldn't it have been with someone that wasn't so rude?

(He's a warrior and that's all I got from him.) Now that the shock of the situation was slowly wearing off I was left with that heart clenching feeling of disgust was slowly returning. (I will need to speak to Prince Aximili promptly. Please tell Tobias I am returning to Aximili.)

I needed to warn him of what I had done. Whatever punishment he gave me was more than deserving. I had caused problems for the group further. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised of he told me that I should leave the group for good. After all, someone who causes trouble isn't worth having around.

I turned flew past Marco, heading in the direction of the forest now. I was already thinking of what I would do after Aximili tells me to leave. None of them seemed feasible in any situation. Exile to a isolated area was my best option so far. At least then if the yeerks were to take the planet I would be able to fight until the very end.

(Hey wait you can't just ditch us!) Marco's shadow fell over me but this time I was able to manage the crow's instinctive reaction to it.

(It would be better if I speak with Aximili alone first.) I replied staunchly, tail feathers bristling apart as I rode on a draft higher into the sky.

(Yeah but Jake-)

(Jake is not my leader. Aximili is. I have no need to follow someone's orders who isn't my leader.) I snapped back at him, feeling annoyance starting to rise inside of me.

I heard a loud flap before I noticed that Marco was flying ahead of me now.

(He's Ax's leader though, doesn't that make his orders your orders as well?) Marco sounded frustrated.

(I refuse to take orders from a human. I will work with him but he will not be ordering me around.) I flapped harder now, anger quickly replacing my annoyance. What makes him think that any human has a right to order me around? They hardly had the intelligence to rival mine. It would be an even further insult to be ordered around by a human child. Only Aximili was qualified enough to.

(Wow that was incredibly rude! So what? We're not good enough? He's not good enough? Listen here kiddo, we've been fighting this war longer than you. That alone should make you listen to us. You andalites are egotists as far as I'm concerned. Looking down at us humans as if we couldn't even so much as walk-) I slowly stopped listening to Marco. I could hardly believe that he would berate me in such a manner. Perhaps it was because I was the outsider in his group he felt like he was able to snap at me like this.

' You don't have any right to be angry.'The little voice whispered once more.' He has every right to be angry at you. Don't be so selfish Estrid.' I couldn't help but angrily snap my beak in response. That still didn't mean he could say things like that about my species. It was their technology he was using in the first place!

I lowered myself towards the tops of the buildings, completely ignoring his existence. I did not need this from him. I was already feeling disgusted by my own presence. Him adding more to my conscience wasn't going to do well for my mental state.

(ESTRID WAIT A MOMENT!) A felt a flash of shock run through my body as Tobias' voice broke into my thoughts. My wingtips suddenly brushed something hard and I realized that I was level with the street now. With a startled screech I flared my wings and allowed myself to be carried back up into the sky. My heart was pounding firmly in my chest as I watched the street below become smaller and smaller.

(Jeez! Are you trying to get yourself killed? Crows don't glide for that long. Pay attention to what you're doing!) Tobias snapped as I watched another shadow fly over me. Tobias raced ahead to a building where he landed on the roof. I simply looked down to the ground, wondering when I had stopped flapping. I thought the crow would take over if I were to stop paying attention but apparently that did not happen.

(Also Marco, what are you going on about? Can you just shut up for a few minutes?) I flew past Tobias as he said that. Marco spoke quietly in thought speech but I cared not to find out what he had said. Right now he could quite easily anger me. I was rather close to losing my patience as it was. It wouldn't look well for me to snap at one of my teammates. Not that I hadn't already.

(Yeah right. Now both of you need to get demorphed and remorphed. We still got to find our target.) Tobias ruffled his feathers, gazing at me with his sharp hawk gaze. I felt a chill run down my spine. Whether it was the crow's own unease at the look or mine, I couldn't quite tell.

(Very well, I believe I will be returning back to the scoop anyway. I have found him already.) I responded dully, eyes still focused on the ground below. I felt emotionally drained now and I simply wanted to get away from the humans. I wanted to be alone. No… I wanted to be alone with Aximili. Someone remotely familiar not these strange aliens. I was growing too restless around them.

(Wait you did?) Tobias exclaimed opening his wings, getting ready to take off. (Where? We've got to tell Jake!)

I clacked my beak for a moment, not at all wanting to appear in front of that human especially. I just wanted to get out of the company of these humans. I just wanted to leave quickly.

