The Unknown

By RJ Artty

Chapter Fourteen

< Who are you? > I asked.

the female said,

I just stared at her. I did not know how to respond to what she just said.

< You were not assigned to the Galaxy Tree. I would have noticed if you were. So, how did you come to be on Earth? > I asked her skeptically.

< No you are right, > She said smiling at me,

< Where are these other two Andalites. > I asked her.

She looked at the ground and Randolph shot me a poisons look. Dagmar scuffled a hoof in the dirt.

< After the fighter crashed I…> She trailed off then spoke again

"So what?" Marco said, "You two know each other?"

Degmar replied with a smile

"Swell." Marco muttered.

"So that's all of you?" Prince Jake mused "You must all be, what? A total of sixteen?"

"Uhuh," Randolph said, "Amigo, Toby, Alex, Alexis, Markus, Dee, Lukas, Tanja, Salix, Guttani, Julian, Max, Andreas, Micha, Dagmar and me."

"Wow, that's a lot to keep track of!" Marco exclaimed.

"Don't worry," Julian said coldly, "Half of us won't stay for long."

"What?" Rachel asked. I noticed that through all this she had been staring intensely at Julian.

"Half of us are going to hitch a ride home, you see, Guttani had not told you that the only reason we were here was because we were already on the way. We cannot leave Germany alone." Randolph explained.

< Which of you are going? > asked Tobias, he was looking at Guttani and Salix who were busy sniggering at Alexis.

"Don't worry," Laughed Micha "Guttani and Salix would be the first to leave." Then as an after thought he muttered quietly "And Julian too, hopefully."

"What you say?" Julian hissed at Micha.

"Hold it!" Randolph cried out, "What did I tell you guys?"

"Tell what?" Julian was staring intensly at Micha, who had in turn retreated to staring at the ground.

"No fighting, all right?" Randolph reminded.

Julian did not answer, but he stood over to Guttani. He bowed his head and muttered into her ears.

"Looks like you me are gonna have a nice time without Randolph." Guttani looked up at him-he was taller than her- and grinned mischievously.

"I bet." Salix said laughing. She was now standing near Lukas.

"Ok, here is what we're going to do," Randolph continued, "Salix, Guttani, Dee, Amigo, Julian, Lukas, Alexander, Micha, Toby, Markus and Andreas. You guys are going."

"Who's in charge?" Alexander said.

"Amigo." Randolph replied.

Julian scowled.

"We continue fighting, Ralph?" Dee asked.

"Yes." Randolph replied.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

After they had gone, with only Randolph (he insists on being called Ralph) Tanja, Alexis, Max and Damgar with us, we were 'hiking' home. Prince Jake had said that this would give us time to think over what should be done.

We have only managed to walk for five minutes when Marco had started to whine.

"Just why couldn't we morph to birds and fly?" He said for about the fifth time.

"What, you have something more important to do?" Rachel demanded.

"Hey, I'm a busy man." He replied in fake outrage.

"Yeah, right." Rachel rolled her eyes.

< The safest place to put them would be in the Hork-Bajir Valley. > Tobias said to Prince Jake, < It's not like we have another place to keep them. >

"Ok then, the Hork-Bajir valley it is."

< Hork-Bajir? > Dagmar wondered.

< It is a valley of free Hork-Bajir, Tobias had been the first to help them. > I replied.

"What happened to me? Where was I?" Rachel asked.

< Yeah Rachel, you were there but you thought they were controllers. >

"Well excuse me for being cautious!" She said.

"Is she mad?" Marco wondered out-loud, "Why is she mad?"

"I'm not mad." Rachel said quickly.

"So, for how long have you been fighting the Yeerks?" Cassie asked.

"A long time," Prince Ralph said wearily, "About three years now."

"Three years!" Marco said, "We only fought for about one year and I'm already sick."

"Three is nothing, at least not to some of the older members of hour group."

"Older?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah like Julian, Guttani, Salix and…" Prince Ralph trailed off suddenly and went.

"How long did they fight?" Rachel demanded.

Prince Ralph lowered his head. "Eight." He whispered.

"Eight?" Marco shirked, "What they started fighting at ten?"

"Not really, they have spent some of their life not in this era. Or time." Prince Ralph said.

"And who? Salix, Guttani, Julian and who?" Cassie asked softly, she had certainly not missed Prince Ralph's hesitation.

He did not answer her; a new human voice spoke up.

"It's called; the casualties of war, true to half of 'em anyway." Max said dryly.

"Max," Prince Ralph warned.

"And what?" He replied, "What are you going to do? You weren't there when it happened. So if wasn't our fault."

"But still, if it weren't for us," Prince Ralph said, "They still would have been around."

"We wouldn't have been around if they have." He replied staunchly.

"Stop it you two," Tanja said, then she muttered, "Like a bunch of babies."

"So what happened?" Rachel asked.

"We really don't want to talk about it." Alexis snapped.

Rachel snorted and looked at Marco, "Touchy."

"Very." Marco agreed.

"If I don't get home soon I am seriously gonna get grounded." Prince Jake said.

"Yeah, me too." Cassie said wearily.

< So we drop you guys in the Hork-Bajir Valley? > Tobias inquired.

"Looks like it." Prince Ralph said gruffly.

Dagmar said snobbery.

"Tough it out, Dagmar, we ain't gonna-" Max started when I interrupted him, all most unconsciously. I was not very aware of what I was saying. Maybe it was the outcome of my confused emotions.

< You could stay with me. > I said, and then I hastily added < If you want to. >

Dagmar smiled at me while the Animorphs started at me and Max rolled his eyes skywards.

