Distant Dreams 5
By: Olivia
Narrator: Estril
Nuttypeanutbuddy@aol.com

   < No, I do not...> Everyone insisted. My parents told me that it would be good for me; the others encouraged me to join. I knew that joining the Animorphs in what they called high school would be a good experience for me, but I was afraid. Father told me has been to Jake's school before, and he enjoyed the school food. Jake corrected him and told me that he liked the school soap in the male bathrooms. They had me cornered. I had to go. They declared that I would start tomarrow. We all sat in Cassie's barn, my mother Zizih stood on my right and my father Aximili on my left. The Animorphs sat on hay bales, all smiling, talking about tomorrow. Rachel stood up and grabbed my hand. " I'm taking you to the mall! " I stuttered, shaking my head as she told me to morph bird, the others agreeing. Rachel begged, feather designs forming on her arms and hands. I looked away and started to morph a sea gull. Rachel cheered before her mouth jetted out to form a beak.

   I demorphed behind the mall and remorphed to human. My red hair cascaded down my back, a black shirt covered my human torso and a pair of jeans as Rachel called it squeezed tightly around my human hips. I walked in, Rachel dragging me straight to a place called JC Penny. She literally threw pieces of clothing at me, every color in every style. The pile towered, covering my human mouth, making it impossible to speak. Rachel was bent over the shoe rack, digging through the boxes for the right size for me. I spoke to her. " Uh, Rachel? I think this is enough to cover my body. " But it came out as short, mumbling sounds behind the clothing. Rachel glanced up, looking as if she would stop and help me with the pile, but looked back to what she was doing and mumbled something about green or blue shoes. I sighed, let the clothes fall to the floor next to Rachel and looked at my surroundings. Many humans stood around, looking at the artificial hooves on plastic stands, mostly females. I watched as a human female pulled off her old cloth hoof and placed the new one on. I heard Rachel cheer as she found the right shoe for me, and I got ready to turn around, ready to hold the clothes again and I felt a rough hand grab my human shoulder. I froze, missing my deadly tail instantly as a voice called out behind me, the voice softly brushed with a country accent. “ Could you point me in the direction of the food court? “ I turned and I was face to face with an attractive young male. His blue eyes sparkled, his white shirt showing all of his large muscles, jeans that seemed ready to fall of his body. His hair was a dark red, brushed to the side in a swerve covering half of his pale face. I could not speak, so I nodded and lead him to the food court, not even thinking twice about Rachel. He started a conversation. “ So, you come here often? I live just down the road. “ I told him lies about my alien family, telling him about my mother and father and my unborn sibling. He laughed as we stood in line for something called Dairy Queen. “ Wow, your family sounds great. I don’t have a bro or sis, and my father died when I was only ten. “ I thought about my father dying while I was only a mere child of eleven.

   He offered to buy me a small cone of dairy product called ice cream. I agreed as we got closer to the head of the line. He draped his arm over my shoulder, making me feel nervous. We sat down at the closest empty table and enjoyed our treats. He sucked down an orange concoction he called an Orange Julius. I licked my cone, the ice cream sticking to my human tongue, making it easier to eat the white ice cream. He had been done with his while I still dug into mine, him laughing as I got the ice cream all over my face. He picked up a napkin, dampened it with his saliva and wiped it off my face. " By the way, the fair is in town tomorrow night. Want to go? My treat. " I stuttered as Rachel sped over. " Samantha! Where have you been? I've been looking for you for... Hello." She stopped yelling as her eyes laid on the male's well-built figure. The male smiled and laughed. " My name's Raph, short for Raphael. Are you her sister? " He did not seem to like Rachel, but Rachel kept looking at him with loving eyes. " No, I'm her cousin. My name is Rachel and this is Samantha. " Raph nodded, his eyes on me. " Well, Samantha, is it yes or no? " I stopped for a second and thought it over. Mother and Father would be displeased, even angry with me if I ran off with a male, not to mention a human male. Raph stared at me, waiting for my answer, but Rachel answered for me with a wink. " Sure, she'll be there, and I'll try to sneak out. " Raph's eyes glared for a moment. " No, I would like only Samantha to be there. " Rachel was stunned, her jaw dropped slightly as he asked for my address. I told him Cassie's address, for I could not tell him I live in a scoop with my quiet father and my mother who was carrying a alien child. He smiled and stuffed the napkin with Cassie's address in his pocket. He leaned over the table to whisper in my ear. " And don't bring the blonde. " He stood up and made his way to the mall door. Rachel dragged me back to JC Penny with a glare on her face and forced me to try on every single one of the clothes she found. I smiled all the way through the torture, thinking only of Raph and not of the tight pants Rachel was helping me pull on.

