The Discovery

Chapter Six

~Rachel~

"Ra-CHEL?"

"Ra-CHEL?"

That would be my sisters; Jordan and Sarah.

And that would be them screaming in my ears in an effort to wake me up.

Little did they know that I had dropped off asleep fifteen minutes ago.

PALOOSH!

Cold water stung my face and dribbled down my long blonde hair, I sat upright in bed, opened my eyes and… glared at empty space?

For a few minutes I was baffled. They were not there anymore; all I could hear was hysterical giggles.

"Why you little-" I growled.

I leapt up off the bed and raced down the stairs. Going down the steps three at a time. As I approached the final two steps, I saw the blobbing heads of a sprinting Jordan and a stumbling Sarah.

It didn't take me long to catch up to them, I grabbed them by the arms and shook them hard. "What were you two trying to do? Drown me?"

Jordan was trying to say something but was laughing too hard.

Sarah started joining in with Jordan, laughed at my state. I was ready to strangle both of them.

"Not us! Silly-Billy!" Sarah giggled, "It was daddy!"

Only then did I notice the figure near the doorway, it took me a few minutes to comprehend what I was seeing.

I jammed my hands in my jeans…only I was in my dressing gown and my hands just slipped past my waste. I stood bewildered.

"Quick! Someone! Bring the camera!" Jordan said.

FLASH!

Sarah laughed crazily.

"Hey!" I yelled at Sarah and Jordan as the two disappeared up the staircase.

"Dad?" I said slowly, "What are you doing here?"

My dad wasn't suppose to be here, after the past year my dad had serious clashes with my mom, both ends wanted to keep us with one of them. Mom refused to let go and dad kept on coming to my mom and ask her if he could take us. The relation between my parents was so bad that every time my dad came over he would be screamed at, yelled at and thrown out.

My dad had been growing lonely over the last year. He couldn't enjoy his life with out his girls with him. I didn't blame him, but I wished my parents would find a better place to fight in. It was depressing listening to your parents scream at each other. Totally opposite of having them cool and under control.

He grinned at me, "You wouldn't wake up."

"So you decided to throw a pitcher of water in my face?" I asked, slightly cranky.

"It was Sarah's idea." A slow smile crossed his face. A warm one, the one I always wished to see on his face. A boyish smile. Looking at my dad smile that way warmed my heart, it made me glow inside. I instantly felt the anger flush away.

"Does my mom know?" I asked him.

He scowled, like he always does when I mention her, "No."

I hesitated; I'd be in big trouble if my mother knew that-

"It's okay," He said, sensing my worry, "I'll be gone."

He walked to the door. Turned and looked at me, then a serious expression crossed his face. In a false deep English accent he said, "But I shall be back."

He laughed evilly, winked at me and left the house.

I stayed standing for a while, wanting to treasure the emotions in me.

"Rachel? Why are you wet? Go change your clothes and get ready for school."

I sighed turned away and walked heavily up to my room. I showered, changed in to a new 'out fit' -as Cassie would call it. And waited for the school bus to arrive.

I zombie walked through all my lessons. Cassie, who was three rows in front of me and four desks across, was yawning continuously. Marco had put his head down and was snoring softly. Our history teacher who was standing in front of Marco looked down at him skeptically.

"Marco? When did you sleep last night?" She asked,

No response. She leaned down and put her lips near his ears, "Mar-co. When did you-" She started to repeat in a loud voice.

"Yahhhh!" He yelped, throwing his hands back and caught her eyeglasses in the process; throwing them into space.

He clutched his heart, "Ugh! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

The class laughed.

Miss. Chambers started to look around for her glasses, muttering to herself about her 'generation' and how well behaved children were suppose to be.

Another student dropped to sleep.

In the Cafeteria I saw Cassie and Jake on a table, I avoided them –since it was our policy not to look as if we were one group- and I sat down with this girl named Rebecca.

"Hi Rachel." She greeted, "Seen Melissa lately?"

"No, it had been a while since I did." I sighed and pushed away my plate.

She looked at me and nodded, "Not much appetite for school food huh?"

"Who does?" I asked.

Both of us laughed, Rebecca stopped laughing and frowned,

"What?"

"Look! Over there!" She said.