< Yes, I would like to. > She replied.

"Okay, that's solved then." Prince Jake said with a slow smile.

I have never seen a fast smile, when I do, I will tell you.

We finally arrived at the Hork-Bajir valley. We saw Ket-Helpak and Toby, they both waved when they saw us.

"Tobias!" Toby said, coming closer, as she did she frowned, "You have more people now?"

< Yeah, kind of. Toby? > Tobias asked.

"Yes?"

He said.

"Anything Tobias," Toby said with a smile, "Anything but Yeerks."

"Yes, Not Yeerks." Toby's mother echoed her.

< We need to keep them, > He jerked his head towards the new group.

"It is an honor to." Toby's mother bowed.

"Emmm," Prince Ralph said, "Thanks. We really appreciate it."

"Okay," Prince Jake said in satisfaction, "That settles it then!"

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

It was after the others have all left and Tobias had gone hunting. It really hit me. I had one of my kind with me.

Dagmar said.

< Yes, the prefer to shorten my name, they say it is too difficult and long to 'pronounce'. > I replied.

< Where did you stay, when you were with the humans I mean? > I asked her.

< In what they called as Germany's 'Black Forest'. > She answered.

< Why is the forest black? > I asked in puzzlement,

< True, but the forest has no black vegetation. I am not sure why they called it that. I asked them once but they never answered. >

I realized, as we were walking, that Dagmar seemed tired. I noticed this by the way she was walking. She was not very well posed and had the tendency to throw her front legs and push herself with her hind legs. If anything, I believed that she was exhausted.

< Are you all right? > I asked her.

< What? > She asked confused.

< You seem tired. >

< Know that you mentioned it. > She laughed meekly, < Think I am. >

I told her.

< You have? > She cried out in excitement.

< Yes, I have constructed it through my spare time. This was either when I was not fighting the Yeerks or out in the Mall with my human friends. >

She was quite for a few moments then said quietly. < The sense of taste is over powering. >

I laughed and she stared at me.

She started to laugh too. In fact she laughed for quite a time. After she finished she sighed in my head. I looked at her and saw that she was looking at the stars. A hint of sadness shone through her eyes.

< Don't worry we will get back home. > I reassured her softly.

She said sighing in my head.

< What bought you into the whole military thing? > A thought speak voice asked, < According to Ax, there are not a lot of females on the military. >

< Hello Tobias. > I said, trying as hard as I could to stop the annoyance from entering my thought speak.

< Ambition I suppose. > Dagmar said laughing.

< Ax, I just dropped in to say that Jake arranged a meeting. He wants us all to be there. >

< At the barn? > I asked.

< Nope, > Tobias said, < It isn't a place you went in to, remember the time when we were after the Veleek? We passed an abandoned building called a Church? >

< Ah, the Church, but I still do not understand why there was nothing in it except for a golden cross. >

< Ax? That's why it is abandoned. >

That would make sense I agreed to myself. I still did not know why it was a cross.

Tobias sad cheerfully < See you later. >

When Tobias left Dagmar seemed to look at me strangely. I started to get uncomfortable.

< Aximili? > She asked.

< Yes? > I said.

< What happened to your elder brother? > She asked softly.

I stiffened < He was killed on the planet's surface. >

< You now, the planet is called Earth, I think we know that now. > She said with a smile.

< Marco would approve. > I said with a laugh.

< He would? > She said puzzled.

< Don't worry, you wouldn't understand. >

< Humans huh? > Dagmar said.

< Humans. > I echoed.

And not for the first time, I wondered what would become of this race.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

< America seems to be very densely populated, just like Germany. > Dagmar observed, < But it also seems to have the 'sufficient' areas of natural habitat. But you humans confuse me, why destroy the natural habitat in order to build cities? You could still build cities without destroying the- >

< Of course America is densely populated, that is because America and Germany and a few other countries are classed as The Third World. > Max said in exhilaration.

< The what? > I asked.

< It means that a country is independent and relies mostly on its tertiary industries for the income. > Prince Jake answered. Then he added,

< Is that how you humans rate a countries development? > Dagmar asked.

< There are other ways. > Max offered.

< Other ways? > Dagmar said.

< Other ways? > I echoed.

< Yeah like the countries income or Adult literacy. Or even health care. > Tanja said.

< Interesting. > Dagmar muttered.

< They also count it by Infant mortality. > Alexis said darkly.

< What? > I asked confused.

< What does that mean? > Cassie asked.

< How many children pass the age of five. > Alexis said.

< Now, that's interesting. > Marco said with a laugh.

Alexis said darkly < It's not funny Marco. In Bangladesh, only two out of every ten children pass the age of ten. >

< Two out of every ten children pass the age of five? > Marco said, obviously shaken.

< Get to the age of five, there is no guaranty that the child would reach adult hood, never the less become a teen-ager. > Max said.

< Were do you guys know all this from? > Marco asked.

There was a momentary of silence then Tanja said sheepishly. < Geography class? >

Prince Jake, Marco, Rachel, Cassie and Tobias all laughed.

< At least you people keep awake in Geography class; we can't say the same here. > Prince Jake said.

< We only paid attention because of the topic we were talking about earlier in the class. > Tanja said honestly.

< What topic were you discussing? > I asked.

I was getting more and more interested in the discussion. It usually happened when the humans talked about their history or things associated with it. We were flying to the Church and were spread out through the sky. The journey would take a long time and the humans started doing a thing called conversation. The rules are very simple. And it could go on forever, as I noticed when talking to a few human females.

< We were talking about China's problems. > Tanja said.