   The next day, I walked with Jake and Marco to the small brick building called school. Many kids walked down long corridors, mini doors down one hall, regular doors down the other. Jake took me down the mini door hall, other humans opening the doors and shutting after taking bound paper out of the confines of the doors. Jake walked up to one door, opened it, and pulled many papers out. " These aren't doors, if you’re going to ask.” Marco walked to another door and magically pulled more papers out and joined us as we walked down the long hallway with regular doors. Many males walked by us, whistling as they looked up and down my body. I tried not to make eye contact, staring down at the floor nervously. " Samantha!" I looked up to see Raph quickly walking down the hall, bumping into almost everyone with his muscular body. " I didn't know you went here! " Jake looked confused, glancing at me. Jake turned his attention to Raph. " How do you know Samantha? " Raph told him about the mall, and that he invited me to the fair. Jake straightened his green shirt and shorts. Marco frowned, disappointed that Raph asked me first. Raph wrapped an arm around my shoulders. " We still on for tonight? Remember, my treat. " I nodded and Raph asked what my first class was. I turned to Jake, Jake telling me Biology. Raph's face lit up. " Mine too! May I be your escort? " I nodded and he led me through all the hallways until he led me into a class called 203 Biology.

   We walked in side by side, picking a table next to Jake and Marco. It was a hard class. Hard to fake that I did not know all of the answers. Soon, class was over, and lunch was the next class. Jake paid for my food, a small sandwich and salad he called it. I sat by Raph, Jake and Marco following me everywhere as they sat down by me and listened to my conversation with Raph. " What do you like best about this school so far, Samantha? " Raph asked me as I sipped my water in a styrofoam cup. I had to think of that for a moment. Cassie and Rachel sat at the table also. Raph refused to make eye contact with anyone except me. I told him my favorite is probably the different people here. He laughed. " Yeah, there are some crazy people here. A little too crazy if you ask me. Anyway, see you tonight. " He shoved the rest of his cake into his mouth and picked his tray up and walked to the trash bin and walked out the door. Jake turned to me. " What are you thinking, Estril? You can't go out with some guy tonight. Your parents will go berserk! Where will you go anyway? " I glared at him. " Why? So you can tell them and they will follow me everywhere? I do not apply to that plan. " I folded my arms like a spoiled child and looked away. Jake glared. " No, because we don't want you to die a Controller! " He had to whisper, making it easier to ignore him. I stood up and threw my waste away and walked to of the lunchroom. I had to demorph. I walked to the female bathroom, picking a large stall and demorphed. I heard someone walk in. " Estril? Is that you? " Cassie! I answered. < Yes, it is me. I am demorphing. > Cassie told me to hurry and meet the gang outside. I hurried and stepped out of the stall just as my stalk eyes disappeared into my human head.

   I stepped out into the bright sunlight, not a cloud in the sky. Trees dotted the long lawn of the school, humans lying under them for protection from the orange sun. The Animorphs sat under the tree farthest from the school. I could see a red tailed hawk circling the school. I knew they had mother and father here but where was the question. I was frustrated that they were unhappy with Raph. I walked back in, the halls empty, and heard footsteps behind he. I looked back and Raph was running up to me. " What's wrong, Samantha? " I told that Jake was unhappy with our relationship. Raph glared, the muscles in his neck bulging out. " Is that stuck up guy trying to hurt you or something? Past boyfriend? Another cousin? " I shook my head, wanting to tell him that I was an alien and that Jake was an Animorph. " No, I know him another way, another way entirely. " He grasped my hand, his eyes sad. " How do you know him? " I told him that I could not tell him, but assured him that it was not a physical relationship. He seemed satisfied, but still troubled. " Hey, what does this word mean to you? Yeerk. " My eyes widened. I looked up at him. " How do you know that name?! " I practically shouted. He backed away. " I was a Controller once. I only tell that to deep friends, and they tell someone else and soon it becomes so bad, that you become a geek. But I trust you, and I hope that you won't tell anyone. " I sighed, wondering if I could tell him my deep secret. He ran a hand down my back like Aximili did to my mother. The school bell rang for the end of class. He smiled and told me he would pick me up at seven at the address I gave him, and he reminded me not to tell anyone and poked the tip of my nose with his finger. I laughed and waved as he drove off in his yellow Mustang.

