The Truth

Chapter One

Thia had always wondered why his father spends his time at the coast. In fact, he never recalled seeing him anywhere but the coast. He would stand, watching the sea with sad eyes. Thia would go with him. He never says much but Thia could feel his father's pain, his sorrow.

His father never talked much to anyone anymore; he would spend long hours staring at the bright blue sparkling sea. The sea that was so close to Thia's home. So close that it seemed to be a section of his grazing land… only, no Andalite could graze at sea.

Sometimes, Thia was mad at his father, mad at seeing him spend the long hours staring at the sea. Thia knew that his father had a great mind; he used to be a great warrior, a Prince. A hero. He decided to drop out of the military and become a scientist. He had said that the deep space was not his 'thing' anymore; he said that he grew a strong interest in the deep seas of our home world.

Now Thia's father was…disgraced. Not a lot of people knew why he was disgraced, all the people knew was that Thia's father had done something cowardly, something that had dishonored him and lead to the death of a group scientist… But Thia didn't even know that much about his father. All he knew was that his father was depressed for most of the times, withdrawn, empty, hollow…

Thia remembers the time when he was young, when his father was light hearted, more cheerful. He would have these flashes of himself as a young Andalite running in the open lands of their meadow with his father chasing him, and another memory of Thia chasing his father. Then, he'd see himself as a young child trying to outrun his young, strong father and failing, in these little memories he'd see himself grow stronger and older, until he outran his ageing father…those were the good times.

One day when he was feeding in the open fields of his academy, he was approached by a couple dozen of his colleagues. He looked at them with sinking hearts; he read their intentions, and they weren't those of what he would have called friendly.

< Hey, Thia. > One of them asked,

< When's the last time your father went underwater-grazing? > Nooras called out.

Great, thought Thia, he didn't like Nooras. He was always trying to make a fool out of him in public. Nooras was very well-known. Then again why shouldn't he? His father was one of the officials in the council's ring.

< My father doesn't go underwater-grazing, there is no such thing. > Thia muttered.

< Rumors have it that he'd been going around crushinglengalith dirthain. > Pestered Hemlon, a female.

Things were really heading down hill for Thia. He just knew that they were going to end his day badly.

Seethrw said < How much of it is left anyway? What does it taste like? >

Thia let lose of a moan, a moan that could only be heard by his own brain and tormented soul. The lengalith dirthain is a very rare type of underwater grass; it is not a weed, nor a type of sea-weed. Scientists have always been trying to unlock the secrets of the lengalith dirthain, these grass species grow as giants in the fertile soil of the sea. A big amount of wildlife had been discovered to feed there, they were mainly; single celled organisms, plankton, and strangely; classes of algae.

Algae are a plant or plantlike organism of the chiefly aquatic phyla. It is a chlorophyll-containing nonvascular organism of polyphyletic origin. The Algae is an organism which mainly lives in the surface or near to the surface of a body of water, as it contains chlorophyll, it needs light energy (the sun's or the reflected light of one of our four moons) from which it stores it's food.

Near the lengalith dirthain a large number of algae had been found in the near-darkness of the sea floor. It was impossible for the algae to live underwater in such a dark atmosphere, so how?

The secret laid untouched in the lengalith dirthain, so little was known of this great ancient plant. It was also told to contain a rare substance that cured a very sever form of cancer…the form of cancer that had killed Thia's mother Jarthid, had died a few months after giving birth to her only son.

The cancer had caused her blindness; this only happens when the cancer reaches it's finally stages. Thia's mother had been blinded a few months before she gave birth to him…she lived her last days dreaming of what her son looked like; and imagining him growing up to his father's agenda, at that time Thia's father, Rasimilan was still a Prince. It was only after his wife's death did he drop his job to find a cure for this cancer. He wanted to know how and why was the cancer that lethal.

Thia's people knew of what the cancer does. But very little is known as to why it happens. The answer would be in the cure, the antidote. Only by that may they ever find the cure for a cancer that was so rare.

< Hey, blunt blade, > Nooras leered, < We asked you questions. And, questions need answers. >

I do not have a blunt blade, thought Thia. Thia was planning to shut up and let them pass away when he had this sudden urge to answer back at him.

< No, not yours they don't. > Thia said, trying to sound tough and bold,

Nooras stared at Thia. Thia usually don't say something that crushing; he just gets the words after he had been humiliated, this time he got what he wanted. And he got it at the right time.

Since Nooras did not find a crushing come back to Thia's challenge; he looked at his friends and laughed, he laughed at Thia.

< Words mean nothing to me, > He said, in his eyes Thia saw something gleam, < Let's see how good you are. Then we see who is worthless. >

Nooras raised his tail and arched his tail blade forward.

The females giggled nervously, knowing that the commotion was mostly stirred up for them to become impressed at.