I followed the direction of her finger and saw a handsome boy about a few years younger then me.

And of course he was. After all, acquired DNA doesn't age.

What did Ax want?

"He's awfully cute!" She giggled, and I almost rolled my eyes.

"I think he's new." I said, I got up and advance towards him. As I reached him he opened his mouth to speak to me. I smiled sweetly grabbed his arm and yanked him behind me. I went to the library.

"What are you, crazy? What are you doing here?" I hissed at him, Ax was still dangerous in human morph.

"I know that it is against Prince Jake's previous orders"-I rolled my eyes-"But something important came up."

"What? What is it? Why couldn't Tobias come?" My heart started beating faster and I leaned closer.

"Because they needed someone with an good experience over Earth terrain and human public places."

My blood froze in my veins, "Who? Who is they?"

"The An-" He stopped, smiled and looked at me, "My people, they arrived."

At first I just stared,

"Rachel?" He asked, sounding worried, "Are you all right?"

"They came?" I said slowly, my brain was not intercepting the meaning behind the words.

"Yes."

"Oh man, we better tell Jake," I snapped out of my weird trance and leapt off the chair. I went out of the library with Ax tagging behind me.

"You go back to Tobias and I'll tell Marco, Cassie and Jake. Meet us at-" I frowned and thought hard, "At Tobias's meadow."

He nodded and turned to leave. I grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" I hissed.

He looked surprised that I asked, "Out of your school."

"Yeah I figured that part out, but how do you intend on doing that?" I said.

He looked at me as if I was acting weird or something, "The same way as I came in."

"Which is?"

"Your main entrance."

I slapped my forehead, "You actually think that you can by pass all the kiss-up school monitors?"

"What is that?" He asked.

"You mean who." I corrected.

"Come on, follow me, I got a better escape route."

Ax shook his head in bewilderment "Your people don't have a lot of trust in your students do they?"

"Uhuh, Why do you think democracy has a disadvantage?" I muttered.

"What?"

"So that the parents can have it their way, as usual."

"What?" He repeated,

"Forget it." I said.

I took Ax to the girl's toilet. Luckily no one was there. I closed the main door and told him to morph into bird to fly out of the window.

I then went back out to the Cafeteria and sat with Jake and Cassie.

"Hi guys!" I said cheerfully. Or as cheerfully as I could be when I had been trying to sleep a few minutes ago.

"What's up with you?"

Since the Cafeteria was full of people I couldn't just say that the Andalites arrived.

"Guess what Mr. William assigned for us." Jake and Cassie stared at me like I was crazy. Mr. William was my English teacher.

"Why should I care?" Jake said slowly,

"You should." I replied.

"Why?"

"Because he told us to write a four page story." I said, like that was something exciting, "About alien supermen from outer-space arriving on Earth. You know, the blue ones."

Cassie opened her mouth to yell in, Jake dug his elbow in her rib cage.

"I think I'm going to ditch it. The whole school thing you know?"

"Yep, and we then meet in birdie heaven." I replied, rolling my eyes, "Yeah right."

"Sure, I'll tell Marco. Reserve a place for him." Jake said, smiling.

I smiled back.

They're here.

At last we get a chance to fight even with the Yeerks.

Chapter Seven

Prince Berit stared at the human named Tobias. He clamed that he is a nothlit and he could morph. He serious did not believe what he said, but he chose to ignore it, besides, they still have not seen the Aristh.

< Took you guys a long time to come. > He said.

< Yes, Zero-Space travel is very unreliable, > One of the warriors answered.

Tobias glared at the warrior with fierce eyes, the body he was in was very impressive. It's main weapons- as Prince Berit had guessed- were the sharp hooked beak and the talons. All in all, it was a magnificent creature.

Prince Berit sill did not know how a human looked like. And he didn't know what to expect.

They walked – him the bird and a few other warriors to a location which the human Tobias refereed to as his 'territory'

As they walked they were interrupted by a fantastic range of animals. He had observed small four legged animals with long bushy tails in the color of gray, every time he approached a distance of less than twenty feet, the creature would stare at him and scurry away up a tree and hide in a hole in the tree or a very high branch.

He also saw a similar creature, smaller than the gray one, light brown in color with a white and black strip going across it's back. This one preferred to dive beneath the strange trees and stand staring at him, nose twitching.