< What problems? > I asked her.

< Over population. >

< Over population? How much did it reach? I know how big is China, but I do not know the population. > I said.

< It was kind of out of date, it was taken by 1992, and do not know how much more the population doubled. But it was one thousand, nine hundred and thirty-nine million. Now? Hmmm,it was estimated around one thousand, four hundred and seventy-seven billion. >

< One thousand, four hundred and seventy-seven billion! > Dagmar shrieked, < All right, Aximili, even you have to admit that that is quite impossible, exactly how are we going to stop the Yeerks from doing that? And with a bunch of humans that act like- >

< Hey! What are we? The invisible people? > Marco demanded.

< What? You think we're pathetic! > Rachel yelped.

Dagmar said taken back.

< Chill guys, she's always doing that, just ignore her. It's intimidating, but heck! One of the races has to be responsible and mature. And it does not look like the Andalites are the race that would. > Max said breezily.

< I'm intimidating! And who are you calling irresponsible?! > Dagmar demanded.

To tell you the truth I too was offended but did not object to what he said. I was still over whelmed that I had one of my kind with me. So I really was not concentrating.

< Hey, no one asked you to knock. > Max snapped.

< Knock? What did I knock? > Dagmar asked puzzled.

< Well, back to what I was saying, > Tanja interrupted, < The Chinese decided to put up a law that said that you can only have one child. And if you had more than one they would kill it. >

< That's awful. > Cassie said.

< What happens if you were born twins? > Marco joked.

< They would have to choose, if they were both male, they would take the strongest, if they were male and female, they would take the male-naturally- if they were both female, they wouldn't be bothered. I heard that when a couple had a girl, who would be their only child; she would sometimes be killed in hope that when they are given the permission to have another child; he would be male. >

< Gruesome. > Marco said with a sort of shudder.

I had been listing to the whole conversation gravely. I really worried about human behavior it did trouble me. At least my friends realize that what the Chinese were doing is wrong, but what kind of hope is that?

< But why would they need more than one child in the first place? > Dagmar asked.

Not until she said that did I realize it. And began to wonder about the object too.

< Because of the harvest, the farming needed a lot of work. The family; Father, Mother and child could not be able t look after a whole big pasture. Having a small pasture is useless and it would not create sufficient needs. > Tanja said patiently.

< Why doesn't other families help? > I asked.

< Because then that would just increase the problem; more mouths to feed. > Tanja replied.

< What is with the whole male thing? It's like females have no role in your lives. > Dagmar asked.

< Males are generally stronger than females; they bring hard work and money from the government. The government has to pay the people a sum of money so that they can use it for their children. If you have a male, you get paid more. Not to mention the fact that when females grow up the do leave their families and spend their lives to create a family of their own. Were does that leave the parents when their female child grows up and leave them? They would grow too old to look after a pasture. Do you understand why it was crucial? > Alexis said.

< What? Females and males should be treated equally! That's so unfair! > Rachel said.

< Fair is not the point, survival is. > Alexis said

Rachel grumbled.

< Hey! Guys? Rachel met her match. Go on Xena, brandish you sword and go fight the evil Chinese! > Marco teased and provoked Rachel. He knew it will only make her mad.

< Don't worry Marco; I'll bring a girl for you. > Rachel said coolly.

< Ha! Ha! and another Ha! > Marco said.

< Yeah well any way, this continued till China's population got to be mostly male->

< That's dangerous. > Rachel muttered.

< So, the government faced another problem, exactly were do all those men get wives? Since that's what they wanted? > Tanja asked.

< Oh, I know! > Marco said in fake enthusiasm,

< They almost did that, but it did not happen, a lot of Chinese young men were immigrating to other countries in hope family to raise. > Tanja said.

< Phew! > Tobias said

< Yeah? > Rachel contradicted, < We all know Marco would. >

< Very funny. > Marco snapped.

< The Chinese government decided to loosen their belts; know anyone could have two children only. If your first child was male; end of story you are happy. If your first child was a female you could have another child. > Tanja continued.

< That's very generous. > Cassie said bitterly.

Prince Jake argued.

< It did, know that you were allowed to have two children. The parents would do every thing to make them happy, i.e. they spoilt them. So now, China has a to meet a spoilt generation. Since the children have not worked at all through their lives and have just sat down arms crossed while their parents did every thing for them. >

< Poor China. > Marco joked.

< No offense to the Chinese, but their government really had no forward planning. > I said.

< But they learnt from their mistakes, China is now a Third World country and is improving in many ways. I mean China is not the worst country in history, there are a lot of other countries with blacker histories. > Tanja said.

< Well, that was interesting. > Cassie said.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

We finally reached the church and demorphed.-all except Tobias. We spent the evening talking about the Yeerks and sharing our discoveries. It turned out that they had once previously destroyed the earth based Kondrona and destroyed a couple of Yeerk pools; freeing a lot of human controllers and Hork-Bajir.

They said that they were hidden in Germany's black forest and we told them about our own discovers and introduced them to the Chee. We told them everything except for one. We did not tell them about the blue box that we had nor that we used it twice to make an Animorph; David. We had to trap him so that he does not make the humans loose the war.

Another thing we did –which I am not entirely sure or proud of- was we trapped a Yeerk named Aftran in a Whale morph (long story, I am sure Cassie would not mind saying it, I was sick at the time and still was confused on what had really happened that day.) We told them about the Ellimist and Crayak, they seemed to know more about them than we did.

"We know about Crayak." Prince Ralph said wearily.

"What?" Cassie asked, looking at Prince Ralph, "What happened?"