While the females gathered in a small 'flock' far off, the other males spread out around the two challengers. One of Nooras's friends ran off to a high spot were he could keep watch over who came in or out of the academy building.

Thia knew better than to engage into a fight with any Andalite, he also knew that the wisest thing to do was to back off from Nooras; he didn't want to became humiliated. After all, Nooras had connections and all Nooras's father would do is to get him out of trouble and dump the rest on Thia.

< Nooras, when you act like a normal being I may consider accepting your challenge, but for now… > Thia turned round and tried not to make it obvious that he was running away. He walked as slowly as he could bear; he had directed his stalk eyes away and was dreading the moment Nooras may consider running up to him.

His dread was realized. He heard the dull thuds of Nooras's hooves as he ran to catch up to him.

< Why you… > Nooras thought speak carried suppressed anger. It is always a very unwise move for an opponent lose his temper, he therefore will appear weak in front of the people witnessing the challenge. People would think he is a fool who carries no thoughts and allows his emotions to get the better of him.

As Thia was walking, Nooras came up to him and snapped his blade; hitting Thia at the side of head with the blunt end of his tail blade.

Thia stumbled off his hooves and fell face first onto the ground.

The crowd laughed nervously and then jeered at the sight of the fallen Andalite.

Thia himself was shocked. Nooras had used his blade on him!

However, Nooras's friends were very impressed by him. After all, he had broken one of the major rules and had not been caught. If he had been caught he would have certainly been expelled.

Thia picked himself off the ground and walked away, this was not the first time he had walked away from a challenge. But this was the first time he had been hit by someone else! He was still shocked and was disturbed from Nooras' behavior. It also appeared that another student had not been impressed by Nooras' actions. He hurried to Thia's side.

< Are you okay? > He asked Thia.

< I am fine. > Thia grumbled and fastened his pace into a slow trot.

< You should report what he did. > He advised Thia.

< None of your business. > Thia snapped sharply, and his trot changed to slow gallop.

The student seemed not at all fazed by Thia's reactions. He simply galloped by his side.

< I'm Nalis. > He announced.

< Ah, well Nalis, > replied Thia, he recognized that the student was in his second year in the academy. Thia was in his fifth. < Nice meeting you. >

Thia made another attempt at running off, but the annoying second year student kept at Thia's stride, when Thia galloped faster, so did Nalis.

Thia slowed down to a stop, Nalis mimicked his move and looked at Thia.

< So, are you done trying to throw me off? > Nalis said.

< What do you want? > Thia asked in irritation.

Nalis looked at the ground and said nothing.

< I thought so. > Thia turned around and started to walk off.

When Thia was at least thirty yards away Nalis called out,

< My father used to be a friend of your father. >

Thia turned around and stared.

Chapter Two

Nalis looked at Thia nervously, it was late noon, already, you could see the first two moons of the planet. One was larger than the other. Despite it still being day-light, you could see the stars around the moons. And a patch of space that went with it.

Thia was at Nalis's meadow. Thia who was looking around the meadow and tasting the grass was not aware of Nalis's discomfort.

Nalis cursed himself silently, why had I done this? He thought to himself. I really should tell him that everything was a bad idea and that Thia should be going home now.

< So? > Thia asked.

< I .Uhh. Wanted to ask if. I mean, if your father, > Nalis quickly averted his eyes away from Thia. < Knew anything of my father, or if. Em. You perhaps knew anything about my father? >

Thia laughed, < Why would I know anything about your father? >

Nalis looked at Thia, hope treading carefully through his hearts, < Your father, has he ever talked about mine? Prince Rasimilan was my father's shorm. >

< My father never talked about a shorm and I'll tell you that I have never heard of your father. >

It was as someone had stomped out the life in Nalis's eyes. He was deeply hurt. But he never admitted it to Thia.

< Oh, I see. > Nalis commented in disappointment.

Was this all Thia had to say? Nalis had spent most of his first year dreaming of meeting this fifth year student.

He had been excited when he had first talked to him. He knew that his approach was not very…appropriate…considering the situation Thia had been in earlier. But Nalis's situation had been desperate.

< Why do you want to know? You could just go and ask your father. > Thia said, then he looked closely at Nalis, < Are you having problems with your father? >

It was not very unusual, thought Thia, for an Andalite to face some difficulty in creating a bond with his father.

< No. > Nalis said quietly, < I never met my father. >

His father was in the military? Thia wondered, Nalis was young so he suspected that he would never had met his father if he was born when he was serving the military. Can't he wait until he was on leave? Why come and bother me?

< Why? When is he going to be on leave? > Thia asked.

< He's never going to be 'on leave' > Nalis muttered.

< What? > Thia said, puzzled.

< My father is…he is…dead. > Nalis looked at the ground with all of his eyes.