   I stood in Cassie's living room, Cassie glaring at me, still mad at what I was going to do. Cassie's parents started a conversation. " So, Samantha, are you a friend of Cassie's? " I nodded. " Do you go to her school? " I told them most of the time. I heard a honk outside the front of the house. Cassie smiled and got up to open the door for me. " See you later! Have fun! Don't get into too much trouble! " She patted me on the back and sent me on my way. I sat in the car with Raph, fooling with the knobs and buttons on the radio. " Now for the weather... R-E-S-P-C-T! Find out what it means to me... I saddled up my horse and I rode into the city. I made a lot of noise, 'cause the girls they are so pretty. " Raph sang along with the last song I tuned to, so I left it on and stared out of the window. Raph stopped singing and turned to me. " What's wrong? " He turned the music down and wrapped an arm around my shoulder as he stared out of the front window. I kept my gaze away from his as I stared out of the window. " Did they mention anything about something called Andalites? " His eyes widened. " Why? Were you a Controller once? " I shook my head and lied that my father talked about them. Raph nodded. " I got away when they attacked the Yeerk pool in Target. They looked so cool! One had an electric blade. Sweet stuff it did with that thing. Slice a Hork-Bajir down the middle. " I whispered thank you. " What? " I laughed and told him nothing. He cursed as we drove into traffic lined up for miles just to get in. " Anyway, I was a Controller that got to hang around with this Andalite Controller, Visser Three. The Yeerk in my head watched as the days went by and counted how many people he killed. The Yeerk almost got to twenty one day. Once he captured a female Andalite and... We'll just say he gave her a kid. He's still looking for her, the kid I mean, and he almost caught her until her mother and fake father came with five other Andalites. There were other female Andalites on board the ship he found, and he kept only one of his own sons to stand by him and give the older female Andalite a kid and a tracker inside of her. They still don't know if the baby is born yet, but every night during midnight, the tracker glows, making it easy for Visser to find her on a scanner, but something’s beaming in on he frequency. All they know is that she lives right around the area where your house is, so watch out for four Andalites. They're blue, and they- " I cut him off, telling him that we were close to the gates of the fair and to get the paper money out. He nodded and patted his pocket, telling me he had it. " I know what they look like, Raph. " He looked confused. " How? You seen 'em? " I shook my head. I looked out the window, Raph still asking me how I know of my own species. I made sure that no one was watching our small Mustang and looked Raph in the eyes as I demorphed.

   His eyes widened as my lavender fur appeared on my neck and arms, my stalk eyes growing out of my head. I stopped there before my human mouth disappeared. " You're the female! " I shook my head and morphed to my human form. " No, I am Visser's daughter. " He smiled and laughed. " No wonder! Acting funny around food, the way the ice cream smeared on your face! " His arm tightened around my shoulder as I joined him laughing. The gate man asked for money and Raph gave him paper and metal pieces. The gate swung open and Raph drove inside, still chuckling to himself while he maneuvered the automobile into a parking spot. He stepped out and opened my door. I stepped out myself and tucked my arm around his. He was dressed in a black shirt that said " Dressed to Kill ", baggy jeans covering the lower half of his body. I straightened my black shirt and bell-bottoms as Rachel called it. He did not speak of Andalites any more as we made our way through the crowds of people waiting for food and games. Raph turned to me, looking me straight in the eyes. " Wanna ride the Ferris Wheel? Nice and quiet. " He winked and I blushed. " I guess I do, but how about we obtain food first? " He laughed and got me a slice of pizza. I chewed the greasy food and listened to Raph speak quietly about the Yeerks plans to kill my family. " Anyway, enough about me, what about your family? Is the baby born yet? " I swallowed the last of my pizza and stood up, letting Raph clean my face. " No. My father is very loving of - Ow! " I slapped my neck and looked at my hand. A small black speck lay just on my index finger. I showed the speck of black to Raph. " It's a flea." My eyes widened. " My parents might be closer than we thought. " I poked the flea, and a small telepathic cry came from the flea. " Marco! How dare you! " Raph's eyes widened as Marco's voice came from the flea. < Officer down! > The flea's legs wiggled and grew as Marco demorphed. I ran behind one of the wooden booths and let the growing flea down on the ground. Soon, Marco stood in front of us in his morphing suit. " Marco? Dude, when things can't get any weirder! " Raph slapped Marco in the shoulder. " So the Andalite bandits are humans with morphing powers! Sweet!" Marco stepped away from Raph and glared at me.

