Michael

Her name is Tifa.

She was a very pretty girl. And probably one of the most popular girls in school. She had nearly every guy asking her on dates and to dances.

But I had an advantage over the other guys. Me and Tifa had been friends since nearly the first day I moved here. So I thought it would be a little bit easier for me. So I decided to take a shot at it.

I saw Tifa over at her locker. Alone.

I went over to her. "Hi Tifa. What's up?"

"Oh hi Michael. Nothing much. You?"

"Oh nothing much. Do you think we could go on a date this Friday? You know go to the movie or something." I asked.

"I'd like that Michael." Tifa replied.

Oh yes. This is too good. I thought to myself.

"But I've already got a date with Sean" She said. "You know him right. He's your friend I think. Sorry about that."

"Yeah. It's OK. Maybe some other time." I said.

We both went our separate ways and I was feeling pretty glum.

Now where was I? Oh yeah. I can't tell you my last name. Or where I live. You wanna’ know? Well I'm not going to tell you. Why not? Because I'm hoping to live long enough to get a date.

Here's the thing you need to know: earth is being invaded. Not like in Independence Day or Mars Attacks. The alien species I'm talking about aren't some little green men from mars. Or aliens that have tentacles all over there bodies.

These aliens need other bodies to survive. They are called Yeerks.

They are parasitic slugs in they're own body. They are like tapeworms. But instead of infesting your stomach, they take over your brain.

They take over your body and mind. They read your thoughts like reading a book. They have complete control over your body. They could be anyone. Your family. Your friends. Anyone.

They have already conquered the Hork-Bajir, Taxxons, Gedds, Ssstram, Makk. Now they are moving in on the human race. They are also trying to take the Leeran race but having trouble because the Leerans are psychic.

And who is resisting these alien slugs? Well up in space there are the Andalites. But they are at least 2 years from getting here. But here on earth there are only us, the Animorphs.

First there's Jake. The unofficial leader of the Animorphs. He’s the kind of kid that if you were surrounded by enemies, you would look to him and ask what to do. And he would have an answer.

Then there's Rachel. Have you ever known somebody that seems to have a hidden spotlight on them always? That’s Rachel. She looks like the kind of person that would appear on the cover of one of those fashion magazines.

Now there's Cassie. She's the mother nature, tree hugger of the group. She hasn't met an animal that didn't like and she hasn't met a dress that she cared about. She's also Rachel's best friend.

And last of the humans in the group, there's Marco. He's the joker of the group. He's always joking around or teasing. But he's the one that notices the things that everyone misses. Marco's Jake's best friend. They've been friends since they were in diapers.

Then there's Tobias. Tobias is a red tailed hawk with the mind of a human. You see, there's one drawback to the morphing technology. If you stay in morph for more than 2 hours, you stay in that morph forever. That's what happened to Tobias. But he got his morphing powers back from the Ellemist so now he can morph. But to acquire an animal you have to be in your own true form. And as sad as it is, the hawk is Tobias's true form now.

There's also Ax. And Ax isn't human at all. Ax is an Andalite. If you haven’t seen and Andalite, which of course you haven’t, an Andalite looks like a centaur with a scorpion tail, blue fur, the extra stalk eyes on top of his head, and no mouth. Andalites speak through thought speak since they don't have mouths.

Then there's Anna. She's a Navarazzi. The Navarazzi's are a race of gargoyle-like creatures with big fangs and cat eyes. The Navarazzi's have shifter technology. It enable them to pass as humans. But Anna had a small accident with Ax. When she was a controller, Ax cut her eye and gave her a scar and made it so she couldn't change her eyes to human eyes when she is in human shift.

And last of all, me. I'm not quite human either. But I'm not Andalite or Navarazzi. I'm part of a species called the Maheek.

We look like Hork-Bajir with wings and spikes coming out from our knuckles. And every Maheek is different in ways. Like I have blue scales and a tail exactly like an Andalite's. Plus my eyes are different from a humans, the color of my eyes is complete black and the pupils are red. Like the Navarazzi, we have the shifting technology. Actually our races share planets and technology with each other.

Well now I bet you're wondering how we got these powers.

Well to make a long story short. Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, and Marco found a dying Andalite prince named Elfangor and he warned them about the Yeerk invasion. Then he gave them the power to morph.

It was there that the original Animorphs watched as the Yeerk Visser 3 murder Elfangor.

Visser 3 morphed into some far off beast and ate Elfangor. Yes morphed. You see there are millions of Hork-Bajir controllers and Millions of Taxxon controllers. But there is only 1 Andalite controller. And along with the Andalite body he has the power to morph.

Visser 3.

Then he and his troops annihilated all traces of Elfangor's ship.

I was walking away from Amy, shaking my head when I saw Rachel down the hall. She looked at me and as she passed she said "Meet at Cassie's barn after school"

Something about the way she said it made me shiver. Something was up.

Uh oh. We've got trouble. Michael said.

Yeah, something's up. Mikili said

Hey. Is that you Tobias? I called up in tele-speech. Tele-speech is like thought speech only you can use it in human form.

<Who else would be riding the thermals above the school. I'm waiting for Rachel. She said she'd meet me up here.> Tobias replied.

OK, cool. Can you tell me if there's anybody around? I asked.

<Yeah there's 2 kids about 10 minutes away but nobody can see you.>

Thanks.

I started to shift. But not all the way. The first thing that happened was my eyes changed from being brown to being black and my pupils turned red.

Then my huge bat-wings sprooted out of my shoulder blades.

Sproot! Sproot!

That was all I wanted to change. I folded my wings around my body and went over to the patch of woods past the field and waited for Rachel. In about 4 minutes I watched a bald eagle take flight.

I decided it was time for me to fly. I tested my wings and took off.

I caught up to Rachel and Tobias in about a minute. I came up from behind Rachel and I guess I surprised her.

<Yaah! Oh. It's only you Michael. Don't sneak up on me like that.> Rachel said.

Sorry. So where are we going again?

<We're going to Cassie's barn. Jake and Ax found something but I don't know yet.> Tobias said. <We'll be there soon.>

I became fully human and walked into the barn. Tobias, Rachel, and Cassie were there. Cassie was trying to get a fox to take it's pills. Tobias was perched on Rachel’s shoulder and Rachel was talking to Tobias.

"Where's everybody?" I asked.