"We lost a member to Crayak, Crayak he-" His voice cracked and he stopped talking. He stared at the ground and the rest of his group was silent. Only Dagmar seemed as confused as us. I think their was quite a lot of things they have kept a secret from her.

"What do you mean by 'lost a member to Crayak'?" Cassie asked softly. I realized that Prince Jake had let Cassie do the talking. It was usual that Cassie could work out other people's (sometimes alien's) emotions.

"By take a mean possessed, he did not kill that member. It did not help that these were enemies, Crayak did not like that particular human and he, he-"

Once again, Prince Ralph had trouble speaking.

"She used to be our leader. She was the one who really made things happened. Without her, we would have never become who we are. And to think of all the things she did to us we didn't have the courtesy-"

Prince Ralph's eyes hardened, he clench his hands into fists and glared at space. There was now complete silence. No one was making a sound; even the birds in the trees had stopped singing. The atmosphere darkened and for some strange reason I felt terrified. I felt as it the air and space in front of me was starting to ripple with hared and an emotion that seemed vaguely familiar to me; the despair to see someone who you once loved and now lost forever because you took part of what happened.

Prince Ralph had started to talk again but I could not hear what he was saying. Blackness swirled into my consciousness. I felt light-headed and very unstable on my hooves. Heard a sound, a sort of chatter that was mixed with static noise. It grew so loud that it over whelmed me. I felt myself fall into the ground. Exhaustion had washed over my legs so that I could no longer stand but involuntary; my legs collapsed underneath me. I felt myself -in the isolated darkness- pitch forward. As I was falling I heard a thought speak voice call out.

< Ax! Ax! Ax! >

Long before I hit the ground; I realized I was in a completely different place.

_____________________________________________________________________

Running through the wide-open lands I leaped and cleared thorny bushes and an assortment of fallen trees. Terror had flooded through my body; my heart was pumping madly filling me with adrenalin. I was crashing silently through the tall grass; feeling predatorily eyes pierce through me. The hair in the back of my neck stood on an end and the skin prickled this caused me to push on with greater force.

There! I thought, a tree! I ran towards it and jumped a couple of feet up the trunk of the tree. By applying pressure on my bare feet to the tree and gripping the rough bark I was able to climb the tall height of the tree in less than three seconds. Behind me; just as quickly; equipped with lightning fast reactions the big beast clawed and climbed up the tree behind me. I could feel it's fangs and whiskers scratching the lower part of my leg I panicked and forced my way up the tall, vertical dead tree. The beast lost its hold when I reached the only two branches located at the top of the tree. I jumped and stood expertly on the stump to of the tree; it had no leaves at all.

The beast screamed and fell down from the tree. It then sat patiently. Licking its coat waiting for me to make my next move. I scanned the area; a reflex action and I analyzed my situation; I was stuck at the top of the tree. No other tree was in sight. The beast would not mind waiting I acknowledged. Unlike it, I was restricted to stay on the tree or face the ultimate consequences. "What did she have to worry about?" I thought silently it was not the one who has to go down.

What? What was all that about? I was not in some open landed area being chased by a beast and now am stuck on a tree. I do not have one heart I have two! And it is impossible for my body to send adrenalin through my circulatory system. I could not climb trees! I had four legs and two arms a tail blade and I had four eyes-

Looking down at the beast's hungry gaze I found a way out. Or at least I was saved. Four other beasts came trotting by, they were built stubbly different, and snarled at the intruding beast. The intruding beast emitted a yowled and was chased off. Ceasing my chance I leaped off of the tree and trotted as quickly away as I could.

Not after a long while I found what I was searching for, a cave entrance. It was a tight fit. If another beast tried to squeeze in it would have found it impossible. I dashed into the cave entrance and darkness welcomed me. I felt the blessing earth press in all around me; I had to go in deeper!

Help! No! I did not want to go into the cave. I did not belong there. This was not my dominance. I know wished the creature were outside in the open areas. For some strange reason I was imprisoned in the creature's mind. I began to despair; as a part of an Andalite heritage I feared claustrophobia. The temperature began to become exceedingly hot and uncomfortable.

Ahhhh!

The creature's seemed brain seemed to relax and gain pleasure. Me? I was terrified! What if the dirt caved in? What if another beast tried to eat the creature I was imprisoned in? What if the opening gets blocked? What if the air runs out? My brain was reeling every single possibility of 'what if' s.

Safety,

This was not safety. This was the height of danger. Didn't this foolish creature understand this? I wanted out of here. Try as I might I could not escape. I began to despair and I started to shout and cry in the terror of the confinement. Buried alive! Oh, help me. I no longer wanted to be in this alien world, this was certainly not my home world. Nor was it Earth or any other place I have been to. It was at this moment did I truly regretted taking the military carrier.

Home.

This is not home, I sobbed silently. Even though the hole I was in was completely and utterly dark. I felt another darkness overwhelm me. It started to become cold. It got colder and colder and suddenly, I could not feel a thing at all.

_____________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I felt myself lying on my side, I was on dried out grass, and in a certain extent it was slightly comfortable. I could hear voices but they seemed far away. Every single muscle in my body was cramped.

It was like I was paralyzed, but was not. I clearly felt the pain in my aching muscles but had no will to actually move them. I tried to move my arm, but could not. I felt as if my hand was simply too heavy to be moved. I tried to concentrate my thoughts to talk in thought speak but my brain could not focus at all.

If I were to be truly awake this feeling would have caused me fear and growing panic. Strangely, I felt calm and peaceful. I felt as if this was not truly happening to me but to someone else, with me standing their feeling it. It was confusing, but as I said, I just did not care nor had the interest to bother about it.