   " Who else is on me Marco? " I asked him for the fourth time, Raph holding him down on the ground by sitting on him. Marco coughed. " Okay, okay! Everyone is! Your mom and dad set it up, so blame them. And get the heck of me! Feels like a truck or two made their house on my back!" Raph thanked him and stood up. He looked me in the eyes. " Can we go on the Ferris Wheel? I've been dying to." I glared at Marco. " Yes, as soon as Marco gets my family off me. “ He made me turn around and plucked six fleas off my back. I thanked him, and of course he came up with a smart remark. " What, no tip? Ow! Who bit me? " I took Raph's hand in mine and let him lead me to the Ferris wheel. He told me funny stories of what Visser did when he did not win a battle against my family, and soon we were in a swinging cart on a circle that went around. We sat at the very top of the tall wheel. My human body did not feel well, stomach juices welling up in my throat. Raph wrapped his arm around me. " Man this is great! Anyway, who else are the Andalite bantits? " I told him the names of everybody that had the morphing powers. " Maybe I can get my father to give you the morphing power. " Raphs eyes widened. " Really? " I nodded and cuddled closer to him. " Maybe, but it is a big hassle. I mean, there is a- Oh no! " I forgot the limit! I only had five minutes in morph! I begged the man controlling the big wheel to get me down, but he laughed and made the cart go past him. I turned to Raph. " I need to demorph! " I started to demorph as the cart stopped in midair. The fur on my body appeared and my front legs sprouted out of my chest. Raph kept my body out of sight from people wanting to look in our booth. I was in my original form and I started to remorph, tired and ready to go home. My stalk eyes sucked back into my head just as the man opened our booth and screamed as my human digestive juices sprayed from my mouth onto his shoes. Raph held the blanket around my shoulders by wrapping his arm around me as he drove me home. I felt horrible, wanting to go home to my family. Raph ran a hand up and down my back, making me feel better. I laid my head on his shoulder. " I am sorry. I just need to get home and rest. " He stopped in front of Cassie's home. I unlatched the door. " Wait! " I turned to Raph in surprise. " You said I could get morphing powers. How about now? " I explained that my family is not used to visitors, and if my father thought he was a Controller, he would dispose of his life. Raph's eyes widened. " Whoa. Well, see you later. " I walked into the woods, straight to the scoop to see that my family was not home. I switched the T.V on and demorphed, soon falling asleep to the soft sounds of the box.

   < Estril, no. Do not ask me again. > I begged Father, wanting him to let another Animorph into the gang, but he refused to make such a decision without his prince by his side. Mother sat in the back of the scoop, listening to us argue and watching T.V with a sad look on her beautiful face. He offered that he would give me the morphing cube if Jake approved. I nodded, telling him that I was going to feed. He nodded and walked over to Mother, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Mother lying her head on Fathers with a sigh. I walked out, making sure that my parents could not see me, and I morphed sea gull. I flew over Jake's house, trying to peak in the windows and find his room. A small blinking light came from one of the rooms, a young male sitting in front of the source of the light, a small television screen, holding a plastic object in his hands. < Jake! > The male looked out the window, surprised. He opened the window and peaked his head out. His hair was darker than Jake's, facial features looking much older, and much meaner. He glared, whispering Andalite under his breath, and raced out of his room. I banked left and looked into the room next to it. Jake was sitting up in bed, the older male talking to him, his hands in fists. Jake looked out the window and saw me. He glared with hatred at me stronger than anything I have seen before. He turned back to the older male and yelled for his parents, bluffing that ' Tom ' was going to give him a ' swirly ' of some sort. The older male glared, and walked out of the room, swearing. Jake waited and motioned for me to go into his room. He raised the window. I flew in smoothly and landed on a wooden chair. Jake had to whisper. " What in the name of the devil were you thinking?! He's a Controller and he almost killed me! " I said I was sorry. < Jake, Father needs you to Cassie's barn quickly. > His eyes widened and his arms quickly formed to wings.