"Where is prince Jake and Marco? Mar. Coh. Arco. Co." Ax asked. Ax tends to like playing with sounds when he is in human morph. Because Andalites don't have mouths in their true form. So they're normal speech is thought speech. Also the sense of taste for an Andalite is overwhelming. Ax will eat almost anything. He loves Chocolate. M&M's. Cinnamon buns. Popcorn. The paper boxes popcorn comes in. And many other things. I swear, he once drank engine oil.

"They're not here yet." I said.

I crawled up to the hayloft and lied down there while I waited.

"Marco. Marco. Marco. Spiderman could never beat Batman. Think body-armor. The webbing wouldn't stick to body-armor." I heard Jake say.

"So? Can Batman cling to walls? No. And Spiderman would just use his super spider strength." I heard Marco this time.

Sometimes I think what Jake and Marco argue about is so dumb and pointless.

Everyone waited while Anna was getting there. Anna got there about three minutes after Marco and Jake.

"OK. So now that everyone's here. What did you and Ax find?" Rachel asked.

"My fellow Animorphs. Ax and I have found a new entrance to the Yeerk pool." Jake said.

"Yeah, that's where Tobias was stuck in hawk morph." Rachel said.

<And where we met the Ellemist for the first time.> Tobias mentioned.

"And where I became a controller for three days" Anna added.

"Look. I know no one wants to go back down there. But Ax and I found out that the Yeerks are working on a more advanced dracon beam." Jake said.

"It is supposedly called-- Supposedly. The "p" in supposedly makes a funny tickle on the tongue. Well anyway. It's supposed to be called the "change dracon". It fires an energy pulse that will render it's target helpless and force it to demorph." Ax said. "It is only in the test stages but should be in production in about a month. Maybe less."

"Well that's just perfect. If that new dracon beam works out that'll be the ball game. It'll be as if they could see right through our morphs and know were human." Marco said.

<And anyway’s. How would we get down there? The mole tunnel's gone. It collapsed.> Tobias said.

Everyone looked at Tobias.

<Hey. A few days after we went there in mole morph I checked to see if it was still there if we needed to use it some other time. It wasn't. So I guessed it caved in.> Tobias said.

"OK. So the mole tunnel's out and how would we get Michael and Anna in there?" Jake said.

"We could use the entrance at the mall. In the Gap store." Anna said.

I guess everyone had forgotten about that entrance.

"Well that would work also. But we can't have any controllers that were there last time see her. They might've seen her shift." Jake said. "But other than that we could all morph to fly and hop on their shoulders."

We all thought about that for a moment and agreed on that.

"As much as I hate it down there we have to try to destroy the Yeerks new weapon." Cassie said.

I could tell that everyone was reluctant about going back down. But Cassie was right. We had to stop whatever new dracon beam weapon production. Or they'd know we're human.

So we waited out the rest of the week without much trouble. That is until it was Friday.

I was in the lunch line and a group of kids a grade higher than me pushed me out of the way. As in pushed me into a table full of food. And it was at times like that when I regretted having a temper.

I went back to the line and kicked the kid that pushed me and held him against the ground. Someone else in the gang picked me up and held me against the wall. That's when my eyes started to glow.

"Hey! What's wrong with you kid! We're gonna’ kick your sorry.....What the?" The kid that was holding me said.

I growled and opened the kids hand for him. I dropped to the ground and got back in line like nothing happened.

Unfortunately Jake was a few kids behind me and saw everything that happened.

I got my lunch and sat at a table. Jake came a few minutes later and decided to lecture me.

"What were you doing? What would've happened if that kid was a controller?" Jake hissed.

"What? Do you think I wanted to make my eyes glow? I was angry and that's what happens when you anger a Maheek. That and their fangs come out." I said as I opened my mouth. Revealing my fangs. I made my fangs slide back in and my eyes shift to human eyes.

"I'm just saying what do you think would happen if that guy was a controller? He would tell Visser 3 and you wouldn't be able to go back to school, go home or anything. Just like David." Jake said with a waver in his voice.

I had heard what happened to David. David was the new Animorph but he became a traitor. They deliberately made him a nothlit, a person trapped in morph, as a rat. Not something they wanted to remember.

"OK. I'm sorry, but I can't control Maheek instincts all the time. That's what a Maheek does when it becomes angry." I said.

I saw Rachel and Cassie sit at the table next to ours.

"By the way. Are you ready for tomorrow?" Jake asked.

"Why wouldn't I be? I mean I'll get to kick some butt on Yeerks." I said.

"Well let me tell you something. It's hell down there. And we are not only going down there to destroy the weapon. We will also try to get as many humans out of there as possible." Jake whispered. "Down there is the jackpot of Hork-Bajir and Taxxons. All armed with dracon beam or just plain blades. There will also be human controllers. So don't get cocky. That's a lot of ways to get shot by dracon beam. And some may be armed with the change dracon. So try to take out anybody that has the change dracon. It wouldn't do anything to you or Anna. But it would show the Yeerks that we're human."

Suddenly I didn't feel so cocky about going down to the Yeerk pool.

"Well we have 5 minutes. I'll play you a quick game of DOOM." I offered Anna.

"OK. It's better than just sitting here."

I put in the coins and hit the 2 player button. We both grabbed a joystick and the game started.

After a few minutes She finished me off with a well aimed rocket. "How much practice do you get on this game? Because you really know your way around a joystick." I complemented. Then we left.

I went in first to find 6 flies zipping around the stall.

Is that you guys? I asked in tele-speech.

<Who else would you know that would be zipping around the stall-to-the-Yeerk-pool?> Marco said.

OK. Now how do I open it? I asked.

<Try pushing it.> Rachel said.

I pushed the wall and it opened up. All of a sudden I was blasted with a really bad smell.

Oooh. That does not exactly smell like a rose. Mikili said.

I agree. That smells like someone forgot to flush. Michael said.

6 flies hopped on my shoulders and I walked down the foul-smelling passageway and waited.

About 4 minutes later Anna came through the doorway. I heard screams coming from down the passageway.

I started walking down the passageway and what I saw will burn into my nightmares forever.

I saw a vast cavern with a purplish light coming from it. And all around the cavern I saw cages full of humans and Hork-Bajir. Temporarily free from their Yeerks. I finally got to the bottom of the stairs and went behind a shed that was concealed.

OK. everyone off. We're behind a shed and nobody can see us. I said in tele-speech.