He also observed that even though these creatures were very small compared to him and they were extremely fast and despite having only two eyes they are extremely hard to sneak on.

The human would drift from one tree to another and wait for us to catch up, this creature's flight ability could only as described as professional.

< Whoa! > The human yelled in thought speak, < Stop! >

< What? What is it? > Prince Berit cried,

< Wait for it to pass, you don't want to make him angry. >

Before the Andalites walking in a sort of…waddle… a small, fury black and white striped creature walked fearlessly before them.

< Hah! > One of the warriors said,

< No it can't, > The human said patiently, and Prince Berit wondered why he stopped them,

< Like what? > Prince Berit asked.

< Look, we're almost there, I was starting to think we were having way too much luck on the way, not bumping into anything dangerous, I'd appreciate it if you stopped and let the skunk go by. >

< The what? > One of the warriors asked,

< The furry black and white creature, it is called a skunk, this little critter lives up to his name. You see, despite it's small size it has a major weapon, no animal in this forest would dare to confront an adult skunk, if you get too close->

WOOF! WOOF!

< What the! > Prince Berit yelled.

Then he heard a voice call, "Homer! Why did you follow me boy?"

Prince Berit and his warriors saw a creature come running towards them, they saw large pointed teeth, a somewhat big build, and it was continually making the loud sounds.

WOOF! WOOF!

< Jake! > The human Tobias yelled, < Grab Homer! >

"What? Tobias is that you? What's wrong?" The Andalites heard the primitive mouth sounds but they did not see a source, they were more worried over the light brown creature that was threatening to attack them.

< Take it easy! He's not goanna kill you or something, he's -Oh man! Move back! > He yelled.

Prince Berit and his warriors moved back, the creature came bounding through them and went directly to the small furry creature.

As a response, the furry creature raised its lower body and stood balanced on its front paws. It held its tail straight up and the tip was bent. When it was obvious that the attacking beast was not going to back off, the skunk-as the human Tobias had called it- raised the end of its tail and…fired!

AROOW! Aroow! ArooOOOoooow!

A stench so powerful that it made them stagger back as if hit. The stench was overwhelming! Prince Berit and his warriors backed off another ten yards or so.

The beast blinked it's soft brown eyes and shook it's head hard, it backed off making whimpering sounds and turned away and ran towards-

All of the Andalites were instantly mystified, they stared at the two approaching phenomenon of a creature.

They were both taller than the whimpering beast, they were in fact… slightly shorter than Prince Berit, their faces were pale, so were there arms, the rest of there body was very different in texture and color, one had short dark brown hair sprouting from it's head.

This one was slightly shorter than the other, this one was sturdier in build and…looked physically stronger, not that the other one looked weak or anything.

The other one…the other had yellow…no golden hair, it was very long, the sun's light caught it making it shimmer nicely, this one was actually a few inches taller than the Aristh they were looking for.

Both had mouthparts, a horizontal slit across the lower third of their faces. But what amazed all of them was how they walked.

They were clearly bipedal, the walked by swinging one leg while the other was stationary on the ground, their arms swung in the rhythm of their moves. Their heads would occasionally turn to look at each other.

Both had two eyes, only two, no more. The one with brown hair had brown colored eyes, and the one with the golden hair had ice blue eyes. This creature regarded them with cold eyes, the other one seemed more welcoming.

Another amazing thing was that they had no tail! No tail at all! How did they balance? This was a mystery to the Prince; they were also stripped from any natural weapon, as far as he could see.

< That's Jake and Rachel. > The human Tobias said, breaking the Andalites out of their trance.

< What? > Prince Berit asked.

< This is what a human looks like, > Tobias replied coolly.

< And you used to be like that? > One of the warriors- Rlilim - called out, we had been with Tobias for over three hours, and if he was lying then he was trapped.

One of the humans –the one with golden hair- narrowed it's eyes at the warrior that had called out, it's eyes got harder and then looked at the bird, then at Rlilim, the warrior that had spoken. Prince Berit did not like Rlilim much. "Who're you?"

< Rlilim. > He said, without bothering to say his whole name.

"He still can."