   " What's this about, Ax? " My family, Cassie, and Jake were out in the red barn, Cassie's parents out looking for medical remedies. Father told him about my dilemma, Jake staring intently on Father's face, then sighing after he heard the whole story. He turned to me, a small glare on his face. " Estril, you know we can't do that! We can't just pick up people we think are nice and give them the morphing power! Anyway, Raph almost killed someone because they just took his hat off his head. I don't think we need another Rachel on the scene, we have two. Rachel and you, both equally bloodthirsty and equally ruthless. " My eyes widened, hurt by what Jake had said to me. I glared back at him, my tail twitching, wanting to slice deep into his chest. Jake laughed. " See? We don't need another you. " My tail quickly was at Jake's throat. < Be quiet, human! I do not care if you are Father's prince, I will kill you as I would a Yeerk. > He only stood there, looking bored as if he had seen this before. I dug my tail into his neck lightly, sending a small shock of electricity through his body. He slightly jerked, but laughed as he pulled my tail out of his neck and threw it back over my shoulder. " You know that won't work. I'm the leader! You kill me, you all fail and get taken over by the Yeerks, a little slug in your head that will take over forever and ever. " I did not care. I pulled the muscles in my tail, and Jake's head rolled across the floor of the barn, his body falling over and blood squirting everywhere.

   Cassie wailed, screaming at the top of her pitiful human lungs and falling to her knees and holding Jake's cold dead hand. I just glared, not caring about the male I have just killed. I grew cold inside, enjoying the blood as it circled around my hooves, Mother and Father moving out of the blood's path. Cassie cried, Mother walking over to comfort her, her stalk eyes glaring at me. Father stood, staring at Jake's body, then to me, thinking what am I to do without a prince, and that I was the blame, his own half daughter. I just walked out of the barn, not caring who saw me. I morphed bird and flew until I spotted Raph's car, parked in front of a green house. I demorphed in the woods behind the house and remorphed to human wearing a red shirt and black jeans. I walked up to the front door, a hard glare still on my face. Raph opened the door. " Samantha! Why are you here? " I told him that I killed Jake and I wanted to spend a little time here. He looked surprised, also pleased at my blood thirst. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me inside his home. The walls of his living room were a light green, a window on the right facing the road. A small table crowded the big green chair that was hiding half the window view, a green couch opposite of the chair facing the window, and a small table holding a primitive looking gray computer. A young female sat in a gray chair facing the computer, her back to us, gray hair blazing down her back. She heard him come in and turned. Her face was haggard, older than what I thought, her hard icy blue stare sending chills down my back. She smiled at me. " Now, who's this pretty little lady? " I looked to Raph for support. He grinned at the woman. " Mom, this is Samantha. She's an Andalite! "

   The mother smiled and made her face look ten years younger. " Oh, good! Never had an Andalite come here, just those nasty slugs! " The female quickly turned the computer off and ran into the kitchen, telling me to follow her. Raph sat at a shiny wooden table, pulling up a soft chair for me. The mother told us she was warming up some hot dogs, which I had no idea what the food would be. Raph licked his lips and spoke to me in his country accent. " Mom makes the best hot dogs! " Then leaned over to whisper in my ear. " Don't worry, my family's Controller free! You're as welcome here as a hot dog is to my lips! " He laughed and I joined in as the female sat a plate of log like pieces of meat and sat herself down. " Yes, you are welcome here anytime you like! I've been waitin' for Raph to get a girl. Hopefully I can get some grandkids before I have to push up daises!" I had no idea what the term meant, but I was disturbed by the sound of myself having children. I stood up and excused myself, having to demorph in the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror, ready to demorph, but something gray caught my eye in the oval container with a long section of clothing hanging off on side, also called a bath tub. I quickly turned, seeing nothing and turned back to the mirror. I sighed, reassuring myself that no one was here, and finished my morph.