Thia did not know how to react.

< Uh, I'm- > Thia tried at hard as he could to remember the death ritual, the one you were to say when you hear that a family member was dead, but could not recall any word of it.

< It's okay, I'm used to it. You can't miss something you never had. > Nalis laughed when he realized that Thia had not known how to react. At least, both of them had done something equally embarrassing.

< My father never talks about his past. > Thia apologized, < So I could not possible know if he knew your father or not. >

< My father and your worked together in the science research about the mysterious lengalith dirthain, my father was a great scientist, his name is Gondall-Froy-Kalimn. >

Oh. Thia looked at Nalis, he was about to say something when he heard a female voice yelled, < Nalis? Is that you I hear? If it is come in here at once! >

Nalis paled, < Oh no! > He moaned, how could he have forgotten? Of all things that could have happened to him why should it have a happened now? Why did he forget to cut off the weeds that were growing at the end of his grazing land?

< I have to go. > Thia muttered to Nalis, seeing that he should be leaving.

< But you will come back? > Nalis asked hopefully.

After a second of hesitation Thia said,

Thia left and Nalis was left to stare at his retreating figure. This stranger would help him know about a past he always wondered about. He would-

< Nalis? > His mother yelled again,

< Yes mother. > Nalis answered heavily.

She strode out of the scoop-no doubt she was using the computer. Nalis's mother was a Zero Space theorist.

Nalis was at the academy training to be an exo-dialogist, when he finishes his course he would be appointed to leave with a dome ship to serve its caption. Thia, Nalis had noticed, was training to become a doctor. He also suspected that he too was going to be appointed to a dome ship.

After all, the academy they went to was known to appoint it's students to the ships whom resisted the Yeerks. The Yeerks are sworn enemies to all Andalites.

< Why didn't you cut out the weeds? > She asked calmly.

< I'm sorry mother, > Nalis apologized,

Tishmar sighed to herself, and then looked at her youngest son. He was twenty two years old and had seen him talk to someone at outside.

Only when Nalis finished weeding the outer regions of the grazing land did she approach him.

< I heard another voice outside. Who was it? > She asked Nalis.

< A friend from the academy. > He replied.

< Just a friend? > His mother asked, provoking him.

Nalis looked at his mother, he sighed, < Yes, We are going to stay after the academic day, so don't expect me to come early. >

< Oh, you are? > She asked with a smile.

< Yes mother, he. > He emphasized the word,

He decided against telling his mother what he was doing.

< Ah, I see. > She sounded…disappointed.

Nalis turned around and ran off to feed. As he ran across the land without paying any real attention to where he was going. He in turn ran right into Halism.

< Watch were you going! > He cried.

< Halism? You're only leave!? > Nalis cried out.

< Not too loudly you idiot! > He told Nalis,

Halism was Nalis's older brother. These two rarely talked to each other. If they did, it was only because one of them was in the way of the other, or, vise-versa.

Besides, Halism was married and both his wife and him served under the same captain. Both of them were warriors. Halism specialized in flying fighters. Quersas, his wife, is a warrior like any other.

Nalis had always the impression that Halism disliked him. There was no real reason behind it…but that was the way it was.

Nalis left his brother to greet his mother. Nalis decided that dropping off at their neighbors wouldn't be a bad idea. He went to kill time.

Chapter Three

< You planning to be an exo-dialogist? > Thia asked.

< Yes. >

Thia was in his last year. So was Nalis, after all, it takes more years to train a doctor than an exo-dialogist.

< What is so special about the southeastern field? > Nalis asked.

< It is were I have to go every two days. I'm training to be a doctor. > He shrugged, < Before they could assign me to a dome ship I have to work in a hospital to prove that I could handle. >

< You still haven't told me-> Nalis started to say when he was interrupted be a faint whoosh.

It was the sound a mag-train gives off. < Oh, I never knew that the mag-train was connected to the academy. >

< Then how do you think the students from far off come? > Thia asked.

Nalis felt as if he was the most obvious idiot on the face of the planet.

Thia and Nalis saw that they were not the only people heading there. He saw a couple professors he did not recognized and a bunch of fourth and fifth year students approach the stopped craft.

< Hey Thia? > Yelled an Andalite he never knew, Nalis looked around nervously trying to look for someone familiar. < Which sector are they throwing you in today? >

< Molian? > Thia said, < Hey, I thought you said you couldn't come! >

< Change of plans. > Molian said, < So where-> he stopped and looked at Nalis.

< Huh? I never recalled seeing you around. > He commented.

< He's my friend. > Thia said to his colleague, and Nalis felt a sensation of pride. < He's hanging out with me today. >

< I see. > He said then introduced himself to Nalis, Nalis did the same. They boarded in the train and it rode off smoothly. Looking out of the transparent body of the train, Nalis could see the trees and landscape wiz off.

