Story [Animorphs] Morphers - AU

@DaenaBenjen42 I'd hit someone on the head for thinking that I was a lowly computer technician if I was one of the best in my class.

So sorry! The other site I post on came back online and I didn’t use my brain when I was trying to figure out where I had been on there. Then the sole reader there wanted to give others the chance to read and review but that doesn’t seem to be happening.

Either way I am sorry that I haven’t done anything until now.

Here’s book thirteen!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello, my name is Tobias.

Just so you know you are not getting my last name out of me so don’t even try. Until the Yeerks are gone from Earth my last name will stay a secret from everyone but my friends.

When we met Arbron in that abandoned construction site we were just normal kids doing normal kid stuff in a normal place in America. Until that day I thought that thinking that I was hearing my father and other siblings talk when they weren’t was one of the biggest problems that I had.

The next one after that was trying to beat Marco at whatever new videogame either he or I had: that all changed that night a year ago.

Now my biggest concerns are not getting killed or caught. It would spell doom on so many people if I was caught. My father and mother work with computer software. My dad is considered one of the best in the company; Arbron even told me that the Yeerks would find my dad useful in many ways.

My mom finds errors in software so that they can be fixed before going wherever they go.

Arbron is an Andalite Prince, a leader in their Military, he is the leader of our little group and Jake leads when Arbron is seeing how far the Yeerks have spread. Marco helps relieve stress by cracking jokes that range from hilarious to cringe worthy. There’s Cassie, our expert in animals, Anjinnl, a female Andalite Computer Technician and Aximili, an Andalite Cadet, he was very awkward with pretending to be human but Anjinnl helped him fit in better; but not before threatening him with duct tape and smacking him on the head with books. And last but not least Rachel. Rachel is gung-ho about protecting Earth.

I have a crush on Rachel. She is smart, talented, really wants to help free Earth from the Yeerk Invasion and her being pretty is just the icing on the cake.

That day I had been glad to get out of the house. My mom had burnt the scrambled eggs without vegetables and Leilani doesn’t like vegetables in her scrambled eggs she wouldn’t eat the other ones.

Hoshi was complaining that Rio was running his hands through her hair and getting it dirty and to top matters off Hayden dumped her Cheerios on the floor.

And that was just breakfast.

When I was heading for the door to catch the bus Leilani was demanding to know who moved her sneakers; Hoshi was begging mom to wash her hair before it was time for her bus to arrive and Rio was upset because dad was telling him that he couldn’t bring Indiana, our Japanese Spitz, to school for show and tell; and that went for Champ the German Shepard as well.

As I hurried for the street corner I laughed when I thought of my dad having to change his shirt because Hayden had milk and mashed Cheerios on her. But my mom was grateful that my dad was so willing to help with all of us. Apparently where my dad is from the fathers focus mostly on their sons and the mothers focused on the daughters. He said that it was superior complex.

Kids at school treat me differently because my dad is a so smart when it comes to electronics. He built the computers he uses in his office a home himself from other computers. Mixing and matching the best components until he had what he wanted.

He and Marco’s dad are good friends and go way back. They went to college together and work on many of the same projects together.

I like school but after I became an Animorph I have just wanted to just go out looking for ways to strike against the Yeerks. But if I skipped school not only would it be suspicious my parents would ground me for the rest of my teenage years.

Recently I tried to talk my parents into doing home-school; it went over like a lead balloon. My mom works from home and my dad alternates between work and home. One of the points my mom brought up is that Leilani needs to have structure and going to school will do that for her.

Once the bus arrived at school I headed for my locker. If I had it my way I’d my way there would be a password on it instead of a stupid combination lock.

The hint would be the square root of five and the answer would be ‘don’t know, don’t care’. It would be so amusing to see people trying to break into my locker by putting in the square root of five and fail.

By the way the square root of five is 2.23606797749979; or that’s what my calculator said.

xxxxxxx

At lunch I sat with Marco and Jake talking about the latest video games and consoles that were in the works.