The human that had spoken was a…male. Prince Berit assumed. It's hair was brighter colored and more attractive than the dull brown one. Also, the way he had spoken was very direct and curt.

< Yeah, right. >

He scowled and his eyes went narrower, "I said he can."

< Jake man, tell your cousin to chili out, Rachel? Let them be, I don't care what they say. >

"Yeah but Tobias, you heard what she said, you can."

It was a she? What a strange species, the females are attractive in color than a male? The females were more aggressive than the males? Then exactly how does a male impress a female? This species are upside down and inside out, thought Prince Berit, these humans looked pathetic in a tail-fight.

< He had been in that creature for more than three hours, > Rlilim said.

Then he looked at his Prince and shrugged using his eye stalks,

"Then beat that." The female Rachel said in rude tone.

The nothlit landed on the under growth, he looked at al of us and sighed in our heads,

"If it were Marco they would." Rachel said to the bird while tossing her golden hair back over her shoulders.

Slowly at first then faster, the bird's features twisted and changed.

< Whoa! He's morphing! > Rlilim yelled in surprise.

"Of course I can, but this body that I am is a morph, I'd have to morph back to bird in order to keep the morphing powers."

Prince Berit was looking at a human as tall as the one that called itself Jake, but he was smaller in build. He had golden hair like the human girl except for that his was not exactly gold, it was a mixture of two colors.

< You mean that you had been trapped in that bird and then regained your powers and managed to acquire your lost DNA? How? > Prince Berit was confused.

"The Ellimist." He answered as if it was all he needed to say.

< What? But Ellimist is a mythical creature! > Rlilim said.

The human Tobias nodded, "Not as mythical as aliens used to be to us."

They were all very surprised by this founding; Prince Berit was slowly realizing something.

< He gave you back your morphing powers? > He asked slowly.

"He asked me to tell him my desire, at that time, when he came I mean, I was still a nothlit incapable of morphing. He asked me that because it was a payment for a something I had done for him. I was confused…at that time I guess I was more bird than human…" He trailed off and looked sadly at the human Rachel, she had turned away and directed her eyes away.

< You mean you stayed in your trapped form so that you can continue the fight? >

The human boy turned his head at me and with a face blank with emotions he said one word, just one word, it was said…sadly, wistfully.

"Yes."

Chapter Nine

~Tobias~

After they went, Berit took us to the dome ship; this was the first time I was in a spaceship without the intention of suicide.

The dome ship looked magnificent, just as Ax had described to me, seeing the huge thing hang there in space was awesome! It was shaped like a long stick but with a mushroom like park at the end.

I had demorphed to Hawk and stood perched on Ax's shoulder, I was careful on how much pressure I applied, I couldn't just dig my talons in his shoulder like the way I would dig them in a tree. Balancing was a challenge.

The pilot docked to the huge ship and for the first time, this Andalite dome ship had been seen by a human.

Correction its Human/Red-Tailed-Hawk/Andalite freak.

Great, now I was the only freak in my group.

I was happy for Ax, I sensed his happiness, although he tried not to show it too clearly, I knew that this was what he wanted, he wanted to be back with his people…even though he considered humans his people as well.

But as you might as well say, he's an Andalite and we're humans. An Andalite belongs in his home, not in a zoo full of wild insane predators.

Andalites are peaceful pacifists. At least, the locals are, I hopped. But I was not very sure about the warriors, Ax was peaceful, he had no intention of harming anyone unless he had to, he proved this point very well.

But then and again, he said it himself, he's just a kid, a cadet, he had no real experience of war. Besides, I don't think these Andalites would be very concerned about how many humans end up being killed, for them that was just the ordinary.

We were dropped in a room and told to wait. Ax said that they were probably calling the Captain or the War-Prince.

Actually, both came, with a Tactical officer.

Their names were War-Prince Dorrath, something, something and Captain Lenkim, something, something. The T.O was Hareth something, something. The minute they told me their names I half forgot them.

They asked us about the invasion and what was happening, mainly they asked Ax, I just looked at them and at the room we were in.

< How many controllers have been made? > Lenkim asked.

< We suspect a few hundred thousand, at least three hundred new controllers are made every two days or so. >

< Hundred thousand? > Dorrath gasped.

< Yes, sir. > Ax replied.

