Ruby anxiously awaited her elder sister to exit the bathroom in their Chicago loft apartment. Her sister said she wanted to give herself a makeover. Ruby expected it to last less time than it was. "Crystal?" Ruby called out for her elder sister impatiently.

"I'll be out soon, Ruby. Give me five more minutes!" her sister's beautiful voice replied.

"Okay! But no more then five!" the younger sister replied irritably. Being by human standards, eleven years old, she wasn't the most patient person. Even by her own people's standards, she lacked patience. Five minutes later, her elder sister emerged from the bathroom. Again, their disguises mixed holograms with DNA enhancements so they could flawlessly pass as another species.

Ruby's mouth dropped open at her sister's new look. Their people first had honed in on TV signals in the 1960s, so when her sister, a government agent, came to investigate, she'd dressed as a hippie. But now she wanted to change it up a bit. So now her long black hair sported a purplish-blue stripe. She ditched her hippie outfit to wear a bright yellow and royal purple short shirt. The shirt had shoulder cutouts with long billowy sleeves. Her firm stomach was exposed, and she wore tight-fitting black cargo pants with matching platform boots.

"Wow! When you said you wanted a makeover, I didn't think you meant it in this way! Aren't you worried what Shaggy will say when he gets home?" referring to her sister's boyfriend.

"I'm not sure what he'll think, to be honest. However, I did inform him before he left for his shift at the restaurant that I wanted to try out a new look. So, hopefully, he'll like it. Now, what did you want to talk about?"

"I just finished reading a '90s sci-fi book series my human friends recommended. It's called "Animorphs." It's about five kids and an alien going up against a race of alien parasites who want to make hosts out of humans. They do this by taking control of their host's brains, and the host is powerless after the Yeerk as they're called to control their own bodies.

The only power the Animorphs have is the power to morph. Any animal they touch and absorb DNA from can stay in that form for two hours. However, you're stuck in that form forever if you go past that. Which happened to one kid in the first book."

"I guess you've mixed opinions about the various aliens in the book series? Or is it more then ethics?" her sister asked curiously as she sat beside her on the couch.

Her little sister sighed before answering. "A bit of both. The other main aliens other than Yeerks are the Andalites. And they're some of the strangest aliens I've ever heard of! The biggest thing isn't the fact they look like blue centaurs with tail blades and four eyes—two on their face and two on stalks.

No, it's not any of those oddities! Its the fact they have NO MOUTH! This is the first time I've heard of any species that evolved to have no mouth! They communicate with thought speech and somehow eat through their hooves. But man, are they weird! Not to mention, they have no sense of humor and are pretty full of themselves!"

"Well, like everyone else, they have a fatal flaw. And if the book is about a long-standing war, I'm sure you can understand war changes an individual from the inside out. No one in any conflict goes unscathed."

"I understand that from the history classes I've been in, Crystal. It's weird since our race is primarily pacifist, which aligns with another species in this book series. A race of dog-like androids called the Chee. They're programmed never to engage in any form of violence. Only one did, and he's stuck forever with the horrors he committed. I can't imagine living forever with that kind of trauma."

"Neither can I. As you pointed out, our people only use violence as self-defense. And we don't kill unless its a life or death situation and as a last resort. It goes against the teachings of Jasper and his wife, Jacinth.

"Yes, we're taught to live in harmony with nature. Never seek conflict or violence. Show respect, compassion, and mercy to everyone. Act humbly and help those in need whether they deserve it or not."

"Yep, and always keep your word. Be a true friend to one and all. Live in balance and don't engage in sinful behavior. Always show generosity, honesty, loyalty, kindness, optimism, empathy, and forgiveness. "

"Our religion has many similar aspects to other civilizations. Yet, none of our people have gone to live on the sanctuary planet Neaveh. The Followers take in refugees from all across the galaxy. Teaching them about enlightenment and helping them become closer to their chosen gods. Some people struggle to adjust because they must show no aggression and eat vegan food."

"I know, Ruby. But they're slowly learning to allow at least other foods. Plus, I did hear before coming here they're seeking to build gym arenas so people could get their anger out in a more constructive way."

"Do you think they should take in the refugees from Ukraine or Israel? Russia has been attacking Ukraine for over a year now. And again, that surprise attack on Israel a few days ago."

"I'm not sure since the general population hasn't encountered individuals of another planet. So, it might not be that easy. Still, I'll send it in my next report when we get home. Now, how about we go over your homework? I know you've got a big test in math this Friday, and I don't want you to fail." Her little sister sighed and fetched her math textbook to study per-algebra together.