I paused in mid-sentence when I smelt Rachel’s perfume. It had a nice scent that I couldn’t quite place.

I turned and smiled at the sight of her, Cassie and Anjinnl heading for us.

I slid over so that two of them could sit on the same side of the table as me. I must have had a goofy smile on my face when Rachel sat next to me because Marco smiled in a way that said ‘oh, how cute’. Rachel must have kicked him from under the table because he winced.

“I have been named a Packard Foundation Outstanding Student.” Rachel announced as she opened her lunchbox.

“Congratulations!” I told her with a smile.

“You deserve it.” Cassie said.

“Yeah, you do,” Marco began. “After all we are busy people these days.” That just earned him another kick.

“You are a bright student.” Anjinnl said with a gentle smile.

We were silent for a few moments as we started eating our various lunches.

“Bromly thinks he found several places that could be important at a later date.” Anjinnl said after a few bites.

“He said that the car wash would be perfect for a fundraiser in the future as well as a few other places.” She continued; sitting her sandwich down.

We nodded to show that we understood. Anjinnl was telling us about possible entrances to the Yeerk Pool. We had only gone down there once as cockroaches, nearly got eaten by a Taxxon, met an alien called ‘the Ellimist’, nearly got eaten again and then barely escaped with our hides intact. But we did learn never to morph into cockroaches while sneaking into the Yeerk Pool ever again.

The only thing that we got out of it was that we learned the location of the Kandrona and destroyed it.

We have foiled the Yeerks plans many times. They were planning to destroy the forest behind Cassie’s place to find us but we threw a wrench in it; and learned that creatures with hive minds are not the ideal morphs. Take that Borg!

We sort of have a new ally the Chee; an old group of androids that have been on Earth so long that they could have helped build the pyramids.

There was some excitement not too long ago when we discovered that we could become allergic to DNA. We learned this the hard way when Rachel acquired a crocodile. For some time she couldn’t control her morphing abilities

Arbron nearly tied Rachel down after we figured it out and a Chee took Rachel’s place. Rachel wasn’t thrilled.

After school Rachel and I morphed into our birds of prey morphs and headed for the car wash. We talked about our day and we laughed at the fact that Amelia James, the lead cheerleader, had made a fool out of herself in front of some nerdy kid.

/Tobias, we’re not heading for the car wash./ Rachel said suddenly. I looked around and discovered that she was right. I was somewhat familiar with the area since my family camps in the area every so often.

I was about to try to head back in the direction of the car wash when a huge Oak Tree slid to one side. We paused and watched in confusion as two Hork-Bajir came out of a hole that the tree had covered.

We just flapped our wings to stay more or less in place as the pair looked around. /Did we just find an entrance to the Yeerk Pool?/ Rachel asked. /It appears that we did./ I answered.

Suddenly the sound of engines revving came from the hole. The two Hork-Bajir looked down then at each other before racing away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next part should be up today.

My dad is considered one of the best in the company; Arbron even told me that the Yeerks would find my dad useful in many ways.

On the one hand, yes, and on the other... no. That thought far too scary to pursue. Yeerks with what's in Elfangor's head? Aiya.

and that went for Champ the German Shepard as well.

CHAMP!!!!! *runs in, hugs Champ, runs out again*

He and Marco’s dad are good friends and go way back. They went to college together and work on many of the same projects together.

Hmmm... does that mean that he and Loren helped Marco's dad through his grief?

By the way the square root of five is 2.23606797749979; or that’s what my calculator said.

There are combo locks that go that high?

“I have been named a Packard Foundation Outstanding Student.”

School's not suffering what with all the running off to fight aliens, huh? A little long division, a little dancing... facing seven foot bark eaters with blades...

We have foiled the Yeerks plans many times. They were planning to destroy the forest behind Cassie’s place to find us but we foiled it; and learned that creatures with hive minds are not the ideal morphs.

And also turned Visser Three purple!!!!

Suddenly the sound of engines revving came from the hole. The two Hork-Bajir looked down then at each other before racing away.