< So? Where they put you today? > Molian repeated.

< In the emergency sector. You? >

Molian moaned, < They threw me to do all the lab work with the other chemists! > He said like he didn't believe what he had been given to do.

< What do you do there? > Nalis asked, curious.

< I chose to be a doctor not a urine analyzer. > He continued to Thia.

< Hah ha. I did that at the beginning of fourth year. > Thia laughed at Molian's gloomy face. < Besides, you don't just sample urine you also sample blood and the ex- >

< Oh shut up! > Molian groaned, < You're making me sick all ready. >

Thia, Molian and Nalis all laughed.

< Better luck next time. > Thia said cheerfully.

< Go ahead, laugh. Lets hope they stick you in the lab sector next time, and lets hope you stay there for three- >

< Molian? It's only a couple of hours! > Thia couldn't believe the fuss he was making.

< Whatever. > He grumbled.

But then again, Thia remembered the fuss he made when he was told where to go.

The train stopped and they hopped out.

Molian separated off going to where he should be going and Thia and Nalis went to the staff field, there were three staff rooms and one staff field. The fields are for the staff that are having a break and were grazing. He dropped Nalis there and said that he would be coming sooner. Nalis headed to one of the far off computers, logged into his class's institution and began to finish off his assignment. He had told Thia that he didn't mind being here a long time.

Mean while, Thia walked into the Doctor's room and waited for a catastrophe to happen. His supervisor greeted him and thy launched into a talk about some theory.

There were another ten doctors in the room. After ten minutes, Thia heard his name in the direct thought speck summons, which is usually used for the CES –Critical Emergency Sector.

< Doctor Thiamand-Rasimilan-Aoorath. >

He quickly moved to his location and found something waiting for him. A female nurse was bending over someone laid at the metal shifting table.

< What happened? > He snapped in a business like way.

< Male, three years old. Found lying on the ground of the nearby Foorathin lands. The medics and physicians suspected that he had ingested the poisonous arthag grass. >

The Foorathin lands were forbidden, mostly because the lands contained a test grass species that grew close to the poisonous arthag.

< How long was he left like this? > He asked. Examine the child. He was unconscious.

< An estimation of about two hours. > She reported.

Thia did the usually procedures and it turned out that the poison had done some damage to his right kidney.

But that will be taken cared of. The nurse went out of the room.

The child woke up and stared at Thia. He scrambled to get up on his hooves but cried out in pain. His legs collapsed underneath him and he gasped.

Thia got to his side. And tried to lay him down again. As expected he refused, but he had no choice really, Thia was almost twenty-five years older than him. And the child's tail blade had not yet fully developed.

He looked at Thia with silent eyes.

< Look, I'm here to help you. > Thia said as kindly as he could.

The child was still resisting, and Thia was busy trying to figure out how to restrain him without jarring him. This was not going to be easy. Thia called out to the nurse that had been there earlier. She came in and told him that she would be available after five minutes. She hurried off.

Thia put a hand on his lower back and forced him down gently. He resisted then froze very suddenly. He cried out again.

Before he had could muster any more strength Thia laid him down. Not unless you have been near a three year old will you ever realize how strong they are. They tend to be stubborn but are good listeners. At three to four years old, an Andalite child does nothing but listen; this is how Andalite children learn. They listen to the world with there minds. They are silent and almost never talk. Only if an infant was at pain then he or she would call out, but it is never a word just a distress call. And that was what Thia had heard a few minutes earlier.

The nurse came in and held him down. He had quit trying to stand up and was now trying to squirm free of her grasp.

< A tough guy huh? > Thia told her.

< He's weakening, though. I don't think he can keep this up for more than five minutes. >

Thia waited till he was done.

< You gave up? > She asked, then she stroked the side of his face, trying to comfort him. He had started sobbing. His sobs turned to cries as Thia came up to him.

He was afraid of Thia because he was a stranger. Andalite male children are especially afraid of bigger, stronger, males. Mostly because it was an instinct they will never lose, back in Thia's history, before the Andalites were truly sentient, bigger dominant males tend to pick on the young and the smallest males in order to show them who were leader around. Then they would go sparring the other equally strong males.

In a usual herd, there would be up to seventy members. Less than a fifth would be males. And there would be three dominant males and one dominant female whose job is to organize the females to look after the young. But that was all history, the herds changed into small families and the Andalites were off better like that.

< I'm not going to hurt you. > Thia said.

The child looked at the nurse, as if in doubt, < He wouldn't hurt you, I promise. >

Then she looked up at Thia and said in mock defense, < You better not hurt him. >

< I cannot guaranty that. > Thia muttered.

< You're going to try and draw out the fluid in his kidney? > She asked.