   I walked back to the kitchen, Raph smiling upon my return. " Mom'll treat us to swimming. Wanna go? Mom'll lead ya her pretty suit." I nodded, Raph cheering while the female quickly fetched her ' suit '. I sat at the table, refusing to eat the logs of meat. The female told me to come into her room. I followed her voice and walked into the dark red room. She showed me two pieces of yellow clothes, the top like two human bowls tied together and tied around the human back, the bottom I cannot explain. She helped me slip into the clothes. I felt bare, the clothes only covering one third of my thin, frail human body. I walked out, Raph making a loud whistle sound with his mouth. He made me spin, showing the front and back of my body, his mother hitting him on the side of the head when he told me to bend over and touch my toes. Raph drove me to the pool, a large body of water full of primitive chemicals. The female also let me borrow a large blue shirt to cover the suit, which I learned was called a bathing suit. Raph had baggy red shorts he called swimming trunks and a tight red shirt showing all of his muscles in his human chest. The yellow Mustang parked in front of a large building, the smell of chemicals quickly filling my senses as I stepped out of the car. Raph wrapped an arm around my shoulders as a group of half a dozen males eyed my human body. We stepped inside, Raph paying with paper to enter the pool. He let me walk in the female bathroom and demorph so I could have exactly two hours of swimming. I sighed and walked out of the stall after I demorphed and remorphed to human. I looked in the mirror, seeing the gray figure of a man, just staring behind me. I quickly walked out, Raph leading the way to the pool, an arm around my shoulder.

   I cuddled next to Raph, afraid of all the humans in very little clothing, mostly females. The group of males were still looking me over. Raph let his shirt lay on the bench, myself trying to take mine off my body, Raph having to help me. He slipped into the water, holding his hands out, urging me to dip myself in the cold water. I slowly slipped in, shaking at the coldness of the water. I drifted and felt my head go under the surface. Raph quickly swam over to me, bringing my head above the water. " Okay, that'll kill ya. You brush your legs back and forth." I watched and copied his leg movements, quickly falling back into the water. He insisted that I go to shallow water. The depth of the water was five feet, my human feet touching the hard floor of the pool without my head under the water. ". Raph told me he had to use the restroom. I nodded, Raph getting out of the water. I swam into four feet of water. " Hey, girlie! Wanna swim with me? " I turned to look to the spot I was seconds before. The six males stood around me, encircling me.

   I glared at them, cursing. They just laughed at me as the circle got smaller. A tall male with long blond hair and blue trunks stepped out of the circle, grabbed my shoulders, and spun me to face him. " Hey, pretty lady, you with Raphael? He's not good enough for you, too mean, too ugly, too covered! He's not good enough to give you the stuff I can give you, girl, and I mean the good stuff. " The rest of the man ohhed and laughed as he slid a hand down my shoulder, making the sting on my shoulder fall off and almost expose my chest. I did not understand the rules of the female body, so I let it fall. His eyes widened and he laughed. " So, you don't care huh?" He placed his hand on my other shoulder, threatening to expose my upper body. He slowly let the string fall, the bowls of my top falling. Raph stepped out of the bathroom, stopped and cursed, starting over to me in a slow run. The males laughed, whistling loudly, swimming around to get a glimpse of the front of my body. " Get down, Samantha! " I watched as Raph yelled at me to dunk my head under water, but I was afraid I would die of too much water in my human lungs. Raph quickly jumped in the water and wrapped his arms me, my chest pressed against his. I asked him what was wrong. " Well, what he just did was very bad, ok? Your chest is not supposed to- " He gurgled as he was dunked under the water by the male in the blue trunks and blond hair. " Come on, baby! Slip them bottoms off and get a taste of Justin!" His hands disappeared under the water and lay on my hips. I learned that my chest was bad, and I was guessing that the bottoms had something to hide also. I quickly kicked him where his legs connect to his body. He cried out and backed away from me. I covered my arms around my chest. Raph finally popped out from under the water, smiling. " Nice kick!" He reached for my top and slipped in on my body, tying it in back and helping me out of the water.

   He laughed all the way to his home as I told him the full story. " Yeah, sorry about Justin. He's what we humans call mentally challenged, or retarded." He stopped in front of Cassie's home. " So, are ya going home or staying with me?" I thought over the possibilities. " Well, if I go home, I will be dishonored by Andalite standards. My father will be a wreck, knowing that someone that lived in his scoop killed his own prince. My mother will probably turn solitary, not wanting anyone to touch or see her, and... I will stay with you, knowing that I will be hated by my own family. " Raph nodded, a far away look in his eyes. He smiled. " Hey, want to go to the beach? " I nodded and he sped off to the sandy shore of the beach. I sat in the car, listening to the radio wail and scream. I noticed the clock in my head. " I need to demorph. “ I started to get out of the car, but Raph placed a hand on the side of my head and pressed his lips on my cheek. I looked surprised and he explained that what he did was a sign that he loved me. I smiled and kissed him back. His eyes widened and he rubbed his cheek. " Hey, wannna see another way to show love? " I nodded. He leaned over and his lips met mine. He let me get in the car and he kissed me again on the lips, his hand wrapped around my head. I lost track of time, finally laying back against the car seat. " Magical, Raph, magical what your race can do with mouths." He nodded, telling me to go and demorph. I stood behind a dune of sand and demorphed. Nothing happened, and I focused on my original form, but nothing happened. It dawned on me as soon as I sat back in the car, my eyes wide. Raph noticed the look on my face and asked what was wrong. " I cannot demorph. I am a nothlit."
                                                            ***