Go! Go! Go!!!!

@DaenaBenjen42

Elfangor is free of Yeerk control.

Had to put Champ in. After all he is Loren's dog.

They helped as much as Steve let them but they wee there once he decided that it was time to come back to the real world.

Not that I know of. He was talking about a keypad and an actual password and not a combo lock.

Rachel is too cool to let her school suffer. Besides it could get her in trouble with her mother; maybe.

Oh yes, they had their fun more than once at the Yeerks expense.

RUUUUNNN!

I am so sorry that I took so long with this.

I was trying to do NaNo and so I didn’t really feel that I do both.

Long story short I fell way behind and for mine and others sanity I gave up on NaNo.

Then I needed to think about some things before I continued too much

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rachel and I watched in confusion as the two Hork-Bajir fled the entrance to the Yeerk Pool. It made zero sense that they were running away.

Out of the hole about a dozen ATVs appeared and after a few moments followed after the pair of Hork-Bajir.

I could see both Dracon Beams and regular Earth weapons on them.

/They seem to be running away and the Controllers on the ATVs seem to be chasing them./ I said, stating what had to be the obvious.

/We should help them./ Rachel said.

I would have smiled if I was human.

/The enemy of my enemy is my friend./ I stated.

/Let’s do it!/ Rachel said as we flew towards the Hork-Bajir.

/Hey you two, you have several Controllers coming your way!/ I told them through thought-speech.

They stumbled but continued to run.

/Need to go right to avoid them./ I told them.

They hesitated and I knew that I would have to guide them. I hadn’t believed Arbron when he had told us that without the Yeerks in their head that the Hork-Bajir people were innocent and had simple minds. But this just went to show that Arbron had been right.

But they did go to the right and continued to run.

The Controllers fired their weapons at the pair of fleeing Hork-Bajir and missed.

/Tobias they might need more help than what we are giving them./ Rachel said and I had to agree with her. They must not completely understand so they would need a guide.

/Rachel stay up here and alert me of the movement of the Controllers./ I told her as I prepared to dive into the trees.

/Hey we are going to play a game./ I told the Hork-Bajir. /Follow the bird with the red./

The flight was nerve wrecking. I had to be so careful; one wrong move could either lead to my death or injury.

/Tobias, there’s a chopper heading our way and you’re coming up on an access road. There’s Controllers on it with trucks./ Rachel reported.

/Hey, we need to go a little fast if we are to escape./ I told the two aliens that were following me.

An idea occurred to me. If they could swim they could escape.

/Hey, if you can swim slice that sapling coming up./ I told them.

The sapling was cut in half and I felt hope. There was a stream not too far away on the other side of the access road that we could use to help them escape.

We reached the road and I noted the trucks coming up fast

My heart would have been in my throat as I saw a truck move to cut them off.

The first Hork-Bajir just jumped over the truck while the second one Hork-Bajir, which had been slowing down for the past few minutes, tried to jump only to get sideswiped.’

The second Hork-Bajir was thrown a few feet and didn’t move.

The trucks fishtailed in their hurry to stop.

The first Hork-Bajir paused and raced back to the second one.

“My kalashi!” it wailed at the second Hork-Bajir’s side. “My wife!”

/You need to get out of there!/ I yelled as Controllers started to get out of the cabs of the trucks.

The Hork-Bajir looked at them before it-no- he raced for the woods.

It didn’t take long to reach the stream and the Hork-Bajir disappeared under the surface.

/Wife, he said wife./ Rachel said after a few moments.

/He did./ I agreed.

xxxxxxx

About an hour later Rachel and I were in Cassie’s Barn with our fellow Animorphs.

Rachel and I had led the Hork-Bajir in a cave and then we informed Arbron of the situation and he decided that we needed to discuss in earnest.

“Hork-Bajir have both males and females?” Marco asked, surprised.

“Of course Hork-Bajir have both males and females.” Anjinnl answered. “All sentient or semi sentient species are either male or female. Only plants and a few “lesser” life forms are either asexual or have both male and female parts that can be brought out by chemical changes.”