I half sighed, < But if they want to win Earth over they have do better than that. >

< What? > The T.O snapped, < What do you mean? >

< I still don't understand, if the Yeerks have a few hundred thousand controllers then you already lost the war. >

I stopped preening my feathers and aimed my intense eyes to them.

< Losing less than point forty percent of our total population isn't that big a deal. >

< Less than point forty percent of your population! > The T.O yelped < A few hundred thousand is less than point forty percentage of your population!? >

< Yeah, well almost. > I replied, wondering what his commotion was about.

< The human population on Earth is very big, it would be almost ten times the population of Andalites in our home world. > Ax said.

Oh, that's why. Sure, I thought that Earth was over populated but not that much.

Aliens.

< So you have not lost? > Lenkim asked.

< No we didn't lose, but that's how many people we think the Yeerks have, we don't know exactly how many human controllers they have. >

They were quite for a moment.

< What are you planning on doing? > I asked.

< We thought that the war was public, it seems not so. We can't go public so I suggest we try and find another solution. > Dorrath said.

It was true, I think that they've been through this all before, don't introduce the fact that aliens exist to a race that doesn't know it, leave them live in ignorance of it.

< Tell us about the Yeerks, what have you learnt? > Lenkim said.

< Well, we know that the Yeerk controlling the invasion is Visser Three. > Dorrath made a sick sneering sound in my head.

< They guard the entrance to Yeerk pools by Gleet bio-filters, hunter robots and we know five of such entrances. > Ax continued.

We talked for another half hour or so, then they left. Leaving me and Ax in the room.

< So Ax, > I told him, < Happy? >

He turned a stalk eye towards me and smiled. < I'd be even happier if I were in my meadow. >

That was the first time Ax spoke of his home, which meant that he was getting more anxious of leaving. That was okay, I didn't blame him.

After a few minutes of silence, Ax's eyes brightened suddenly.

< What? What is it? > I asked.

< I'd like… I'd like to show you part of my homeland. > He said, sounding excited. I morphed to human.

"What? But, Ax? Aren't we on a space ship?"

< Yes we are, but you never went with the others when you first found me in the depth of your ocean. >

"Ax? What are you on about? I was trapped back then, water is no place for a bird like me-"

< Follow me, > He said eagerly.

I did, he took me out on the corridor and started to walk down it. I hurried up and caught pace with him.

We reached two…elevators that had no floors…drop shafts! I felt as if I just won the lottery, I figured out what an alien structure was! No wait, I've seen that thing before, actually, twice, both with the Yeerks. Oh well.

He stepped in-and after a hesitation- I went after him.

We came out in a small steel room, in front of us was a black door. I frowned.

< We are in front of the entrance of the Dome, a dome is…like a food court to an Andalite on a dome ship, the area you will enter is no different than what my home would look like. > He stopped looked at me with a smile, he knew I wanted to know how his world looked like. And now there he was, giving me an opportunity, I felt his excitement as clearly as I felt my own.

< Are you ready? > He said, his hand over a red button.

"Yes."

He opened it.

I walked in three feet and stopped completely, I was stupefied.

The area was large! Almost as big as two baseball fields.

The very first thing I noticed was the trees, they had pink leaves, as I walked absent mindedly, with my mouth hanging open I surveyed the place.

It was a wonder, trees of different kinds and color, mostly they looked like a slimmer younger version of an oak tree. The dominating color was a bluish green, maybe that was why Andalites were blue, their grass –to my surprise- was a blue, it also had a hint of green in it.

As I walked I approached a lake in the middle, I had also noticed a stream that ran through the circumference of the area. Since the place was shaped like a dome; it appeared larger than it really was.

If I had to really describe this place the way it really deserved, I'd have to be a poet, or a Disney cartoon producer.

I was neither.

"It's…breathtaking." I whispered.

It took me a while to realize that Ax and I were not the only people on in the dome. There were Andalite Warriors, playing, practicing their skills (it was either that or they were trying to butcher themselves.) running, talking, feeding, or drinking water by the large lake.

A breeze ruffled my hair, and I become aware of thecontinues artificial breeze.

I looked up and saw a space. Stars, million and billions of stars.

I demorphed keeping my eyes trained on the stars.