I could not move, my eyes were closed; I could not see. But, I could hear.

"What do you think happened?"

"How am I supposed to know? He just fell without a warning."

"So you were watching him?"

"Interesting"

< It's not what you think! >

"Sure, go on, no one is going to bite your head off."

< You are mistaken. >

< Guys? That's just fine, but I'm a bit more worried on what actually happened, you know, if you guys cared. >

"We have to wait until he wakes up."

"Sure Doc."

"Marco?"

"Yes, Cassie?"

"Shut up."

"He did seem to space out, Alexis and Dagmar were the first to spot that, or at least, the fact that he just collapsed."

"For all the good it did to Ax, Alexis my friend? Your reflex actions are not were they should be. I mean to catch someone you grab them, not the air, and when you do miss you don't just stare stupidly through the- "

"You're the last one to speak about reflexes Max, you were practically near him, and I was the one at the far side!"

I once again tried to get up I still could not. The words I were hearing started to make sense and my brain started to clear up. As it did, the fact that I could not move was starting to disturb me.

"Well, I have to go home. I'm sure all of you have to." Said a responsible voice.

"Yeah, my mom is waiting for me." Said a voice wearily.

"We'd better leave too. I suppose your father would come in here to check over the animals."

< Me too, it's not like I have a lot to do, the forest doesn't have anything interesting to say. And I am well fed. Hmmmm, but there is another pushy Hawk flying over my territory, I'd have to sort him out sooner or later. But it won't harm if I stay for a couple of minutes. You know, until you find a way to hide Ax. >

"Ok, but Dagmar you would have to go if my dad comes in here.Even if you do have a human morph. It would be suspicious if my father was to realize that a new kid comes here every day."

< Yes it would be. >

"Bye guys!"

"Bye."

I sensed the other leaving, talking loudly as they did.

"Here. If I hang this here my dad wouldn't be able to see him. What do you think Tobias?"

< Only if he decides to go behind it and into the stall. >

"But he never does."

They stayed for a while in which I dozed off silently. I woke up hearing that Tobias had gone and Cassie had to dash into her house for a few seconds. She was asking Dagmar if she would be okay.

"I wouldn't take long. I promise."

I felt that I could move my legs and body. I tried and managed to move my hand the sleight bit. I heard hooves advancing towards me. And I felt a presence of a body stand over me.

Hesitantly, I felt a hand touch mine. I soon realized that the hand had seven fingers. Not a human hand. I stirred, and the hand quickly dropped mine. The skin felt had felt very soft and tender, as so, were the eyes I was looking into. But the expression changed very quickly. I was still too groggy to realize what it had meant.

< Are you all right? > She asked.

< Weird. > I muttered to myself, I felt like I was missing something. Something that had happened, but I could not remember anything! And this had sent a tingle through my stomach. I found that I was shivering uncomfortably. Tiny tremors were racing through my body. Try as I might I could not stop them.

< Are you all right? > She repeated, < You seem cold. >

< I, I… > My thought speak faded as I lost concentration. I still had problems focusing.

"I'm back, Dagmar, I…" Cassie stopped talking as she stepped into the hidden stall. "You woke up! Are you okay?"

I frowned, what had happened to me. I could not remember. All I felt was a cold gap in my memory. If only I could revile that, if only…

"Ax?" Cassie appeared to be concerned, "Can you hear us?"

"Let's try giving him some water." Cassie suggested.

< What good would that do to him? >

"It worked last time."

< What? > She said, puzzled.

"He had yamphut." Cassie explained.

< What? How did that happen? When someone has yamphut you have to remove the Tria Gland this is located at the back of the head. How was it possible that he survived? >

"You just said it, it had to be removed. He told us that. So I had no choice but to remove it." Cassie's eyes went downcast, "I was not confident in doing this. We could not have let any other person do it. The risks were dangerous and the consequence to anyone knew that Ax existed were unacceptable. Any human that witnessed us would not have lived for long. And nor would we."

< You did it? You removed the Tria Gland? > Dagmar seemed awed.

"Yes. It is not something I would try to do again. But Ax is our friend and all of the Animorphs had come closer together. I would not have liked to lose any one of them. Ax is on the list too. He means a lot too us"

< You Animorphs stick together, Humans, you create strong bonds with each other in a very small period of time. In fact it is very hard to resist such a loyal friendship. >

"You too, feel the see way to the Germans?" Cassie asked.

< We had been in any battles. > She replied finally.

I felt the hoof of my left fore leg absorb water. It gave me some strength. I managed to get up but swayed wildly.

The sudden change in position sent a sharp searing pain in my head, my vision exploded and returned quickly I started to wobble. Cassie reached out and steadied me. She stood close to me and braced her shoulder against me as I leaned against her breathing in ragged separate breaths.

"Hw do you feel now?" Cassie asked, after she and Dagmar leaned me against the wall of the barn. I slowly slid down and leaned my upper-body against the wall and folded my legs beneath me.

< Cold. > I muttered. I had wrapped my arms around my body in an effort to stop the tremors that raced through me.

"Just a sec." Cassie dashed outside of the stall and came back with a blanket. She draped it around me and I the shivering lessened.

< What happened? > I asked finally.

"We were hopping you'd tell us that. You don't remember?"

I shook my head. A gesture I picked up from humans.

< You, well. Fell? >

< Fell? What do you mean by fell? >

"Literally that, you just collapsed altogether."

< I, I did? > I was confused.

"Cassie? Cassie? Is that you I'm hearing in there?"