“Do you think that this is a trap?” Cassie asked. “I mean from Tobias and Rachel’s story the Controllers gave chase and seemed to be willing to kill them.”

Arbron tapped his human morph’s fingers on bench.

“We will have to ask him and see what we can learn.” Arbron said after a few moments.

“I have several questions.” Marco said. “Do the females like to watch chick flicks or do the melt when they see a baby and do they scream when they see snakes and bugs?”

“’Scream when they see snakes and bugs?’” Cassie asked as she casually opened a drawer, reached and then tossed something at Marco.

Marco cried out in panic and jumped away as a harmless garter snake nearly fell on him.

“Get it away from me!” Marco yelped.

A few of us laughed as Cassie collected the snake and returned it to the drawer.

“Now that we are done acting like little children we need to go and speak to our friend in the cave.” Arbron said; bringing us back to the matter at hand.

xxxxxxxx

We headed to the cave as a group all of us except Anjinnl, Aximili and Arbron were in morph. We had to make sure that it wasn’t a trap.

Arbron was confidante that it wasn’t but you could never be too careful.

Rachel was in her Bald Eagle morph. Cassie was an owl. Marco was in his gorilla morph. Jake was a tiger and I was in my hawk morph since the Hork-Bajir knew me as a bird.

I landed on a branch and waited for everyone to get ready.

/Hey,/ I called out to the Hork-Bajir in the cave. / I’m back and I brought friends./

I watched as he carefully started to move through the trees, fallen branches and brambles.

He stopped once he caught sight of Arbron, Anjinnl and Aximili.

There was a staring contest for about a minute.

“Andalites,” he breathed sounding both nervous and angry.

/We heard that you escaped and wished to know if it is true./ Anjinnl stated.

“I have my own head; Jara Hamee alone in his head.” The Hork-Bajir, Jara Hamee, declared.

He then did something that shocked all of us. He swiped one of his wrist blades at his head and a nasty looking gash opened.

/Gross!/ Marco groaned.

We watched in shock as Jara Hamee pulled part of it away to reveal what had to be his brain. I didn’t see anything and then Jara Hamee pushed the wound back together and it scabbed over quite fast.

/You are alone./ Arbron awknowledged.

/Um, everyone,/ Cassie said. /It appears that Controllers are sort of heading our way./

/Yeah, they even have a Hork-Bajir with them./ Rachel reported.

/But it’s still pretty light out./ Marco said.

/They must really want him back./ Arbron mused.

/What if one of us morphed into him and led the Yeerks away?/ I asked.

/That could work./ Arbron said. /There will be risks but it would be a good way to help get Jara Hamee to safety.

/I will do it./ I said.

There was some silence as Arbron mulled it over.

/Are you sure Tobias?/ he asked.

/I am sure besides I always wanted to be a weed whacker./ I answered.

/I will follow by air then./ Arbron stated.

xxxxxxxxxxx

I purposely had Tobias morph into Jara Hamee for personal reasons.

Don’t you all hate it when someone reminds/brings to your attention just how much this or that bothers you?

Elfangor is free of Yeerk control.

Sort of figured he was...

Not that I know of. He was talking about a keypad and an actual password and not a combo lock.

Ah. Makes sense now...

I was trying to do NaNo and so I didn’t really feel that I do both.

I tried to do NaNo, too. Only problem? I seem to want to write wacky crossovers between my own Animorph AU and other things... last time was The Dead Zone TV series, this time was Torchwood. No, that's not ever getting posted.

I hadn’t believed Arbron when he had told us that without the Yeerks in their head that the Hork-Bajir people were innocent and had simple minds. But this just went to show that Arbron had been right.

It takes experiencing it for real to understand what he means when he says the Hork-Bajir are innocents, and therein lies the tragedy.

“My kalashi!” it wailed at the second Hork-Bajir’s side. “My wife!”

Poor Ket, getting hit like that...