I saw 6 flies fly off my shoulders and land. I watched as they slowly became human. It was a pretty disgusting sight all together. I walked out from behind the shed and looked around.

I saw a large pool with water the color of lead. I saw 2 piers and I saw humans, Hork-Bajir and Taxxons. As I watched a human stick his head over the pool and I saw a Yeerk slither out of his ear. It hit the water with a small plop.

I looked away. I saw a heavily guarded compound sort of shed. It was fairly big. That must be where they're making the change dracon I thought.

I walked back behind the shed and saw the finishing touches on everyone’s battle morphs. Jake was in his tiger morph. Rachel was in grizzly morph. Marco was a gorilla. Cassie was a wolf. Tobias was Tobias. Ax was Ax. And Anna was fully Navarazzi. I decided it was my turn to change.

In a few minutes I was fully Maheek. Everyone was ready for a fight.

The compound where they're hiding the change dracon is about 8 sheds to your left. I said. Follow me.

I started walking toward the compound and everyone followed. I saw the compounds steel walls and got ready. I refilled my venom sacks.

<Everyone ready?> Jake said.

<Let's do it!> Rachel said.

Marco groaned. <Now you know there's going to be trouble.>

<What's the signal?> Tobias asked.

You'll see. I said with a smile.

I jumped on top of the compound and went over to the entrance. I looked down. There were 4 Hork-Bajir. Perfect.

I went a little closer and got ready. Now! I yelled in tele-speech.

I grabbed 2 of the Hork-Bajir and pulled them up top. I threw them into the pool. I watched as a gorilla punched another Hork-Bajir down and it stayed down. I saw a tiger rip out the throat of another Hork-Bajir.

I decided to see how strong a Maheek was then. I stuck my claws into the steel plated roof. I ripped the roof open and saw 3 very unhappy Taxxons armed with dracon beams. And I saw 6 human controllers.

One of the Taxxons had a strange dracon beam. Different from the others. I watched him fire it at Anna. She was blown back against the wall. That’s when I decided to drop in.

I grabbed the Taxxon with the strange dracon which I considered the change dracon. I flew up to the top of the cavern and dropped the Taxxon. I watched it splatter all over the inside of the compound.

The other Taxxons were hungry I guess. We all went over to the human controllers. 3 of them had change dracons.

They fired at me, Tobias, and Anna again. I felt a small pain and it just made me angry. I used my tail and left the three controllers with dracons without dracons. And without hands.

The rest of the controllers were huddling in a corner, shaking.

Where's the change dracon. Tell me before I leave you without a head. I said.

"It's....It's over th...there." One of the scientists said.

I went over to a small table with a change dracon. I brought my tail foreword and destroyed it. That's when the rest of the Hork-Bajir decided to say hello.

<Oh man this is not good. They have us cold.> Marco said.

Wait a minute. How'd they get all these Hork-Bajir in here so fast? The only Hork-Bajir I saw were in the infestation line or in cages. I saw a few that were controllers but not this many. Could this all just be a hologram? I said.

<It is possible. But the only hologram of this many Hork-Bajir is when we were saving the presidents and prime ministers.> Jake said.

<But if we're wrong none of us is getting out of here alive.> Cassie said.

I struck at the closest Hork-Bajir and my tail went strait through it. Ha! We were right. It's all just a hologram. I said.

<But where is the hologram coming from?> Ax asked.

I looked around and saw a small device near one of the controllers. I picked it up and showed it to Ax. Could this be the hologram machine?

Ax looked at it for a few seconds. <Yes. That could be the device producing the hologram.>

Then what do you suppose this would do? I said. I smashed the device with my claws.

All of a sudden the small army of Hork-Bajir wavered and disappeared.

<OK. We did what we came for. Let's leave.> Marco said.

<I agree with Marco.> Rachel said.

I walked outside and felt a pain in my right wing. I looked up and saw a hole the size of a quarter going through it. That when I noticed the real Hork-Bajir. And behind the Hork-Bajir there he was.

Visser 3

<Well, well, well. You seem to have gained another Andalite bandit. We will kill you anyway.> Visser 3 said. <But there is one way you will live. Demorph and I will give you as hosts to my most trusted lieutenants.>

Don't bet on it slug. There's no way you'll have us as hosts for any Yeerk. I said.

<A pity. Then I must kill you all.> He said.

Visser 3 started morphing. The first thing That happened to him is that he quadrupled in size. He was as tall as a telephone poll. Then he grew a mouth with teeth as long as my arm. Very sharp teeth.

<You Andalite bandits must remember this morph. It is the morph I used to destroy your prince Elfangor.> Visser 3 said with a evil smile.

<Oh god......> Cassie moaned.

Next the tail extended and lost the blade. His hoofs melted into 2 legs. Then his arms got big and grew claws. His stalks melted in and his eyes grew huge.

<It's called an Anterian Bogg. Do you like it? Now die!> He yelled.

<Everyone into the compound!> Jake ordered.

Everyone ran into the compound. I looked around again. The controllers were gone.

<Ha ha ha! You think you can hide in there? I will just send in my Hork-Bajir.> Visser 3 said.

<That's it. We're done for.> Cassie said.

I looked around again. I saw a hand held dracon on the table. I remembered then that there weren’t very many controllers walking around. So that must have meant that all the Yeerks were in the pool.

Maybe not I said. There weren’t very many controllers walking around the pool. So that must've meant that they were all in the pool. So what do you think will happen if I shot the dracon into the pool?

<They would all fry. And there must be thousands in there.> Rachel said.

<So what are you thinking? That we can trade? Thousands of Yeerks for all of us? It might work.> Marco said.

<Visser 3 would do it. Sacrificing thousands of Yeerks wouldn't look too good for him in the council of thirteen’s eyes.> Ax said.

Then let's try.

I walked out just a few feet. Just so the Visser could see me and the dracon beam aimed at the pool.

Visser. One move and all your fellow slugs fry. I said. Your move.

<And in return to not killing my fellow Yeerks you would like you and your fellow terrorists let free.>

That's the plan.

<There are thousands of Yeerks in the pool. And I would be demoted and have my Andalite body taken away if I would sacrifice all of them.>

<Good job Michael.> Jake said.

Everyone came out and we went for the stairs.

You guys. There's something not right about this. I said.

Yeah. Visser 3 wouldn't just let us go like this. There's something up. Anna said.

No sooner than she said that, that Visser 3 stuck his long arm out and grabbed me. He picked me off the ground and held me over his open jaws.