"My dad!" Cassie hissed. "Dagmar stay for a few minutes and make sure Ax doesn't do anything stupid. I'll take care of my dad!"

She dashed out calling for her father as she did.

CHAPTER TWENTY

"So, you're saying you don't know what happened?" Cassie asked.

Dagmar had left and Cassie's parents were asleep. It was very late at night and Cassie maybe in trouble if her parents found out that she was not in her own room.

< Cassie, I am confused. > I told her,

"At that time were you afraid?" She asked me.

I was puzzled, how had she concluded that? I mean I was not afraid, why would I? I …I…

< Yes, > I said slowly,

"Good!" Cassie said enthusiastically, "I'll tell you a few words or letters and you tell me what they mean to you, all right?"

"Okay, the minute I say a letter or a word you have to automatically respond. Say anything, no matter how weird you think it seems." Cassie instructed.

< Okay, I am ready. >

"Sun," Cassie said.

< It was daylight. > The words just popped into my head.

"Confused." She looked closely at me.

"Lost."

"Home."

"Dark?"

< Ahhh! > I jumped up startled and Cassie jumped up in surprise.

"Ax? You okay about this?" She seemed concerned.

< When you said dark, I…I Felt…afraid. >

"And?"

FLASH!

My eyes opened in the darkness and I felt that the heat had evaporated. It was night. I strolled outside, very conscious of the dangers that lurked outside. I stretched and bounded into the wild.

FLASH!

"Ax? Ax? Are you okay?"

Huh? It was daylight. I frowned; surely I was not out that long. And…

I whispered suddenly, all of the emotions of the place I had felt came back to me. < Cassie? I remember what happened. >

< Ax? What is happening? > Tobias asked.

I said angrily,

"Jake is going to come along with the others. Why don't we wait till they come. So that they hear it too?"

< Yes, that would make sense. > I muttered, not so sure if they heard me or not.

It was not long before we heard the many voices. I could hear Prince Jake, Prince Ralph, Marco, Rachel and Alexis. I was not sure if the other were there.

"No way, you guys think going 'fly' is disgusting? You've seen nothing. Try morphing a Mantis. That's disgusting."

"I'm sure I don't want to try." Marco said.

"You guys tried tape worm yet?"

Rachel, Marco and Prince Jake edged away from Max.

"Good thing my parents are out." Cassie said to us under her breath.

"You guys are weird." Marco said.

"Us? What about you? You ever stopped and listened to what you say?" Max said.

"The world would abruptly end if Marco even thought about doing that." Rachel teased.

"Uhuh. Psycho Girl." Marco countered.

"Psycho? Who're you calling Psycho?!" Rachel demanded in a show of out rage.

"I'm starting to have a head ache." Prince Ralph muttered.

"You just started? I had one since Marco and Rachel started talking." Prince Jake said grumpily.

"Hey!" Marco objected.

"Hey!" Rachel echoed.

"Good they stopped." Alexis said.

"So, Ax, you Okay? You had us worried." Tanja said.

I mumbled, mostly to myself.

"What happened any way?" Prince Jake asked.

I quickly told them about what happened. I told them every thing except the parts were I lost control of my emotions. These parts still disturbed me.

"That was weird." Marco said at last. Breaking the silence.

< It was, > I admitted, < But what I found strange was the feeling I got before it happened. And when I woke up; the way I could not move. >

< But Ax, > Tobias said, < You said that you felt something before it happened. You were knocked out twice. The second period was longer than the first. You did not feel it coming the second time? >

< No, I didn't. > I said slowly. Something about what Tobias sad had interested me.

< It would seem that the part were I was at the other place for some time, I was knocked out for a short period of time; there was a warning. But when I was knocked out for and stayed for a short period of time I did not wake up until a long time, I also had no trouble waking up or moving. There was also no warning. > I concluded.

"So you're saying that the longer the time there, the shorter the time you were knocked out?" Alexis asked.

"And the longer you were knocked out the shorter a period you were at that other place?" Rachel asked.

< Yes. > I answered to both of them.

"Wired." Marco repeated, "It does not make sense."

"It doesn't that way," Cassie said, "There must be some other way to explain this. Ax what did you feel as you were there in both times?"

Ah, so some one noticed the lack of detail in my explanation. I hoped no one would notice that but Cassie did. All I had told them was that a creature was being chased by another and the chased creature sought refuge in a cave dwelling. I had not told them an exact and sharp image to what had happened at both places. And I told them that at the second time the creature was merely hungry; it wanted to feed and went out side. I could not explain what exactly happened. I felt uneasy when they pried at me this way. You see, I felt threatened every time they asked, I don't know why.

I registered a blank face and said.

"You don't?" Cassie said puzzled, "I thought you said you remembered what happened."

< Yes I did, > I said snappishly,

"Okkaaay" Cassie said, taken back

< Are you sure Ax? > Tobias said in private thought speak.

I noticed Prince Jake look at me in the same puzzlement that Cassie had and he seemed to be averting his eyes from Cassie and me. An unspoken question, I also noted that Dagmar was looking at me strangely. Why were they all making a fuss over nothing? They really are starting to annoy me. Even my own shorm's concern over me started to deeply irritate me.

I replied back to him coldly.

< You know, you don't have to bite my head like that! > He said taken back by my sudden change of attitude. Frankly, I did not care very much.

"What does it mean any way?" Ralph wondered.

I did not care; it's meaning was irrelevant, to me anyway.

"Maybe it had something to do with Crayak." Jake said.

"Maybe so, but we can't be sure." One of the humans said.

"Ax? What kind of darkness did you feel?" A female human with blond hair and cool blue eyes said.