As my superior hawk vision replaced my pathetic human vision, I could know see Mars, Venous, and far off Jupiter. I think I could see Saturn, but I was not so sure.

I took off in flight, wanting to see the topography of this strange and beautiful place. After circling around for about five minutes I floated down to Ax, who had finished feeding.

< If this is how your home world looks… Wow. > I said.

Ax just smiled again.

But then as a reminder, he turned his eye stalks backwards, I followed the direction and saw trees, above the sparse trees, like a half moon, suspend in space, was my planet, Earth.

No, the Yeerks will not get it, not while I'm around.

Chapter Ten

~Jake~

"Jake! Jake! Dinner's ready!" A singsong voice chirped.

I put my hands over my head and groaned, my mother's been in one of her moods again, She thinks she's good in singing; I emphasize the word 'think'.

Okay, maybe I'm mean right now.

That was only because I was doing algebra. I wondered if it was okay for the Andalites if they did my homework for me. I mean, sometimes when I'm really not in the mood I give it to Ax who laughs over it. He learned not to laugh, but the look on his face is just as annoying.

Uhuh, all the other but Rachel would approve. After all, she's the pack card student; I so do not live up to her rep as a good student. I'm average, Rachel is over the average mark and Marco is at the bottom of the pile.

No, that's not true, he's smart. He just doesn't have the attitude. Ops, I'm sounding like my teacher, I slapped my head.

"Jake!"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" I hollered over Tom's blaring stereo, I was trying to stop the occurrence of any glass shattering events. My dad should be thankful; I think I should bug him for a raise in my allowance.

Hey, I use it for buying clothes when I demorph in some other place; it's weird having to run around in a spandex top and shorts. As Rachel would say "A major fashion no-no. "

"What's for dinner?" I asked as I hopped on a chair.

"Jake?" My mother said, "Set the table."

My face fell. I grabbed it back on and raced up the stairs again.

I violated the warnings stuck on the door and entered the forbidden boundary.

By the way, that's Tom's room.

"SHUT IT OFF!" I scream in order to be heard over the music.

He shut it off, "What?" He sounded annoyed.

"Mom told me to tell you to set the table."

He stared at me suspiciously and grabbed my arm as he left the room, he closed the door behind him and went to set the table.

Me, getting interested, slowly and quietly slipped into his room. I looked around quietly and frowned at what I saw.

I saw a picture, a picture of a girl about eighteen. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, a warm complexion and standing near her, was a boy of strong physic, black hair and green eyes. He too had a pale complexion; he was about nineteen, twenty. They were in some camp sight, beautiful waterfalls and green trees. Behind them was a yellow mustang.

I turned the picture over.

From the memories of

L and A

I shrugged my shoulders, what did it mean? I grabbed the picture and went out.

As I walked down the stairs I stuffed it in my pocket and sat down on the table, my dad retired from the sofa and came to join us.

My mother and father got engaged in their boring story of work, as usual. Tom and I were left to kick in smart remarks and avoided getting grounded.

After I got a little tired of throwing in the smart remarks I turned to Tom and started to annoy him.

"So Tom, remind me, why did you quite the Basket Ball team?"

"You what?" My dad tuned in to our conversation.

"Dad," Tom said, throwing a you-are-going-to-be-sorry look, "Tis' no big deal, I got bored. "

"Huh? You did?" I said, "I'm thinking more like; you lost the touch."

He kicked me underneath the table. Safe from my parents' prying eyes.

"What's all this about being bored?" My dad said as I kicked Tom back.

"Nothing dad, look it was my decision." Tom returned the kick with one that was even harder than the first.

My dad sighed and turned to my mother and plunged deeper in their boring conversation.

I kicked Tom so hard that the vibration translated up on the table making any tall objects shake.

"Jake, Tom, STOP it," My mother snapped at us, since you know, we interrupted.

I jumped off my chair and Tom's foot hit the empty chair sending it crashing against the wall, it cracked.

"Tom!" My mother cried. "What did you do?"

"It was an accident! I didn't mean it! It was-" Tom turned on the excuses mode and started giving off every single excuse he could think of, which was about seventeen years worth of experience, unfortunately he forgot the most obvious one.

"No excuses, young man, you are going to fix that out of your time and allowance-"

"But dad! It was Jake's fault!" Oh well, he didn't miss the classic blame-the other-person excuse.