/Wife, he said wife./ Rachel said after a few moments.

/He did./ I agreed.

It's the experiencing other cultures thing again. That they're like us... only scarier.

“Hork-Bajir have both males and females?” Marco asked, surprised.

I vollunteer to hit Marco over the head with a book for that stupid question... Oh. What Anji said works, too...

“’Scream when they see snakes and bugs?’” Cassie asked as she casually opened a drawer, reached and then tossed something at Marco.

Marco cried out in panic and jumped away as a harmless garter snake nearly fell on him.

“Get it away from me!” Marco yelped.



Arbron was confidante that it wasn’t but you could never be too careful.

Beta: confident (confidante is a person, this one is the state of being)

/They must really want him back./

...I wonder if the Yeerks care whose grandson he is, or if they really just wanted their host bodies back. Hmmm...

@DaenaBenjen42

Marco probably deserves to be hit on the head with a book


Sorry that I have taken so long in writing this. Certain things eluded me and I decided to give into my guilt and post what I have written and make this part four chapters long instead of three.

xxxxxxxxxxx

I would have loved to be asleep in my bed but I had volunteered to take the first watch over Jara Hamee and the newly liberated Ket Halpak for the night. It helped that I felt no need to demorph after two hours.

It had been a little hair-raising and our favorite Visser was there in a human morph. I might not have escaped with Ket Halpak if Arbron hadn’t set a bird off that lived in the clearing.

My new friends were hiding in a new cave since the last one had been compromised but once it was light we would be taking Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak to a valley that I half remembered from a family camping trip.

The valley was a pretty place and I wished that we had camped there for the night all those years ago.

I hoped that things were going well at my place; a Chee was taking my place until further notice and I hoped that he didn’t damage my reputation with my siblings too much by saying the wrong things.

Like telling Rio that jumping on my parents’ waterbed was unacceptable. Telling Hoshi that leaning too far off of the bunk bed was a bad idea. But most of all telling Leilani to turn the bass down on the stereo

I found myself remembering the time when Leilani’s ear-buds came out of her iPod and Bon Jovi’s ‘It’s my Life’ blared through the house.

It would have been amusing if it wasn’t at 1:00 am.

I spotted some movement and I turned to look at it.

I would have smiled if I had been human. It was Arbron and Aximili.

/I thought that Rachel and Cassie were going to take over./ I said.

/I decided that I needed to check in on you and our friends./ Arbron informed me.

/They seem to be alright. They do a lot of talking. Most of it seems like they are thankful that we rescued them and that they will be free./ I commented.

I was about to ask Aximili how his mother would have felt if she knew how late it was when I had an eerily sensation.

It was as if I wasn’t seeing what was in front of me but somewhere else. I saw some Controllers moving through the trees with Taxxons. Something deep down told me that they were somehow using the Taxxons to find Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak.

/Arbron, can Taxxons track people?/ I asked, fearing the answer.

/Yes some can but they are few in number. My I ask why the sudden curiosity?/ Arbron asked.

/I think that they are somehow tracking our Hork-Bajir friends./ I answered.

/If they are then we need to discover if that is the case./ Arbron said as he started to morph into an owl.

I watched as he flew off, leaving Aximili and I alone with the two Hork-Bajir.

The two of us made some small talk, waiting for Arbron to return.

/Tobias,/ Arbron’s voice said in my mind. /They are tracking us. Get Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak out of there. Aximili go and get the others. I will watch their movements./

/Yes sir!/ I said.

/Hey, we need to get out of here. The Yeerks are coming!/ I called out to my new friends.

I watched as Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak slowly came out of the cave.

I knew that they were nervous simply because it was dark.

/I know that it’s dark but we need to get moving./

Once they were out I flew over and settled on Jara Hamee’s front head blade. It would be the best way to lead them until it got light out.

xxxxx

As it got a little lighter out I called for a halt so we could get some rest.

At that moment I was wishing for my bed and a bowl of cereal, preferably Wheaties.