He didn't need to answer her. After all, what was there to do? If the poison from the arthagI was left to proceed any further, the child would without any doubt die. The arthag's poison was very hard to alter; it could be altered chemically by only one way.

Only, the child's body was too weak and venerable. The arthag plant is specifically designed to kill any grazers. Thia wondered how this little one got to break through the security.

The process is not at all harmful. But the pressure applied could be quite painful. So Thia decided that it would be best to put him on a sedative before hand.

As Thia rounded up the equipment and checked that it had been sterilized, the nurse tried to get the child to say his name Thia glanced at her. She had suddenly gone very pale.

< What is it? > He asked her.

Thia's hearts stopped beating.

Derth was Lirem-Arrepoth-Terrous's nephew as in head of council Lirem.

Thia looked at the nurse and she looked at him.

What was going on here?

Chapter Four

< You were what!!! > Shrieked Molian.

< No way! > Nalis yelped.

< I told you, > Thia said, a little annoyed, < He is Lirem's nephew. >

< That's it? That's all they told you? Didn't they tell you why he ran over the poisonous grass? >

< They said 'Thank you very much for your help '> said Thia.

< They might as well have told you 'shove off'. > Molian said.

< The PEF came? What for? All they needed is to take him to his father. > Nalis said.

The PEF is the Police Extreme Force. Maybe they were given that title just to make them happy. There really is not a lot of work to do. As far as Andalite business was concerned, all the trouble came with the sentient aliens that shared the homeland with the Andalites.

< To his Uncle. Derth's family had been brutally murdered at an outpost by the Yeerks. > Molian corrected.

< So he's living with head councilor Lirem-Arrepoth-Terrous? > Nalis asked.

< Imagine that, living with the head councilor… > Molian said.

Then the three of the looked at each other and burst out laughing. < It would stink. >

< Only two days. > Molian said,

< Yes, It is a short time. > Nalis agreed.

< When are the results coming out? > Thia asked, trying to drive the Tehthaflies out of his stomach.

< Today. > Nalis said.

< You think they'd put us in the same dome ship? > Molian asked.

< That is highly unlikely. > Nalis said. There were a lot of dome ships, but they lacked the people to run them.

< They say that we are winning the war. > Thia said,

< Yes, they say that we had stopped the Yeerks from invading three species, which would have been useful to the Yeerks. > Nalis said happily.

< They also said that the Skrit Na are turning against the Yeerks. > Molian said.

Of course, no local Andalite knew of what was really happening. The truth was that the Andalites were equal with the Yeerks and that the Yeerks were slowly strengthening. And it had been suspected that they were planning to take back their home world. But they were still too weak for that.

These three Andalites are not going to be the first to be shocked.

Thia said that he needed to go home and left Nalis with Molian.

When he reached home he found his father out at the coast again, he sighed and went up to him, Thia wanted to settle this once and for all, he didn't want to worry about his father going on his own like that.

Thia had always suspected that his father's source of distress was his de-ranking, but now he couldn't be sure. He also seemed to be sad from his wife's death.

< Father? > Thia asked.

< Yes Thia? > Prince Rasimilan answered, looking at his son.

< I have asked you this more than once and I will attempt to ask you again, > Prince Rasimilan knew what was coming, he turned away and looked at the sea.

< Why do you act like this? >

Prince Rasimilan turned around and sighed in Thia's head, < You think you can handle the truth? >

< What truth? >

< I have never told you the truth because you used to be too young to understand. >

< And now? >

Prince Rasimilan looked at his only son. < Thiamand, the truth will only hurt you. >

< But I want to know, I'll be leaving in two days and I don't want to go feeling that you needed me here. >

< All right, > Prince Rasimilan said, < It has something to do with my job and your mother. >

Thia looked at his father and stood closer to him.

< You know that I used to be a Prince, you also know why I am a scientist. >

Thia nodded slowly.

< As you have been told, I went with to complete the research about the lengalith dirthain, it took us three years to unlocking its secrets. >

Thia's main eyes went wide, < You what? >

< We found out every thing about the lengalith dirthain every thing... but… >

< But what? >

< A military vessel approached us and they told us to hand over the research, they wanted to destroy it. >

Thia stared at his father, < What? Why? They couldn't do that! >

< Yes they could, we- > Prince Rasimilan looked downcast, < We refused and the military vessel opened fire. >

Thia was astounded.

Prince Rasimilan explained what happened next as if he was there, a few twenty years earlier stranded in the water…

Attfar, my shorm Gondall and I managed to make it to the surface, the skies ahead growled.

< I'm hurt! > Attfar cried, he was fighting to keep on top of the waves that kept crashing down on us. I saw his blood spread through the water.

We were hit by another wave and this time, only Gondall and I came up.

< Attfar! Attfar! > I cried, this was a mess! Why did they open fire? I was enraged and now terrified.