I saw Anna start flying toward me and Jake running down the stairs.

Back off you idiots or you'll die like me! I yelled.

Anna flew back to the stairs and Jake ran back up. They both did it reluctantly. Visser 3 dropped me into his open mouth.

AAAHHHHHHHH!! Screamed Michael.

AAAHHHHHHHH!! Screamed Mikili.

AAAHHHHHHHH!! I screamed.

I fell into his open jaws and then everything, everywhere stopped.

"What's the choice?"

"OK" I said. "Any life is better than none"

Jake

I was at his funeral with Marco, Cassie, Anna, Rachel and Ax in human morph. Tobias was perched in a tree.

The only way everyone knew Michael was dead was that when the county police were in a search for him they found lots of blood stains. Later that day they matched Michael’s blood to the blood they found and it matched perfectly.

It wasn't a very big funeral. Not very many people were there. Probably because he just moved here a few weeks ago. For the most part his family was there. They were crying. But it was only because the Yeerks in their heads were making them cry. The Yeerks didn't care if he died. But his real relatives were probably crying their eyes out.

As I listened to some guy talk about how good and nice Michael was, and how good of a life he had, I remembered something Marco said early on when we just started being Animorphs.

Some day we'll all be crying because Jake or Rachel or Cassie or Tobias is dead.

I don't know why that thought came into my mind right then but he was right. We weren't invincible.

I looked around at everyone. Marco looked like he remembered something in it all. It was true. His mom supposedly died and there was no body. Like Michael. There was no body.

Cassie was crying. I knew why. She thought every life was sacred. I guess it was. We didn't know Michael very well, but he was a friend non the less.

Rachel was trying to hold tears in. And seeing Rachel with tears is strange. And I didn't know why exactly she was crying, but I guess everyone was feeling the same way.

Anna was crying also. Probably because they were both sort of from the same species to a same extent. And because he was one of the only alien friends she had near where she lived now.

Ax wasn't crying, he just looked plain. I guess he didn't understand the concept of crying. But I could guess how he was feeling.

Tobias... Well I couldn't tell what Tobias was feeling because there isn't a way that hawks can make facial expressions. But I knew how he was feeling also.

And I was crying I guess. He was a friend and I was the first friend he had since he moved here. Not very close friends I guess but still a friend.

He had saved all our lives a few times. But this time he was killed doing it.

Tobias

"So what do we do now? The Yeerks still have the scientists that know how to make the weapon and Michael's dead. The Yeerks could redesign the weapon in about a week. We only destroyed the prototype." Rachel said.

I don't think we should do anything right now." Jake said. "We need a plan of action before we go down there for a second shot at it. I don't want anybody else to die. We wouldn't be able to afford that kind of a loss and I don't think anybody else could handle it."

<I don't know if anybody else notices this. But if kids just started dying every week. The Yeerks could put 2 and 2 together and know that the "Andalite bandits" aren't Andalites at all. Well most of us aren't.> I said.

Just then I saw a green shimmer over about a mile from the barn. It shimmered for a few seconds and then a boy about our age appeared where the shimmer was.

<Hey you guys. I just saw a shimmer over about a mile north of the barn.> I said. <And now there’s a kid lying there.>

Everybody stared at me like I was crazy.

<Look I know what I saw.> I said defensively

"Well I guess we should go check it out." Jake said with a shrug.

Jared/Michael

I sat up and immediately lied back down again. I was in a pain beyond pain.

I then remembered what happened from that afternoon I died and who I was then.

"So my name’s Jared now?" I asked the Ellemist.

No answer.

I stood up again and this time it didn’t hurt so much. I grabbed my head as I stood up to stop me from throwing up.

I got the picture of my new house in my head again and started off to it.

I guess I won’t have to find them because they found me. I thought.

"Hi guys!" I yelled up to the birds.

They all stared down at me. They started landing near a bunch of rocks. I caught glimpses of feathers melting into skin but nothing much.

I waited while they demorphed. In a few minutes 5 humans and 1 Andalite walked out from behind the rocks.

"Hi Ax." I called out.

<Yeerk scum!> Ax said as he whipped his tail foreword and pressed it to my neck for the second time.

"You know Ax, That is really getting to be annoying. You think I enjoy having your tail-blade at my neck?" I said.

"Who and what are you?" Rachel asked with anger. Her eyes were narrowed at me.

"Don’t you recognize me Rachel?"

Rachel’s eyes went wide with shock.

"Do you recognize me Jake?"

His eyes narrowed at me.

"Ax I thought I told you to get your tail off my throat." I growled.

My eyes started glowing green like they did when I got mad as a Maheek.

"Maheek?" Marco asked with surprise. "Or Navarazzi. But how did you know our names?"

"Jeez, are you guys blind?" I said. "Why don’t you recognize me?"

I then got my answer. I looked in a small pool of water and saw my reflection.

My eyes were now a little lighter shade of brown than they used to be. My hair was blond and it used to be black. My lips had shrunk a little. My nose was the same. And my eyes were more of a round, bigger shape than they were. And my eyebrows were narrowed sort of fiercely.

"Oh. Now I know why you don’t recognize me." I said. "And Ax would you please let go of me. That is getting very uncomfortable."

Ax didn’t let go.

"Now tell us who and you are and we’ll let you go." Jake said.

"You probably won’t believe me but I’m Michael." I said. "Or was Michael. Now it’s Jared."

<You couldn’t be Michael. We watched as Michael was killed by Visser 3 down in the Yeerk pool.> Tobias said.

"Well I was there also. But I was the one to die. It actually hurt a bit. But the Ellemist brought me back to life. He said I had an important task to perform to help you."

Just then Anna came up.

"Hi guys" She said. Then she noticed me with Ax’s tail at my throat. "Who are you?"

"I’m Jared. Formerly known as Michael."

Anna started changing to Navarazzi shape. "I don’t believe you."

"Why won’t anyone believe me?!" I yelled.

"Because There’s just no way you could be here after you died." Marco said.

"OK, I’ll prove it. The last words I yelled to you before I died was ‘Back off you idiots or you’ll die like me’!" I said.

"OK. question number 2. What did we go down to the Yeerk pool to do?" Rachel asked.

"To destroy the change dracon." I said.

"Last question. What was Michael’s first battle?"

"When we all fought about 80 Maheek warriors when they tried to take me back to my home planet." I said.