     I stood over the hot, steamy stove, cooking Ramen noodles for Raphael, listening to the latest attack of animals in the area, which I knew was my family and the others attacking the mall's Target. I felt strong arms around my human waist, a chin on my left shoulder. " Hey, you asking your parents to the wedding?" My eyes widened and I looked at the loud radio explaining what animals were there. It has been a month since I have talked with my family. I looked down at my engagement ring on my ring finger on my right hand that was stirring Raphael’s noodles. " Yes, I intend to, but they might not be happy about my stage in life." The night Raph took me to the beach and found out I was a nothlit, he jumped on the fact that I was able to wed him. The next day he offered me a ring and asked me to wed him. I could not say no, for I would be homeless if I did not. I stayed in his home with his elderly mother who was taking care of all of us, Raphael working as a successful electrician to bring food to the table, myself a manager for the Wal-Mart on the corner. Listening to the radio was one of my favorite human things to do along with my job and eating.

    Raphael’s breath stopped, but he did not fall to the hard linoleum floor. " Raphael? " I slightly turned my head to the left and saw Raphael standing there, his lips ready to press against my neck. The blinking box also stopped, the reporter silent and frozen on the screen. " Raphael! " I pried his warm hands from my waist, his body still stood like I was there, ready for his warm lips to be placed on my neck. " He is not dead, Estril, just frozen in time. " I turned and saw a man, his skinny body draped with ripped, gray clothing. His cold gray eyes stared me down, making me want to be frozen in time myself. I stood in a gray tank top that had black stripes running horizontally in the design, black sweatpants covering my long legs. The man laughed, a sound that filled the universe. " Your father never told you about me? I helped him and the Animorphs through many times." I shook my head and he laughed again, sitting himself down in a chair at the dinning room table and motioning me to sit. I sat, not wanting to upset him. " I am the Ellimist, Ruler of time and space." He told me many stories about how he helped my family and the others. I sighed, letting my left elbow rest on the table, letting my fingers rub my forehead. " But why are you here? I am happy, Raphael and I are to be wed soon, and-" His hand raised, telling me to be quiet. His face grew cold, hard. " I am here to take you back in time to when you were fighting to give Raphael powers, to have a blade to protect thy self." Yes, I did miss my tail, but I will not lose my husband to be. I closed my eyes, sad, wanting to cry like humans did when they were sad. I felt my self jump slightly, and my eyes shot up, my main eyes. The Ellimist smiled, happy at his work. I ran a hand up my arm, my lavender fur soft to the touch. I glared at him through all four eyes. < Monster! Change me back! I do not want to be with my family if I will be disgraced! > My tail was quickly at his throat, knowing if I let my temper boil over, he would be dead. He kept smiling, laughing even, and I got dizzy as he ran his hand over my blade, the electricity form my blade making small lightning bolts form from his long, dainty fingers. I let my main eyes close, going into a deep sleep.

                                                     ***

My tail was quickly at Jake's throat. < Be quiet, human! I do not care if you are father's prince, I will kill you as I would a Yeerk! > He only stood there, looking bored as if he had seen this before. I dug my tail into his neck lightly, sending a small shock of electricity through his body. He slightly jerked, but laughed as he pulled my tail out of his neck and threw it back over my shoulder. " You know that won't work. I'm the leader! You kill me, you all fail and get taken over by the Yeerks, a little slug in your head that will take over forever and ever. " I stopped myself before time repeat it's self. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling him jump in surprise. I let him go quickly, my cheeks growing hot. < Yes, Jake. I understand your decision. > He nodded and morphed to go back home. Father led my family home, running with Mother on his left and myself at his right.

                                                                        The End