< Attfar! > I yelled.

< Help us! > Gondall cried to the retreating military vessel.

< Forget them! > I yelled at him, < There he is come on! >

We reached Attfar he was making almost no effort to keep himself above the water, he kept on slowly drifting down then the waves would haul him up.

We went by his side and joined together, swimming to supporting all three of us.

< You can't keep this up any longer! > Attfar gasped, < Leave me and try to get out of here! >

< No! > Cried Gondall, < You're gong to make it! >

< Gondall, > I said quietly, trying to reason with him, < The weather is getting harsher, we will all drown if we stay. >

< You heard him, leave me! Go my friends you all have families…I am after all just one. There are other people who are in need for you. > Attfar yelled at us.

I wished he hadn't said that, because at that moment I remembered Thia, my son, the only remembrance of Jarthid, my dead wife…

Gondall was refusing to leave.

< What? You just want to leave him here? > He snarled harshly at me.

I wasn't listening, I could only think about one thing, and my brain refused to see beyond that.

I was thinking of my young innocent son…he was so young! Why should he have no family left? Why should he grow up without a friend? He needs me!

The contrary, I also needed him.

Was that wrong? For a Prince to think about his family? I truly didn't believe that Attfar would make it. The problem was that Gondall was refusing to leave.

< Gondall, let's go! > I started to get angry, angry at Gondall. < What about Halism? And what about your wife? She is pregnant. She would be expecting another child soon. You want to explain to your boys why you left them? >

Gondall refused and with a breaking heart I started to make my way to the coast, I know that I probably will never make it…but I didn't want to die without trying.

The only thing that kept me going on was Jarthid, I kept hearing her voice in my head. Urging me forward, hearing her wonder how her son looks like and who would he grow up to be. I kept hearing her repeat his name; see her take care of him.

After five hours I was completely exhausted, I slid down under the water and my consciousness went black…

< Then what happened next? > Wondered Thia, as if he couldn't guess. He wanted to hear his father say it.

< I was found and a few days after that, I went to talk to the head of council. > Prince Rasimilan said.

< What did they do? >

< The government and military denied doing anything of that sort, the head councilor was not very impressed… and you know what happened next. > Prince Rasimilan.

Yes, Thia knew. His father had been accused of abandoning his crew and was stripped out of his title.

His father sighed, < Only does the sea know of the true story…>

But it wasn't fair. It-

< It's all history now, you understand? > Prince Rasimilan said.

< Yes, sir. >

Prince Rasimilan laughed and the two of them raced off to graze.

For the fist time in many years, Thia saw his father go back to being the person he used to be, later that night he asked his father what changed it.

< It is good to speak to someone about a lie that had been thrown upon you, > Prince Rasimilan said, < It is even better that they do not deny what you say. >

Chapter Five

< Hey Thia! > Nalis yelled, running to Thia, < Guess what? >

< What? > He said.

< You and I are assigned to the same dome ship! > He cried out.

Thia was thrilled to have someone he knew go with him. < When are we leaving? >

< Now! > Nalis said.

< Come on! Lets go! > They were both very excited, Thia and Nalis raced to the docking area where they saw the transporter ships waiting down in the port, ready to export the new crews.

The two excited Andalites rushed into the ship and others followed. The hatch closed and they were off in space and were heading to their destination.

Nalis and Thia never saw a ship that big. And what was remarkable was that it just hung there in space. Thia could count five dome ships and more than twenty transporter ships.

Their transporter docked to one of the dome ships. All the people in the craft went out and made there way to their specific briefing rooms were they would be introduced to the Captain and the head of their department.

Thia lost sight of Nalis after stepping out of the drop shaft. He walked down the corridor, his hooves gently clicking on the rough textured floor. It was specially designed so that your hooves would not have trouble gripping the ground.

Thia entered the room and within it he about twenty more doctors and the eldest one –the head doctor no doubt- was talking to another fellow doctor.

Thia realized that he was the last to arrive. Once they all settled down, the head doctor started to speak to them.

< I am Farldwin-Hashul-Toalon, > He said, < Here aboard the Galaxy Blossom you will be introduced to working on a ship, > He winked one eye at us, < I assure you that it is not like working down on the home-world. >

< You will be to trained to treat the common war injuries, and you will be introduced to something new. >

Thia and the other doctors looked at each other nervously, < You be trained to treat an alien life form and to work with species you have never heard of before. As you have been told, The Galaxy Blossom is going to take part in a major battle, we may also have the odd alert or two. So I tell all of you work your hardest, after a battle there are always the fair amount of casualties and injuries. You will have t be patient and be fast workers, and I hope all of you will do your best. > He looked at them.

Thia felt as if he had grown another twenty years, for the first time in his life he felt that his being here had a purpose.