Everyone just stared after that.

"OK. I guess it is Michael." Cassie said. "But why did the Ellemist bring you back?"

"I’ll tell you if Ax removes his tail." I said.

Ax moved his tail reluctantly.

"I told you. He said I was supposed to help you on a mission even though I’m not a Maheek anymore. Well not fully Maheek. I can still make my eyes glow." I said.

"Then how are you going to help us?" Jake asked.

"I asked him that too. He said I have the morphing powers now." I said.

"That would explain how you can help." Jake said.

"He also had one condition of bringing me back." I said.

"What was it?" Rachel asked.

"He said I would pay a terrible price for my power."

"What was the price?" Cassie asked.

"I don’t know." I replied with a sigh.

"Well we could use all the help we can get for this next mission." Marco said.

"I have to get home. My new parents or parent will be frantic." I said.

I started walking home with a wave back.

"Hi Jared. Where have you been all day?" She asked.

"I was hiking in the woods." I said.

"I’m sorry. I’ll try not to worry you next time." I said. I hugged her.

"Well you have school tomorrow so try not to stay up too late." Ellen said. "It’s your first day remember."

I looked at my watch hand. There was nothing there. I looked at a clock in the kitchen. 8:57.

I was out pretty late I thought to myself.

"I’m going to bed. I’m tired from the hike." I said. "And it’s going to be a big day tomorrow."

"OK. I’ll be up in a minute." Ellen said.

I went up the stairs and looked down a hallway. I saw a door that was opened slightly. I looked inside. It was a bathroom.

I saw another door that was open all the way. No it was a guest room.

I opened a door. Yes. It was my room. I think.

It had posters on the walls and a small TV in one corner. There was a bed stand with a light on it. Must be a reading light. I looked in a mirror that was in another corner.

I was right. I looked different. Other than the changes I saw at the pool I was taller. By a few inches. I was right about my hair. It was brown. And instead of being kind of spiky. It was slicked back with what looked like gel. But I was wrong about my eyes. There weren’t brown. They were more of a goldish color and large. Like hawk eyes. I got a bad feeling right then about what the terrible price was.

I took off my shirt and pants and put on some sweats. I got in bed. It was comfortable. More comfortable than my other bed I had at my first house.

I turned on the lamp and pulled out a book. The Black Gryphon. sounded interesting. I started reading.

I a few minutes my aunt came up and kissed me good-night. She seemed nice. I read for a little while and went to sleep. Wondering what I’d find tomorrow at school. And about what the terrible price was.

I looked around and then remembered the Ellemist. I thought this was going to need some getting use to.

I went to school like I was supposed to. I had homeroom first. I got there 45 minutes before school started.

I was walking through the halls and saw someone that looked sad and had a hollow look in her eyes. Very sad. It was Tifa.

I knew why she was sad. I was her friend and "I" died.

Then I saw my old friend Sean. He didn’t seem sad at all.

I watched him walk over to Tom. Jake’s brother. I walked down the hall until I was close enough to hear.

"Visser 3 will have our heads if that new change dracon is not finished by tomorrow." Tom said.

"Keep it down!" Sean whispered. "Then we must finish the change dracon before 7:30 PM. My host has a party to attend to tonight."

I felt like a hammer had just hit me in the stomach. But I knew how he had become a controller. Sean was almost a full member in the Sharing before I died. He must have become a full member while I was dead.

I left the hallway. I didn’t want to see anymore former friends. I went out to the basketball court.

I grabbed a ball and started shooting hoops. 10 minutes later a group of kids came in.

"Hey shrimp. Get out of our way." One of the kids said. He looked like he could be the group leader. And he was taller.

I left the court.

"Now give us the ball shrimp." Leader said.

I turned around and threw the ball at the hoop. It went in with a swish. Then I left. I figured I didn’t need any more trouble than I had to have. Seeing my new life sucked mostly anyway.

I went out through the doors. Leaving the group of kids with open mouths and puzzled looks at how I shot the ball and made it from that far away.

The bell rang and I headed for homeroom. Somehow I had the information of where my homeroom was in my head. Probably the Ellemist.

I went into the modular of my homeroom. I sat down just as my teacher started roll call.

I can’t believe it. I have Mr. Arington for homeroom? This guy’s boringly annoying. I thought.

I stood in the back of the room.

"Is there a Jared here?" Mr. Arington asked.

"Yeah. I’m Jared."

"OK. Today we’re working in science about technology and how electricity works. Take a seat. Any empty desk will do." Mr. Arington said.

I sat in an empty desk. I looked around the room as Mr. Arington droned on and on about what electricity is and how it effects nature. I saw some kids I recognized from band before I died.

But in a desk near the back of the room I saw Cassie. And a few seats over there was Marco.

I slept through most of class looking at the teacher every once in a while to make him think I was listening.

Finally it was lunch. Sitting in a desk for 2 hours and then going to another class for another 2 hours is just too long.

I sat down at the table where Jake and Marco were. "Hi."

"Hi Mich.... Jared." Jake said.

"What’s up?" Marco asked.

"Nothing much." I said. I leaned in closer to whisper. "Meet me after school. I have to tell you something."

Marco and Jake both looked grim. "Where after school?" Jake asked.

"Just in front." I said "something big is up."

Jake came with Marco. Nobody said anything until Rachel, Cassie and Anna got there. When they did I told everyone what happened.

"I heard in the hall this morning, 2 controllers talking about the change dracon. " I said. I didn’t mention that one of those controllers was Tom.

"Well what’s they say?" Rachel asked.

"They said that it was gonna’ be done by tomorrow. They start production tomorrow." I said.

"Then that means we have to attack tonight" Jake said. He obviously didn’t like the idea. "Or they’ll have the weapon ready for use on any animal intruders. By the way, who were the controllers you were listening to?"

"Tom and another controller that was my former friend. How can I help though?" I asked. "I don’t have any morphs yet."

"Cassie can take you to the gardens to get you a fighting morph." Rachel said.

Jake was looking glum. He didn’t want to put Tom in any danger.

"I we can’t go to the gardens today or tonight. It’s closed for the day. Some sort of problem with the cages and doors. And they have security all over the insides." Cassie said. "There would be no way we could morph and demorph at all without a guard seeing us."

Everyone just stared at her for a moment.

"At least that’s what my mom said." Cassie mentioned.

"OK so the gardens is out. We can go to the clinic and pick up a wolf or something." Jake said.