I told them that if they were hungry that they could get something to eat.

I watched as Jara Hamee used his blades to slice up some bark from a tree and eat the chucks that he got from

Jara Hamee offered me some but I declined by saying that I would eat later.

I am pretty sure that a bowl of Wheaties was calling my name; and if that wasn’t the case than it was Honey-Nut Cheerios.

Finally I told them that we needed to get moving again.

We had been traveling for twentyish minutes when I heard something.

/Tobias,/ Arbron’s voice said. /We’re coming!/

A minute later Aximili came into view with Anjinnl as a Black Panther at his side. Aximili had a backpack that most likely had at least clothes and sneakers if not some food as well.

/Aximili, please tell me that there are granola bars in that backpack./ I almost begged.

/There are granola bars in here for you and the others./ He answered.

It took a lot of willpower not to demorph then and there and feast on granola bars.

/There’s also juice and water./ Anjinnl added.

Now I really wanted to demorph.

A few minutes later I heard the others coming as birds.

I knew something was wrong the moment they landed.

One of the Ospreys was shaking in a manner that I didn’t like at all.

/Cassie?/ I asked.

/Yes?/ she answered shakily.

/Are you alright?/ I asked.

/I don’t remember how long I have been in morph./ She answered with fear.

Cassie feels the need to demorph shortly after two hours in morph. The longer she tries to stay in morph the more she struggles with pain and the desire to demorph

I had a bad feeling about this.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A funny thing is that I could sleep to Bon Jovi. I haven’t tried it yet but I find it soothing. And you are looking at me strange.

I'll likely be doing an expanded review when I get my energy back (cold virus, not liking it), but for now: awesome job. Want more.

It's never fun to be ill on any level.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

No, it isn't. And since I'm over the cold now... review!!!!!

Telling Hoshi that leaning too far off of the bunk bed was a bad idea.

I can vouch for that one... have done it. Wasn't fun.

I found myself remembering the time when Leilani’s ear-buds came out of her iPod and Bon Jovi’s ‘It’s my Life’ blared through the house.

It would have been amusing if it wasn’t at 1:00 am.

Love, love this household... hee!!!

It was as if I wasn’t seeing what was in front of me but somewhere else. I saw some Controllers moving through the trees with Taxxons. Something deep down told me that they were somehow using the Taxxons to find Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak.

Sneaky, sneaky Ellimist... That, or Tobias is psychic.

Cassie feels the need to demorph shortly after two hours in morph. The longer she tries to stay in morph the more she struggles with pain and the desire to demorph

I had a bad feeling about this.

Me, too.

A funny thing is that I could sleep to Bon Jovi. I haven’t tried it yet but I find it soothing. And you are looking at me strange.

Nope. Not looking at you strange. I fall asleep to audio commentaries. Really, really boring audio commentaries.

So glad that you enjoy Tobias's home life. We don't get enough of it for any of the other characters in the books.


Sorry that I took my sweet time writing this. One excuse I have is that my computer has an issue with overheating so if I have a document up and it overheats it shuts down and I lose what wasn’t saved. So it was in the shop for a few days and I warred with myself for a few other days but finally here’s the last chapter of Part 5!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

/Jara Hamee, Ket Halpak, what would you do if the Yeerks tried to retake you?/ Arbron asked.

“Free or dead!” Jara Hamee yelled.

“Free or dead!” Ket Halpak agreed.

/Give me liberty or give me death./ Jake said.

/Patrick Henry,/ I supplied.

/You can demorph./ Arbron said. /If we are to help them then we must reveal our true forms to them./ He told us.

I landed and pictured myself.

I felt myself changing and within moments I was myself again.

When I was finished Aximili was holding a box of granola bars in his hands.

Without thinking I snatched the box out of his hands and pawed through the box before I discovered that they were all the same type.

Sighing I selected one and handed the box to Jake.

It was then that I noticed that Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak were laughing.

“You are human!” Jara Hamee said between laughs.