"Ax?" The same human said sounding annoyed, "I was talking to you."

To me? What could this creature want with me?

< What? > I said. Distracted.

I said? Huh? What's going on? Where am I?

"What kind of darkness?"

Darkness? It was not night…It was? Yes, it was I was going out to find food was I? I had come out at night. This is not night this is day. And where am I?

< Cold. >

"What is cold?" A strong human said, he was male and he looked like the dominant type. I wouldn't have much trouble in fighting with him. He looks easy and over feed………

What? Why was I thinking like that, surely. What did Prince Jake say?

< Oh, I meant about the type of coldness I experienced before I was knocked out. It was had a cold feeling. But it was not cold in temperature. I mean it was cold in temperature and in a different way too. > I explained to my friends.

Explained? My friends? Looking around I could see that I was surrounded by other humans. What brings me here? Explaining anything is hopeless keep it to yourself you single minded fool.

What???

< Ax? Are you all right? > Tobias asked.

Why should he care? Wait! That's a bird! Food! So I do have a chance in hunting just what I needed!

Oh, no you don't I thought to my self firmly. I realized that the other thoughts were those of the creature I had been. What ever I had been through seemed to be reversible. The other creature was with me. This means that the creature's body… is knocked out?

< Yes I am, > I said

How could I possible explain this? My friends would have think that I have gone mad!

Why does this creature want to explain, why worry any way?

I felt a wave of embarrassment. The creature had heard my pleas.

"Why didn't you say so from the start? You had us worried!" Alexis said.

"Yeah, you looked like you threw the off switch every two seconds and then came back on." Marco said.

< What? > I asked.

Why does this creature bother? This creature as absolutely foolish!

Me! Foolish! I'll show you whatever you are, wherever you are.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

I was running through my meadow. Yes, my meadow. I was not in some unknown place or being chased by a beast. My friends have decided to take a day off, and chill. They planned an outing. Yes an outing. Strange? Marco said the same thing, especially after where they said they were going.

We have planned to go to the Zoo.

The gardens actually the Zoo part. At least that's how Marco stressed it. He made it look like a crime. See, it was not completely true that we planned it. My friends at school had been appointed to what they referred as a 'field trip' Cassie was not so happy about it though.

"Why to the Gardens?" Cassie said, "Why do we have to go to were my mother works? Isn't it bad enough what happened to Rachel? That got us a load of problems."

"Is that a Marco I hear?" Tobias said with a laugh.

"Stop it Cassie, I'm supposed to be paranoid not you." Marco said.

"What load of problems?" Alexis asked.

"Long story." Said three different voices simultaneously.

Prince Jake, Marco and Tobias looked at each other and laughed. Rachel looked at them disapprovingly.

"That's not going to happen. And house collapsing. Not to mention the different variety of morphs I did one after the other! Besides, I had enough of alligators!"

"Yeah Rachel," Marco said, he then screwed his face and said, "The Alligator of looooooooove!"

"Crocodile." Prince Jake corrected and then grinned. Rachel stared at them both. So did Tanja, Alexis, Prince Randolph and Max. Dagmar was just too puzzled.

Cassie groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"I just know my mother is going to tell that presentation! She missed it last time, she sure isn't going to miss it this time!" She said in a muffled voice.

"Aww, Come on Cassie, Cheer up! It won't be that bad!" Rachel said enthusiastically.

"Well, you didn't have to see the way she smiled at me this morning!" Cassie made an attempt to mimic the smile, and she then added, "I have to move schools after that interview!"

"That's serious!" Max said with a laugh, "You remind me of my little brother when my mother is going to parents evening."

I flinched slightly.

< Elfangor? > I asked as I trotted beside him. < What makes a Hero a hero? >

< You just have to have an experience of running into trouble. > He replied with a laugh. He then ran up ahead. I was confused what did he exactly mean?

< Elfangor? > I asked after I had caught up with him.

< Yes little brother? >

Little brother. I brushed away the memory as quickly as I could.

< So? > I asked, < When are we going? >

"About know I suppose. The school said to meet at the bus parking lot. Not at school."

"Huh? Since when did they do that?" Prince Jake wondered.

"Who knows?" Marco said with a shrug.

"See you guys at the gardens." Rachel said with a wink at Cassie. Cassie responded with a groan.

The others left to school, or at the bus parking lot. And we hung back for a while. Tobias had morphed back to Hawk.

After about ten minutes Tobias said that we had to go.

< There they are. > Dagmar said.

< Hey! Rachel! > Tobias yelled.

Rachel looked up and casually scanned the skies. When she spotted us she smiled.

< There, in that lock of trees, we can demorph and those who have to morph to human can morph. That's as good as it'll get. > Prince Ralph said.

We demorphed and in my case, Tobias and Dagmar; morph again.

We walked casually until we intercepted the other Animorphs. Now, there was no danger of anyone seeing us together. This was a public place and there was a lot of other humans equivalent to the age of my friends 'hanging out' in groups as big as ours.

As we were walking we passed several creatures in cages. I saw an elephant, a tiger, a bald Eagle, dolphins, seals, bears and Orcas. All those were creatures we have morphed. As I walked wondering a little on my own I passed a cage that I had not seen. I looked at the label; Lion.

This was the creature David had morphed. I looked at it and admired its liquid grace moves. The lion appeared to be restless. I looked at the label and it had written on it that this lion came from Africa.

Away from home? I asked silently. Don't you wish to be there? I thought, I Have read a little about Africa and humans describing the place had only said it was a 'Paradise'. The lion's said gaze locked into mine and he seemed to ask me the same question.