Cassie raised her hand like she would in class. "We don’t have very many animals in the clinic at the moment. Nothing very dangerous or that could do some damage. All we have in there right now is a Merlin with a broken wing. A few seagulls and pigeons. A-"

<Hmph. Pigeons. Why are you helping pigeons? They’re like jays and crows.>

I looked up and saw Tobias soaring on a thermal. Cassie waved.

"We have a deer that was shot. A raccoon with one leg." Cassie went on.

Cassie went on through her list of patients. Which was very few at the moment. I decided the only morph good enough in a fight was the Merlin.

So it was decided. We were going down to the Yeerk pool this evening.

<You know. I still can’t get use to how disgusting this is.> Marco said. <But this thing can fly!>

He was right. A hawk could go into a dive after a few seconds and it took a few seconds for a hawk to turn. But flies could make a 360 degree turn in the blink of an eye. The fly could go up, down, left, right, foreword and back in 3 seconds flat.

Anna was carrying us down into the Yeerk pool. The place where I died.

OK. It’s all clear. You can demorph. Anna said.

We started demorphing.

The first thing that happened to me was I started growing. 6 inches. 1 foot. 2 feet. 3 feet!.

I was a 3 foot big fly. All in all it was pretty disgusting.

Then my fly eyes turned to human eyes. Then my proboscis curled up and disappeared. My face changed to normal.

I was a 4 foot big fly with a human head!

Then my extra legs shriveled and disappeared. Then my wings decided to go away. Then the rest of the changes happened at the same time. I was glad I couldn’t see yet. I didn’t want to.

The my eye sight came back.

Everyone was demorphed. It was a good thing that before we came down, Rachel had picked me out a morphing outfit. Otherwise I’d be getting embarresed. It was made up of a tight shirt and bike shorts. Like the other guys.

"OK, everyone’s done. Tobias, go up and look around." Jake said.

"No wait! Tobias should stay here. We need someone to keep watch while we’re morphing again. Someone else should check." Cassie said.

"I’ll do it. I want to try out my new morph." I volunteered.

"Well, OK. He’s right anyway. He needs to try out his new morph." Rachel said.

I started morphing.

The first thing that happened was my legs changed to hawk legs. I had chicken legs.

"Hey! Kentucky Fried Chicken. Is it regular or extra crispy?" Marco asked.

That got a laugh from everyone. Even though it was a scared little laugh, it was still a laugh.

Then a feather pattern formed on my skin. It looked like a giant tattoo. The my lips hardened and changed into a beak. Then the feather pattern became 3D.

Then I started shrinking. I went down to about 1 foot tall. Then the rim came over my eyes and my arms turned into wings. My feathers were a snowy white and I had what looked like a black mask on. I was pretty small but I was fast.

"Hey you kept the same eyes." Marco joked.

I was fully Merlin. Then the instincts came in.

I looked around at all the people around me with my laser focused eyes.

I was scared. And I was angry. Where was I? I started to fly. One of the strange people grabbed me and held me down.

The strange creature spoke. "Michael. Get in control. Your name is Michael. You are a human. You go to school. Remember school?"

Yes I remembered school. Suddenly it was like a light had snapped on. I knew who I was. Where I was. And what I was doing.

<Whoa. That was weird. It was like my mind was sharing space with another mind. OK. I’m done. I’ll go look around.> I said in thought speech. It was weird with the mind thing because it didn’t happen with the fly mind.

Cassie let go and I swooped up. I was above the building in a few seconds.

I looked around. Nothing to my right. Nothing to my left. Nothing was near the building. I went back down.

<It’s all clear. Nothing’s anywhere near.> I said.

"OK. I guess it’s time to morph." Jake said.

"Let’s-" Rachel started.

"No, no, no. Rachel, just don’t say it." Marco said quickly.

Jake went into tiger morph. Rachel went into elephant morph. Cassie went into wolf morph. Marco went into gorilla morph. Ax stayed as Ax. Tobias stayed as Tobias. And Anna went into her Navarazzi form.

I was in Merlin morph for 10 minutes before the others started morphing. I didn’t think much about it though. I still had enough time.

We headed toward the compound again. The same one that had the change dracon in it.

We got there and I noticed the hole I made earlier was patched up with some sort of metal. Clear metal. I could see the scientists inside. There were 8 scientists and 4 Taxxons now. There were also 2 Hork-Bajir. The Yeerks were really on defense now. Still it was no problem.

<You guys ready to attack again?> I asked.

<Yeah. Everyone ready?> Jake asked.

Everyone said they were ready one by one. It was a good thing that the compound was pretty big. Because if it was any smaller Rachel wouldn’t fit inside.

<OK. There are more guys in there now but nothing we can’t handle.> Tobias said.

<OK. Go on the count of 3.> Jake said. <1. 2. 3!>

Jake came charging out at the Hork-Bajir in front of the compound. Cassie and Marco were at his sides. Rachel was behind him. Anna was at Rachel’s side. Ax was at Rachel’s other side. And me and Tobias were flying over them all.

As I watched, Tobias swooped down and left a Hork-Bajir clutching his eyes. I dived at another. I was about to rake his eyes when Ax left him without a head.

I flapped for altitude. It wasn’t easy. And by the time I got to the altitude I wanted there weren’t anymore Hork-Bajir to dive on. Jake and Cassie had gone in the compound. I could see them through the metal. The Hork-Bajir inside were no more either.

I swooped down again and into the compound. I had no idea how I flew at all. I trusted the hawk brain to do the flying. Or at least know how. I just looked inside it’s instincts to learn.

As I swooped inside There were no Taxxons and 2 human controllers left. I saw Taxxon and Hork-Bajir blood on the floor. Along with human blood. A lot of it.

<OK. Where are the plans and weaponry of the change dracon? Tell us now. Before I lose my patients.> Ax ordered.

"O...Over there." One of the controllers said.

Ax went over to the table and picked up a change dracon. He sliced it in 2. Then he looked in drawers until he found a piece of paper. He examined it thoroughly.

<These are the plans for the change dracon. And how to make it. There must a be a second copy around somewhere. The Yeerks wouldn’t just make 1 copy. Somebody might take it or they might lose it. They would make a second copy> Said Ax.

I saw the human controllers tense up. Ax must’ve been right.

He searched the drawers and the top of the table. Then he searched the other steel cabinets around. All in all it took about 45 minutes. I think.