(Yes, Marco will be happy to tell you of my findings. But I will be returning to the scoop. Good-bye.) I made sure that they got the idea that my decision was final. In focused my eyes on the forest in the distance. I heard a few rapid flaps behind me but when I looked over my shoulder I saw that there was no one behind me.

So I guessed they had left me alone. Good, at least they have the intelligence to process when someone wished to be left alone.

(Aximili!) I called out to the andalite below me as I circled around to land. His head quickly jerked and he looked around with his eyestalks for a moment. Once a stalk settled on me, he gives a nod with it in greeting to me.

I stumbled a bit as I roughly landed on the ground before rapidly demorphing. My tail was the first to come bursting out of my tail feathers. My front legs rapidly formed from my lower chest as my back legs lengthened. My upper torso was to form next springing up from the base of my neck. My eyestalks bursted out of the top of my head with a sharp crunch. It didn't take long for the optic nerves to thread through them and to my newly forming eyes.

(You have returned early.) Aximili was standing near me now, looking now at me with his primary eyes. (Did something happen?)

My beak fused closed as my wings slid up my forming torso, already forming fingers and hands.

(Yes, I found him.) I replied quietly, not meeting his gaze as my body started to grow. My eyestalks opened to the view of Aximili gazing at me with a curious, worried look.

(Was it Arbat?) He asks as he scuffs a hoof nervously along the ground looking me over with his stalks.

I shook my stalks at him, feeling the changes slow down as I became myself. (No, it was another andalite. A warrior named Tuxiden-Semitur-Jalafin.) I replied, standing at attention in front of him. I could feel my hearts starting to squeeze with anxiety as I looked at him with my primaries now.

(I have no heard of this warrior. Did he tell you of his mission or if there were others?) Aximili gave away nothing in his voice or gaze. But I could feel a shred of anxiety mingled with excitement escaping him. He was probably hoping that the first of the fleet had come. But that couldn't be possible, it hasn't been long enough.

(No, he simply told me his rank and name.) I replied stiffly, anxiety furthering tightening my hearts. (Though I do have some bad news.)

(Bad news?) Aximili stiffened visibly, eyestalks jerking as he did.

(Yes he believes that you and the humans are… rogues.) I looked down towards the ground, noticing that I had half buried my hoof into the ground. The fur around his haunches bristled as he lifted a hind leg before stomping it down.

(Rogues? Do you know as to why he might think this?) He asks slowly, continually stomping his hoof into the ground. It was obvious he was nervous now. I clenched my hoofs into the dirt, gazing steadily up at him with my primaries now.

(It was an error that I had made. I had misspoken and now he believes that you are rogues who have captured me.) I looked into his bright eyes, searching for some spark of anger or hatred in them. Actually he just looked utterly surprised, even confused.

(Ah, then you will need to be the one to correct this then.) He replies with a simple, yet oddly unsettling smile. I do not think I enjoy that kind of look. (Did he tell you where he was going?)

(No he had not.) I replied as I nervously scuffed a back hoof. (Is it wise for me to do it alone though?)

(Who said you were going to do it alone?) He blinked his primary eyes, surprised.

(Well… you implied that I will have to.) I slowly replied, fidgeting with the fur on my right elbow.

(That would be foolish though wouldn't it?) He asks as he slowly walks around me, looking as if he intends to walk back to his scoop. (I plan on joining you but you will have to reveal yourself first to him.) He waves his hand from side to side in a rather odd gesture. I did not understand what he was doing exactly. But before I could question it he just broke off into a canter.

Now that I was fully demorphed, I sprinted after him with a quiet, (Yes my Prince.)

I jumped in time just to barely avoid him as he stumbles suddenly. He trots quickly for a moment to gather his footing before cantering back to my side. He was looking uneasy again, glancing over me with the lower lids of his primaries wrinkled upwards slightly.

(Did I say something… Wrong?) I asked, starting to feel uncomfortable as he looked. Perhaps he wasn't still accepting of his new role as my prince. I did already get the idea that I had forced it upon him but I felt it was the only way to show my loyalty. But yet it still felt wrong forcing that title upon him.

(Don't worry about it.) He quickly replies, tail trailing low to the ground. A clear sign that I must follow him from behind. I let out a mental sigh, pinning my ears against my head as I slowed down to take my place behind him.

(I'm sorry…) I quietly apologized as I kept my distance behind him. My hearts clenched with anxiety again. But he said nothing more to me. Now understanding this conversation was over, I continued to follow him in silence.

End of Chapter