I spaced out for a while. Just let my mind wander and become very un alert. As I was doing this I was looking into the lion's habitat. I saw another creature, not a lion move swiftly in. This creature walked with a grace that seemed much stronger than the lion, it ran and graceful climbed the tree branch in the habitat and uttered a yowl.

My heart froze. My head snapped up and I stared at the creature that had climbed the branch. It was looking right into my eyes. That was the creature! The one that chased that being I was trapped in! It was it! Yes it was!

I backed off slowly and bumped into Cassie.

"Oh, hi Phillip." She said with a wink. Phillip was the name the humans had given me when I was in human morph. I was the supposedly long distanced relative of Prince Jake I was also Canadese. Yes, I said that to Cassie's dad at one point.

"What? What is it?" She asked.

"Cassie? What is the name of that creature?" I asked her. The creature had locked its gaze into my eyes. I could not possible tear away my eyes.

"That? It's a lion." She replied.

"No, the one on the tree. The one staring at me." I said.

"Oh? That?"

"Yes, it is a different creature, is it not? I mean the lion is different."

"That's a she lion. A lioness. The don't have manes." She replied with a laugh.

"It looks different from the male lion."

"Yes it is. Emmm, Ax? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Cassie asked.

"Because that was the creature." I replied in an awed voice.

"What? What creature?" she asked in confusion.

"The creature that attacked me when I thought I was at another planet!" I exclaimed feeling excited.

"Ax! I mean Phillip! Keep your voice down!" Cassie hissed.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

"So you weren't in another planet?" Prince Jake asked skeptically.

< That's what I thought. > I replied.

After the outing the Animorphs and Prince Ralph's group had regrouped in the abandoned Church.

< So you were on Earth? > Tobias asked.

< Not exactly on, but yes it seemed that way. > I said.

"Question is, where on Earth." Asked Marco.

I lied.

Of course! I was on Africa! Africa had wide open lands and lots of other animals and That's were you find Lions and Lionesses… and… and… I knew nothing more.

"Liar," Max snarled suddenly.

I jumped up startled. < What? >

"You heard me!" He said in his heavily accented English.

"What's your problem?" Alexis asked in annoyance, "Have you got nothing else to do but accuse people? Did Pinocchio ever learn? I mean Max, you are the one and only liar."

"No you idiot," Max snapped, he then looked at me and said in a silky voice," Didn't like it did you? Not were you gone. Smug Andalites. Think you people can lie to us whenever you want. Think twice before you do that. From the minute you 'tried' to explain what had happened I knew you were lying! I figured out what had happened and-"

"That's enough!" Prince Ralph roared suddenly. Showing a rare side of him.

"Ever since she went you guys have been so-" Max started but he was again interrupted by Prince Ralph.

"Can it!" He hissed.

"Awe, how sweet. Didn't take ol' Ralpho to fall in love with Julian's kitty, did he? "

"I'm warning you." Prince Ralph said through his teeth.

"Not too long after that, poor Julian lost his head when she died. He was supposed to be leader not you! But hell! Ralph too had nearly committed suicide because Devils was no longer-"

"SHUT UP!" Prince Ralph screamed.

Prince Ralph jumped at Max who was now laughing hysterically. The Animorphs and I stood completely shocked. I could see Dagmar have the same expression on her face as mine.

"You didn't fight so long in this war Ralpho." Max sneered, "Devils was a good girl. Despite her name and looks. It killed Guttani more, we all know why. And that's why Julian broke up. Can you imagine that? A person you loved killed. You think you can, right? Julian is lost. Forget him. He is out of the war! How would you feel? Julian is in denial. I don't think he really understands that Devils isn't here no more!"

Max stopped and licked his lips. More calmly he said, "Julian is my best friend, was, until he changed." Max's eyes hardened and he said, "I'll never forgive The Yeerks nor Crayak. They. Both. Will. PAY!" He seemed to be struggling between the words gasping at the air as if he had no sufficient oxygen.

"Sure, Max, we don't know what happened. But we do know the Animorphs had something to do with it. What? I don't know. And I'm guessing that they have no clue what so ever. It must have been something related to what they did." Tanja pointed out softly, her nature seemed to be like that of Cassie's.

"HELL, like you care!" Max screamed, "You have always been rude to Guttani-"

"Rude? Rude!" Tanja shirked, "Then what do you call the things that those sick girls? The sick demented girls! Did you see what she did to that controller? And oh, that was AFTER the Yeerk had gone out of him! She killed with no absolute reason. Guttani is mad! She and her friend should have been killed before we all this started to us! And besides before those two, Salix, Julian, Max and Felix came to our group, was there any corruption BETWEEN US?"

"Ralph?" Tanja said in her soft voice again, "It was because of them, because of her. Since when did we lie to each other? I think we shouldn't lie to the Animorphs. Tell them the truth," She begged, "Tell them the truth, for me. For all of us. Ralph end this all. Please. The Animorphs could help. I have faith in them."

"Wha? What? What is it with you guys?" Prince Jake said bewildered.

Tanja sat down crying suddenly. "You saw the monsters the Kanager are, they killed, the killed… Their …" She seemed to be lost scared and alone, "They wanted anonymity! They are wild beasts, Savages. How else were a group of six were able to throw off the Yeerks first attempt to invade Earth. The know Crayak! They got their powers from him, didn't that have a meaning to you? Ralph wake up. Don't treat them as human. They aren't human any more don't you understand? They've been in the wild too long, for too long."

"The who?" Marco said he seemed astonished. So was I.

"Knock Max out first, and I'll tell you every thing. But not before he is away from me!"

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