Then he held up another piece of paper. It was a copy of the first.

<Me and Michael will go look outside. They might have Hork-Bajir coming.> Tobias said.

I flew out the door and looked around. I saw Hork-Bajir waiting outside the compound. About 50 in all.

<You guys get ready. There’s a lot of Hork-Bajir coming toward the compound!> I yelled.

I was going back in when a dracon flash went by my wing. I flew higher.

I saw the other Animorphs leave the compound with the paper. I watched Ax shred the plans. Both copys.

Well now it would take years for the Yeerks to make new plans.

<Re---your t------must------low.> Tobias said. I could only get parts of what he said. I must’ve been too far away.

I watched Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Marco, Cassie, Anna and Ax go behind a building. They were out of my seeing range.

I changed my view to the compound. I saw the Hork-Bajir go inside and come back out. The controllers must’ve told them what happened. They started searching.

I saw a tiger, a grizzly, Tobias, a wolf, a gorilla, a Navarazzi and a Andalite walk out from behind the building again.

The Hork-Bajir were getting close. I went into a dive. I headed toward Jake.

<The Hork-Bajir are almost at you. Get into a better space to fight or hide.> I said.

I was at Ax’s eye level. I was almost behind the building that was pressing against the wall where the Animorphs were. Just as I was flaring to land on Jake’s shoulder I saw a Taxxon out of the corner of my eye. The Taxxon had a dracon beam aimed at me. A change dracon.

TSEWWWW! TSEWWWW! TSEWWWW!

The third one hit me in the back. It felt like I was getting hit with a sledge hammer. The impact threw me out of control into the wall.

WHAP! I hit the wall.

WHUMPH! I hit the ground.

<Michael! Are you OK?> Jake asked.

<I think.> I said.

I was just getting out of my daze and my sight was getting clearer. That’s when the truth hit me. And it hit me hard.

<No.> I whispered. <No! No! No!>

<What is it?> Cassie asked.

<No.> I whispered again.

<Come on, man. Spit it out.> Marco said.

<That was a change dracon!> I yelled.

<So? What’s the problem?> Marco asked again.

But Tobias had figured it out already.

<He means it was a change dracon.> Tobias said. <Tell me if this is wrong Ax-man. But isn’t the change dracon supposed to make you demorph?>

I guess everyone had figured it out then.

<Oh god. No.> Cassie moaned.

<No. Not again.> Rachel whispered.

That’s when I saw the Taxxon. The Taxxon that shot me.

It came slithering from behind the building. It had the change dracon aimed at me again.

TSEWWWW!

The blast caught me in the head. I kept conciseness for a few seconds then I blacked out.

Michael

I noticed faces around me. It took a few seconds to recognize who they were. It was Cassie, Rachel, and Anna. Ax was there also. They were just talking.

<Hey! He’s awake.> I heard Tobias’s thought speak in my head.

I saw everyone come over and look at me.

"There doesn’t seem to be any serious damage. Good thing too" Cassie said after inspecting me.

"Serious damage?" I asked. Or I meant to ask. What really came out was "Tseeeer!"

That’s when I remembered. I became a nothlit down in the Yeerk pool.

I looked at my arms. They were wings!

I looked at my feet. They were talons!

I looked behind me. I had a feathered tail!

"Are you OK Michael?" Anna asked.

<No.> I whispered in thought-speak. <No!>

"Tseeeer!" I screeched.

I flew out of the barn at high speed. I didn’t care if it was night. I just wanted to get away. As far away as I could from there.

I flew on. Not knowing where I was heading. Then I remembered something. Out at the field when Ax put his tailblade at my throat. My eyes glowed green like when I was a Maheek. Could I still do that?

I remembered how I made my eyes glow and I tried it again. Yes! It worked. I could see as if it was daylight.

I had a feeling of something behind me. Following me. I looked back and I saw a red-tailed hawk following me.

<How’d you know it was me Tobias?> I asked angrily.

<Well what other Merlin would I know of with glowing eyes.> Tobias said.

<Go away. Stop following me!> I yelled. <I want to be alone.>

<You think I don’t know what you’re feeling right now?> Tobias asked. <Remember I had to deal with it also. getting stuck in hawk morph. losing my family. Not that they cared about me anyway. Losing my friends. Human non-Animorph friends.>

I didn’t say anything.

<I know what you’re thinking and feeling right now. It’s hard but I pulled it off. The same thing happened to me.> Tobias said.

<The same thing happened to you, huh?> I said sarcastically. <Learning you’re an alien and then going to the Yeerk pool and dying. Coming back as another person. Having another life you didn’t even want. Getting the morphing power and going back to the place where you died and getting stuck in hawk morph. That happened to you, Tobias?>

No answer.

<I mean learning I wasn’t human was hard to take in. But then getting a different life and getting stuck in a morph? That was it.> I said.

<You think that I wanted to be stuck in this hawk body?> Tobias asked. <I know my life as a human sucked too but I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life as a bird.>

I didn’t answer.

<Well if you’re done talking to me, I’d like to go back to my cave and think for a while.> I said. <If you Animorphs need me you can come and get me. But there’s not much I can do as a bird for you guys.>

After that I left before Tobias could say anything.

And I dreamed about my new aunt. What she must be going through.

I eventually woke up and realized where I was. It wasn’t all a dream.

I was starving and had to hunt. I looked through the hawk’s brain and found out how to hunt and all. It was similar to the way a Maheek hunted. Except this was disemboweling live mice and rats.

I went outside and perched in a tree close to my cave. I waited until I saw movement. A rat.

I waited until the exact moment to strike. Wait. Wait. Strike!

I swooped down and grabbed the rat in my talons. I brought it up into my tree and started eating it.

When I was finishing up I looked around. I saw more in daylight than I did at night. Good enough to see a red-tailed hawk. A bald eagle. A falcon. A harrier. Two ospreys. And something that wasn’t a bird. A Navarazzi flying along side them.

I groaned in thought speak. Why wouldn’t they stop following me. I wanted to be alone.

I took flight. I flew away from the group of birds. I started pulling away from them.

They caught up to me. I knew how. Tobias was more experienced in the air than any of them. He knew where the best thermals and where to get the easiest breezes. While I didn’t.

<Michael. Stop.> Rachel said. She sounded annoyed.

<Look. Stop following me. You sent Tobias after me last night. I told him to beat it too. I don’t want to talk right now.> I said.