“Most of us yes.” Cassie said as she walked on unsteady legs over to Rachel; who now had the box of granola bars.

“Yeerks wrong then.” Ket Halpak stated.

“Yup, they are wrong.” Rachel stated as she pulled a pair of pants out of the pack that Aximili had been carrying along with a pair of sneakers.

All of us humans quickly gathered around the pack and retrieved pants and sneakers. I recognized a pair as mine and quickly retrieved them.

After I pulled them on I snatched up my beat up pair of sneakers. The more worn in a pair of sneakers are the more comfortable they are.

“We picked them up from your place.” Jake explained. “We figured that it would be better than wandering around in our morphing outfits.”

I would have done a lot to get some sleep but we had to get moving.

/I will keep an eye on things up here./ Arbron informed us.

/Aximili, Anjinnl, morph into your human morphs. The fewer humans that see multiple aliens that better./

Anjinnl and Aximili morphed and also retrieved clothes from the pack before Jake picked it up.

“Everyone ready?” I asked as I double checked my laces.

“Alright let’s go.”

I led everyone through the woods; heading for the valley that I knew was there. My family had taken a different way but I was sure without a shadow of a doubt that I could find it going this way.

Small talk started mostly about school and life at home.

Rachel talked about his sisters Jordan and Sara. She really loves them even if she claims otherwise.

Cassie was talking about several animals at the clinic and how their progress was coming.

Jake was talking about a test he nearly failed.

Marco started talking about video games.

“I nearly have all the Harry Potter games beaten.” He told us. “They are pretty simple compared to others.”

Silence fell again for a few moments and I was enjoying it.

“It’s too quiet out here.” Marco suddenly commented.

“That’s because you are used to the hustle and bustle of the city.” Anjinnl told him. “I like it out here with the birds and the trees. Reminds me a little of my home.”

“And the air is clean and fresh.” Cassie added. “We are going to be better off getting some good fresh air and exercise.”

“Well I am getting tired of walking.” Marco said.

“Well you know what you got to do Marco?” Rachel asked.

“No, I don’t.” Macro answered.

“Just keep walking, just keep walking. What do we do we walk. Oh how I love to walk!” Rachel said doing a decent imitation of Dory from Finding Nemo.

Everyone except Marco laughed.

“It’s not funny!” he snapped.

/I need someone else up here to help patrol./ Arbron called down to us.

“I will since I know where we are going.” I called up before shedding my jeans and sneakers.

I pictured the Red tail Hawk and felt my body change.

In a few moments I took to the sky.

I kept on the lookout for Yeerk activity and now and then spotted a controller on the ground but they were far enough from everyone else that they wouldn’t pose a huge problem.

Then I saw smoke; too much smoke to be a simple fire. Those blasted Yeerks had created a forest fire!

For some reason I stayed in the area and noticed a ravine.

I found an idea forming in my brain and I quickly headed back to everyone else.

When I arrived they had all morphed into their battle morphs.

/They started a forest fire./ I informed everyone as I landed.

/We know./ Arbron stated

/I don’t think the Yeerks care if they take Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak dead or alive./ I told them.

/Sounds like you have an idea./ Arbron stated.

I mentally told a deep breath and related my plan to everyone.

Xxxxxxx

I kept shaking my head. I still couldn’t believe that my plan had worked.

My plan had involved someone (not Marco) morphing Ket Halpak and then me morphing Jara Hamee. We then ran for the ravine and threw ourselves off. Marco would be waiting on an alcove for us. He would then catch us as we fell and pull us in. The real Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak would play dead at the bottom of the ravine and everyone else in wolf morphs would gather around them and pretend to eat them.

I was tired but the sight of the valley raised my spirits. It was more beautiful then I imagined.

Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak looked around and seemed to nod with approval.

“Good place for the Kawatnoj.” Jara Hamee stated.

“Yes, good place.” Ket Halpak agreed.

“What is a Kawatnoj?” Cassie asked; curious.

“Kawatnoj small Jara Hamee or Ket Halpak.” Ket Halpak explained happily.