"Are you arguing with me?" My dad growled.

"No, sir." Tom murmured in submission. Again learnt from years of experience and hardship.

My mother started, "Good then, just for that you get to wash all the dishes and I needed someone to help me with the spring clean thing and your father messed the garage lately…" Tom's mouth dropped open in disbelief.

Ever notice that after doing something wrong and your parents find out, you get to do all the things they have to do?

Behold the power behind the adult world it could be very satisfying.

"Jake? It'll only be fair if you helped Tom with the dishes." She said.

Note that it is only satisfying when it was with you, not against you. I knew that there was no point arguing.

"Where did ya learn to kick that hard," He muttered as I handed the dishes to him, "Man you bruised my leg you big ox!"

It was weird, I just couldn't get over the fact that the whole episode I had earlier was done with an alien, not my brother, or at least, my brother's limited intelligence.

It was about time for me to get going so I yelled to my mom something about going to Marco's and left the house.

It was already dark. I grabbed my bike and pedaled to Marco's I almost knocked on the door when I had this strange feeling, the house was too quite.

I ran to where Marco's bedroom would be, I climbed t he pathetically made ladder which Marco and I had constructed a long time ago, before the war. We used it to go into his room when his father was in the house or if he had to go out when his father was in. He doesn't really need it now, flying out of a window s a lot more efficient. I wrapped quietly on the window, it slid open and Marco pulled me in.

"What? Don't tell me you needed the exercise." He said, in a way of greeting.

"No," I grunted, I looked around his messy room, "You grounded or what?"

"Uhuh, how did you know?" He asked.

I tapped my head, "It's all in here."

Marco went near me and looked behind me, "What where?"

I shoved him playfully.

"Chapman called my dad, my dad found out and slam! I'm grounded."

"Come on lets go."

He nodded, "Let's hope dad doesn't check on me."

We morphed to birds and took to the sky.

Chapter Eleven

~Cassie~

I was flying in bright sunlight, high up where no sound could be heard, It was ere, there was no activity, not from the silent houses beneath me, although there was activity in the forest; a fox was walking, sniffing around. A badger was minding it's own business, mice and rats were going here and there and me flying on soundless wings.

In reality, it was pitch black, and the nocturnal animals were stirring up.

I was in my owl morph, taking my time. Watching the beauty of the world that I lived in.

This was what the Yeerks wanted, not war, not hate, not torture, or enslaving people.

They wanted to feel, to see, to smell, to experience life…and as their true natural form does not allow them to do such a thing....

Probably was hard on them, the way we take our surrounding for granted. What had Aftran told me?

"You live in a Paradise and you don't even know it!"

True, we live in a paradise and we don't even know it. Well, some people do, but the others just don't care. It means nothing to them. Until they lose it will they ever realize their mistake.

I could still hear that voice in my head, her longing for a world where all was fair. Where Yeerk and humans were at peace. I longed for that too.

Now Aftran had a chance to see more than just a paradise. A whale cruising the rich seas is what heaven is to humans.

I felt happy for her. I hoped the others felt that way as well.

Down below me I saw my fellow Animorphs with the Andalites.

I floated down to them, demorphed and headed towards the direction in which I saw them.

"Hi, guys." I said.

"Hi Cassie." Jake replied.

"All right, as I was saying," Marco continued, looking at one of the Andalites. "It would be a good idea if we blew up a few Yeerk bases."

"Uhuh, Marco." Rachel said, batting her eyelashes, "With what? Your superior knowledge? I'd give you a two to one odd that your brain would blow first. And that would be such a shame; I'd then have to deal with the mess you leave behind you. As always."

"Hah, Hah and another hah. For your information I-" He stopped suddenly thinking of the best come back.

"Take your time, no point straining yourself over it." Rachel laughed.

"Me?" He said.

"Who else?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"Are you two done?" Jake said, getting slightly mad.

Marco made a go-ahead gesture with his hand.

Jake said, "Didn't any of you hear the news today?"

We slowly shook our heads.

He sighed, "They say that the President is visiting our town."

"Uhuh," Rachel said unimpressed, "Which state?"

She took a swig from the mountain drew she had.

"United States."