<Michael. Please stop.> Cassie asked me pleadingly.

I didn’t stop. I kept flying. I turned around just in time to see Anna come down and land. I watched as she reversed her knees and ran on all fours after me.

Amazingly she went ahead of me. She got a few hundred feet ahead of me and took flight again. I understood. They were trying to force me to land.

I swooped down and landed on a tree. They others all came down after me. Everyone demorphed. I just stood there watching.

When everybody was done Rachel started the lecture.

"What is wrong with you?! Why’d you just leave us all in barn without saying anything?"

<I left because I was scared. I didn’t want to be near anyone. You think I wanted to be stuck the rest of my life as a hawk?!> I asked with rage. I swear my body was tingling with rage.

"You think Tobias wanted to be stuck as a hawk either? No. But he still handled it. He didn’t just leave without a word, like you did." Rachel went on.

<Look, I’m not Tobias, OK? I can’t handle it like he did. Non of you know what I’m going through right now.>

<I do.> Tobias said.

<No you don’t! This hasn’t happened to any of you. I mean, Tobias was trapped in hawk morph. That’s just part of what’s happened.> I said. <And Anna knows what it’s like to learn you’re not human. But non of you know it all. You think finding out you’re an alien. Then attacking the Yeerk pool and dying. Then getting brought back from the dead by an all-powerful Ellemist as a different person. Then Getting trapped in hawk morph is easy? It was all too much. I snapped.>

"We know it’s not easy for you. But no matter what happens, we’ll always be there for you, Michael." Cassie said.

I could tell that Rachel was going to send me some remark about it all, but Jake put his hand on her shoulder and she stayed quiet. Marco looked like he was going to make a joke about all the "we’ll be there for you" stuff. But he said nothing.

<Look, like I said. It’s not easy for me right now.> I said. <Just give me some time to think about it.>

Jake nodded. "We’ll come out and see you in a few days. Where will you be?"

<He’ll be at his cave.> Tobias said.

<Yeah. I’ll be at my cave.> I said quietly.

After that I lifted off my perch and took flight. I headed toward my cave.

I kept thinking to my self over and over the same thing.

Will I be able to handle all this? And what happens if I can’t?

I also had a few close calls with a bobcat. But other than that it went by well.

Every once in a while I would catch a glimpse of a red-tailed hawk hiding in a tree. Watching me. I was pretty sure it was Tobias checking on me. I didn’t care though.

After a few days like my friends said they would, They came out to see me. Or at least Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Anna and Ax came to see me. Ax was an Andalite, but Anna was a human.

<Where’s Cassie and Marco?> I asked.

"Cassie is helping her father with a bunch of baby bears who’s mother was shot by a poacher." Jake said.

"And Marco said something about spending the day with his dad." Anna said.

Nobody said anything else. So I thought they were waiting for me to say something about what happened.

<Look you guys. I’m sorry about what happened a few days ago. I wasn’t having a very good week.> I said. <I mean what would you do? If you found out that you weren’t human. And a few weeks later, dying. Then being resurrected by an Ellemist and going back down to the place where you died. Then being stuck as a hawk. Tell me. What would you do if you were me?> I asked.

Jake scratched his head. "I guess I would do the same thing as you."

<I would too. Well. Almost the same thing as you.>

I looked up. I saw a osprey floating down. Everyone else looked up also.

<Hey Marco.> I said.

Marco landed and started demorphing.

"What happened? I thought you were gonna’ do something with your dad today." Jake said.

<My dad had a bui-> Marco was saying. But he went from the transition back to human. Mostly.

"I was saying. My dad went on a small business trip. It’s only for today though. We were getting ready to leave when he got a call." Marco said. "So I thought I should come out here. I had nothing better to do."

I heard a flapping coming from above me. It was Tobias. He landed on a tree near the one I was on.

<All clear. There are some hikers about a mile away. But it’ll take them at least 20 minutes to get here. Just in case, we should go in the cave.> Tobias said.

I flapped into the cave. Tobias was right behind me. The others came in a little later. I landed on my little refrigerator. Tobias landed on Rachel’s shoulder.

It was dark in the cave. I could fix that. I turned my eye lights on. At least that’s how I pictured them.

I saw a little mouse in one corner. It reminded me how hungry I was. I missed breakfast to the bobcat.

I dived down on the mouse. I grabbed it in my talons. Just one small problem. I misjudged the distance to the wall.

WHUMPH!

<Oof.>

I slid to the ground. I was banged up because it was a corner in the cave. I hit two walls. Not just one. And to make matters worse. I lost my breakfast. Even though it was more like lunch.

Everyone ran over. Tobias was still perched on Rachel’s shoulder.

"You OK, man?" Marco asked.

<I think.> I checked my wings. No damaged. Not that I could see anyway. I also checked my talons and tail. Nothing wrong.

I was still a little dazed though.

I got up and hopped back on the refrigerator.

<How did you get your eyes to glow green like a Maheek?> Ax asked.

<I guess when the Ellemist brought me back, he didn’t take away all my Maheek qualities. I can hunt at night now. I guess.>

<Oh.>

I was still hungry and had missed breakfast twice now. So I decided to go hunting for breakfast/lunch then.

<Hey, everyone. I missed breakfast twice. So I’m gonna’ go hunting.> I said. <Tobias? Anna? Want to join me?>

<Sorry. I got things to do. There’s another hawk trying to take over my meadow. Another red-tail.>

And I already had breakfast. And lunch. Ax is gonna’ give me another class on technology and stuff. Anna said.

<Well. I’m going to go hunting. OK everybody?> I asked.

"OK. We just want you to know. It doesn’t matter what shape you’re in. Or what you are. You’ll be with friends." Jake said.

<Thanks.> I said.

Then I flew.

I watched as Tobias and Rachel in bald eagle morph flew out of the cave. I watched as Anna and Ax went running off in another direction. And I watched as Jake and Marco in osprey and peregrine falcon morph flew off towards Jake’s house.

I then realized. They were right. As long as I had friends like that, I wouldn’t be alone.

My name is Michael. I am a human boy. A hawk. A Maheek. Some strange mix of the three. Now you know why I can’t tell you my full name. Or where I live. But some day you might look up and see the silhouette of a bird of prey. With whitish-gray feathers and a ripping, tearing beak. Sharp, severing talons. White wings outstretched, for soaring the thermals.

And I flew.