One of the main reasons he had became interested in becoming a doctor was because his father was a scientist and he wished that lethal diseases didn't kill other Andalites…like the same disease that killed his mother.

If Thia would have lived another two-hundred years, he would have still been uncomfortable in speaking about his mother, mostly because his brain kept those memories away form him. He wanted to forget his past, and the more people asked or talked about parents the more he was likely to remember. But Thia was over that, well almost; it still did hurt that his mother never made it.

What was strange was that the days he spent in the ship sped away very fast, in between going to training and talking to his friend Nalis.

After three years of almost aimless space travel, the crew of the Galaxy Blossom were final given a destination.

< Where? > War-Prince Dorrath said.

< Earth. >

< Never heard of it. > Prince Berit commented.

< Of course you wouldn't have, > The T.O said a little snappishly.

< Captain, how long would it take us to arrive? > War-Prince Dorrath asked.

< Four days. > Captain Lenkim replied.

< What is the situation? > Prince Berit asked,

The T.O answered him, < We have been told that there is a blade ship and at least one mother ship in orbit of the planet. The Yeerks are still working under cover and had not showed their attacks. There is an estimation of more than a thousand controllers. >

< And your plans? Sir. > War-Prince Dorrath asked the Captain.

< We are to look for Aristh Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. We have been told that he and five morph- capable human youths have rebelled against the Yeerk Empire. Aristh Aximili only communicated once to us and had stated that the Yeerks were doing their business undercover. He also said that there were thousands of controllers. >

< So the information was out of date? > War-Prince Dorrath asked

< Very out of date, we don't even know if the battle had been lost yet. Which I am sure that it already has. > The T.O commented.

< What species are we going to lose? > Wondered Prince Berit.

< Humans. >

War-Prince Dorrath was walking out of the battle bridge, he looked back at Prince Berit with his eyestalks, then turned away and called back.

< Never heard of them. >

Meanwhile~ On Earth…Three days later…

~Marco~

< Ahh! > I yelled, startled.

I slammed the door shut with my oversize hands. I turned around and leaned my hairy bulk on the door, every minute or two I felt a force hammer the metal door.

< Jake? > I asked.

< Not now Marco, > He said, he paced a few feet away from me; he was frustrated, obviously.

Where was Rachel?

And Tobias and Ax?

I looked at Cassie, < Help me. >

She looked at me with her wolf eyes,

< Jake? Is it okay if I demorph? > She asked.

< What? Why? These idiots could come in a minute! >

< Marco's having trouble with, uh, them. > She said.

I sure was, these guys were continually bashing against that door and the only thing that was keeping them out was me…in gorilla morph, plus, I heard some guy suggesting that they should ram the door open with a log of some sort, if that happens, well, lets say that there will no longer be a resistance.

< What if they rammed in? And they see you in mid-morph!? > I shuddered at the thought.

< And, > Jake continued, indicating at the bundles of limbs on the floor,

Oh, you're probably thinking, "What did these idiots get themselves in to?" Well here's the picture; we, a handful of kids thrown to battle against the Yeerks. The Yeerks are parasites, they are specialized in going up your ear canal and go right to your brain, wrap themselves around it and take complete control over you.

Basically, the Yeerks are the bad guys of this universe; the Andalites are the good…yet I am not so sure of this…

Then you have big old nasty Crayak and his enemy the Ellimist. If Crayak had a meaning then its definition would have been 'Carving fear' and if the Ellimist had a meaning then it would mean 'Weasel guy' the Ellimist believes that he could help creatures without directly interfering… Yeah, right. I've seen what this guy does, but we don't know if the Ellimist is one, a whole, a he, a she or a race. Or maybe an it, who knows?

The Animorphs; which is another way of emphasizing 'idiot teenagers with a death wish' consists of Jake; our glorious and yet so responsible aging leader (Yep, the guy's no bigger than sixteen and yet he's ageing…weird) his beautiful yet insane cousin Rachel, Jake's more-than-a-friend Cassie (big secret hush.) Tobias the bird boy and his four-eyed friend Ax, Ax is an Andalite.

And then me, Marco, the cutest and smartest of the group. My hobbies consist of shooting hoops with Jake and looking for the next person to annoy, Rachel's the best opportunity, followed by bird-boy who is savagely defended by Rachel and Cassie who's the tree hugging nut, but the grand prize would go to…Jake! My immature friend, he is also known for is amateurism in dancing and school and girls and basketball and taste and…and…and…

You do realize I'm exaggerating.

But I am not exaggerating about the part regarding the Yeerks, it is true. We are being invaded.