“Children,” Rachel stated, “they are going to be parents.”

/One the first to be born free in a long time; right Prince Arbron?/ Anjinnl asked.

/Yes, as far as my knowledge goes./ Arbron agreed.

“Wow!” Jake said.

“I don’t know about any of you guys but I am not going to do any babysitting for them.” Marco stated.

“Where’s your sense of adventure Marco?” I asked him.

“I left it back home with my comic books.” He answered flatly.

Xxxxxx

I calmly walked into my house and was greeted by Champ. I smiled and patted his head before walking to the living room.

I nearly laughed at the sight of Rio showing off how well he could play the dancing game while Hoshi glared at him and Leilani was trying to follow the directions from the look of things.

I shook my head and headed for my father’s office,

I found my father with that headset on with Hayden in his lap. I was surprised that Hayden wasn’t playing with the cord seeing that she did that a lot. I headed in and saw that my father looked sad.

“What are you listening to?” I asked.

My dad jerked a bit. He obviously hadn’t heard me.

“Are you listening to the Vulcans or Klingons talking?” I asked teasing.

Something flickered in my dad’s eyes.

“Vulcans and Klingons don’t exist Tobias and you know it.” He stated.

Hayden said something about Vulcans with a smile.

“So,” my dad said as he removed the headset, ‘how has your day been?”

I was slightly tempted to tell him that I had spent the day with my friends and aliens in the woods. That I had purposely jumped off a cliff to fool other aliens into thinking that my new friends were dead. But that would put everyone in danger.

“It’s been good.” I replied. “I hope that my Doritos are still where I left them.”

“They should be.” My dad’s the responded with a grin.

We reached the kitchen and I opened the fridge and retrieved a Sprite and gave my dad the Cranberry-Grape Juice.

I watched as my dad filled a Sippy Cup and then large glass of the juice. I found myself wondering again where my dad came from and more about his family. Yeah, he said he ran away from home when he was about my age but that was just about it. I didn’t know my parental grandparents names or where they lived.

I remembered how if I died on a mission before we had met the Chee how I would have just vanished into thin air. Only my friends would know what happened to me. Now a Chee could take my place.

“Dad?” I asked, as I opened the Doritos, “how would you and mom feel if I just disappeared and you never heard from me again?”

“You’re mother and I would be worried out of our minds and start searching for you.” My dad answered as he snagged chip from the bag.

“Do you think that your parents are worried about you?” I couldn’t stop the question from leaving my mouth.

My dad looked pained but he didn’t look away.

“My parents most likely believe that I am dead.” He stated. “When I left home it a dangerous time but I had to leave; I couldn’t stay.”

I felt bad that I had drudged up bad memories for my dad.

“So, how’s your work coming?” I asked; changing the subject as I took a sip of my Sprite.

“You have either an uncle or aunt.” My dad suddenly said, ignoring my question. “I have always wondered if I had a little brother or sister.”

“You could try facebook.” I suggested.

My dad smiled a bit. “They wouldn’t be on facebook.” He told me.

“Alan?” my mom called from the living room. “The children want to know if it’s time to watch Willow.”

My dad looked at the stove and smiled.

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He called back as he prepared the popcorn popper and started to pour a few bags of chips into bowls.

I grabbed some sodas from the fridge and headed for the living room.

I vowed once again to protect every member of my family. I was the only one that could.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As of now I am considering doing the 15th book next. It will feature Anjinnl revealing to the others what she has learned about her father.

It has to happen sooner or later; preferably sooner than later.

Yay for Ket and Jara and the going to be parents thing!!!!!

“You have either an uncle or aunt.” My dad suddenly said, ignoring my question. “I have always wondered if I had a little brother or sister.”

“You could try facebook.” I suggested.

My dad smiled a bit. “They wouldn’t be on facebook.” He told me.

No, no they wouldn't... but only because Ax has yet to discover the wonders of the internet.

...as much as I love the world being in peril due to modified horses... skipping it is fine with me.