She chocked. Her face turned red.

"What?" She croaked. She coughed again.

The president was coming? Why?

< What is a president? > One of the Andalites asked, the one Marco had been speaking to.

< A president is an elected official serving as both chief of state and chief political executive in a republic having a presidential government. > Ax said.

We all stared at him.

"Turns out Ax didn't just read the World Almanac, but he swallowed a couple of dictionaries in the process." Marco muttered.

"That isn't half of it," Jake said, "All the other presidents of states are coming. The issue under discussion is Japan."

"Huh? Why?" Marco asked.

"Must have been an economical clash." Rachel mused.

"No," Jake said, "You'd wish it was."

The Andalites were listening intently to what we were saying.

"Then what is it?" Rachel asked.

Jake sighed again and rubbed his eyes, "The Japanese want to enlarge their army."

< Why? > Ax wondered.

"That's exactly what America wants to know, why." Jake said.

"And what did the Japanese have to say about it?" I asked.

"The said nothing. Offered no explanation." Jake said, "At least, that's what they said in the news."

< Why would your country want to know what another wants to do? > Prince Berit asked I finally recognized him.

"America prefers to be 'at the top' with Japan in the way, god know what'll happen."

< You speak as if they just starting to cause trouble, couldn't they have done this earlier? > Ax asked Jake.

Jake nodded, "Ax, they can't."

< Why? > Berit asked.

"Oh, god." Jake said throwing his arms up. "I don't know, they can't, they just can't."

Marco smirked, "I bet you asked your father why and he said they can't. You didn't even bother asking him why."

Jake stared at Marco.

"You know? Jake? Marco? There is a rational explanation to this. If you guys ever paid any attention in history class you would have known, but of course, you prefer to drop to sleep." Rachel said.

"I don't drop to sleep!" Marco objected.

"Yeah, right Marco." Rachel said, "And where were you today?"

"In dream land?" He offered.

"Yeah right." Rachel said. Then she fell silent.

"So, your going to say it or not?" Marco asked.

"Say what?" She said.

"Why Japan can't expand her army." Marco said, then as an after thought he added "Duh."

"Me? I don't know." She flashed a smile.

"I do." Tobias said.

"At least somebody does." Marco muttered.

"Well," Tobias said, addressing the Andalites. " In the Second World War, which was after the first, America dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, in an effort to win the war and knock her out of any future wars. The Japanese surrendered after the second bomb. Some sort of treaty was made and in one of the rules they put down, was that Japan cannot expand her army, she had to rely on America. The Japanese could do nothing but agree on those terms and what I think is happening now is that Japan feels it best for her to own her own army."

< Your people dropped an Atom bomb on themselves? > Berit said shocked.

"Hey!" Marco said, "It was America's interest to do that!"

"But that was kind of harsh." I disapproved.

"Well, how do you think history is made?" Marco said, "If Earth was nothing but a bunch of co-operating people then we'd have no history!"

He stopped and seemed to think about it, "That's not a bad idea! That'll make us study one subject less!"

Jake rolled his eyes along with Rachel. I pressed my lips together and frowned at him. Was this all he had to say?

"The point," Jake said, "Is that they're holding a conference somewhere in our town. With all the presidents of the states and the president of America."

< Why would that be of our concern? > Berit asked.

"Why would it be our concern?" Marco repeated, like he couldn't believe what he just heard, "What are you? Nuts? The Yeerks know you're here! They want to round this up fast! What better way is there than to run up and infest the most powerful man on Earth? Along with a bonus of a few other presidents, of some importance? Besides, I'm betting that it was the Yeerks doing, creating a problem like that."

"What makes you s sure it's the Yeerks doing?" Rachel muttered darkly, "This isn't something out of my expectations."

"Uhuh, your insane expectations. Opposite to my sane and perfectly sensible expectations." Marco said.

"Who are you calling insane?" Rachel snapped.

"Hey!" I held my hands up, "The point is to defeat the Yeerks, not bite each other's heads off!"

Rachel fumed and Marco turned away.

< What are we supposed to do about it? > Tobias asked.

Jake shrugged, "Haven't got any brilliant plans. I'm open for suggestions."

We were all silent for a moment.

We looked at each other and said in unison.

"The Chee."

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