So, now you'd be thinking, "What are you guys doing?" And that's when I look at you and say "Emm, well see. The Yeerks were starting to have better control over the criminal and police forces,

"Emmm, you see, we had to stop this guy named Terry from being infested, and uh. It-kind-of got out of hand since we just found out that Visser Three wanted him so bad and somehow a bunch of Terry's homeboys have found out that a group of people had planned to kidnap him–the Yeerks intelligent plan- they found out and raced to save him.

"We got in the middle of it and someway or another managed to lose sight of Rachel, Ax and Tobias and end up in this steel room which contained a portable Kandrona and a small pool to go with it, and we had Terry and two Hork-Bajir guards with us. The two who were suppose to hold down Terry.

"Did I mention being trapped? And did I tell you about this part where Terry's buddies are outside trying to ram the door open? There must have been twenty of them or so, the steel door was pretty big, and it looked like it would give in soon."

And that's what we have been up to, nothing good I suppose.

Like insane.

And Crazy.

Mad, stupid, foolish and did I mention insane?

< Okay but do it fast! > Jake yelled, looking at the wrecked door.

Cassie demorphed and then started to morph again.

< What are you morphing? > I asked.

< African Elephant. > She replied.

She finished morphing and stepped up to the door and leaned her massive bulk against the door, but she did it very gently, so that the door doesn't crash on the other side.

< Problem solved, > She said triumphantly.

< What do we do? > I asked Jake.

< We…We…> He looked around in his tiger eyes and suddenly, they lit up,

< What? > I cried.

< We call the cops! > He yelled.

< How is that going to help? > I said, exasperated, Jake can be very stupid at times.

< We call the cops and tell them that there is a bunch of people trying to break into a warehouse! > Which was exactly where we were, < And we start raving about aliens! The Yeerks can clean their own mess! We know that about half the police force are controllers! They'd be monitoring those kinds of reports! >

< Good plan. > Cassie said, < How do we call them? And they'd recognize our voice as one belonging for a kid! They'd ask who we are! >

< We can lie, > Jake said, < And there's a mobile phone, >

I demorphed and walked to the phone,

< What are you doing? > Jake yelled.

"You don't have to yell." I said, and then I morphed into Mr. Grant, the guy I acquired in order for me to enter this building and spy on my mother, Visser one, that's a long story, and it's one I wouldn't like to tell.

I picked up the phone and dialed nine-one-one.

I patiently waited for someone to pick up the receiver on the other side. Someone did,

"This is nine-one-one how may I help you?" Said this women, she must have been about thirty years old. And, she had a southern accent.

I dropped my patient act and screamed in a panicked and petrified voice.

"HELP! They'll kill me! You GOT to help me! They're trying to bash the door down! There too many of them I-"

"Sir? Calm down I didn't get a word you said."

"They're going to kill me!" I yammered.

Then I heard her try to speak to me, I dropped the phone so that it hit the ground, counted to five then picked it up again.

"They're in! They're looking for me! I-" I said this in a husky whisper.

"Okay, I need to know where you are and who are these people." She sounded…calm, yet edgy.

I told her the address and a description of the people who were 'looking for me' it would be very impolite if I were to repeat that description.

"Okay sir, the police are going to come you just hang in tight and-"

I interrupted her with this awed voice, "Oh my god! What the hell is that? Oh man, this is, this is…"

"What is it? What?" She asked sounding surprised.

"It's this thing, it's lying on the ground, it's…well…it's not -"

BAM! BAM!

Jake and I jumped at the sound of gun fire, I stared at him and he stared at me. Then we both stared at Cassie.

< Some guy killed another, they were arguing, > She said, < I heard them. >

"Sir? Sir? Are you all-right?" She sounded scared.

"Yeah!" I gasped, "They shot it!"

"Shot what?" She said, the edginess creeping into her voice.

"It! That thing! It's…it's some kind of mutant I think, some freak! It's dark green and it's covered in blades. Oh my god I think it's hurt! It's bleeding some kind of blue green fluid!"

"What?" I heard her snap, then her voice changed tone, "Uh, Sir, are you okay? Have you been drinking?"

Good, I was talking to a controller and she knew what I had just described.

"May I have your name, sir?" She said politely.

"Sure! My name is Raymond Nickerson, I -" I grabbed the mobile and as I threw it down I wailed a cry of help. The mobile cracked opened in the middle ad it's contents scattered at the ground.

I looked at Jake, "Let'em insure that Mr. Nickerson is dead."

< Marco? > Cassie said sharply, < Where did you get that morph? >

"You wouldn't like to know." I muttered as I demorphed and morphed into gorilla.

< Okay, Marco? > Jake instructed, < You grab Terry, Cassie and I'll follow. > I heard sirens wail, I grabbed the unconscious man and since there was no exist other than the big steel door, I made another exist in one of the walls.

The Yeerks and the police did not notice a tiger, a wolf and a gorilla carrying the unconscious drug lord Terry, exit the warehouse.

To be continued......

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