After the Animorphs: The One

[Blazing Angel]

We broke from the trees into a wide clearing. A cluster of low, log homes areplaced unevenly aroind the site. The smell of portable generators is very clear. A small group of children rush up to the boys to admire the buck. "Wow!"

[yunyun]

"Okay, is it wrong is I want some alone time right now?" Citrus said, totally ticked off right now, but trying to show it as little as possible. "I'm not in my best mood right now, and this isn't helping."

[Karakae579]

I nodded. "I meant the meeting with the team, but if it can wait until after my shift is done, I'd say go with that. I am off for the day in about 3 hours. Been working most of the morning. I will meet with the team then."

I fell silent for a moment. She didn't know what I was.... I was about 98% sure of that now. Interesting. It looked like her "boss" was keeping her in the dark as well. Sounded like the stories of the Ellimist may have been more accurate than I had initially thought. What an interesting situation.

It would be even more interesting when my species came into the open though. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret forever. In fact, it would be best not to, so that we could deal with my "extra" needs right up front. I ran the various situations through my mind as I ate.

<Karakae....> I heard Claire speak up. She had been quiet this entire time, uneasy about what was going on. Her voice sounded young; so young in fact, that it was like that of a child. Her tone was worried.

<It's okay, hun,> I assured her, my tone warm. <Nothing is going to happen to us. I promise.>

<... okay.>

(You can run the three hour jump and have Karakae approach you so that you may take her to the others.)

[Doomhawk]

DAVID
I was kind of surprised to see that the hunter didn't just spend free time in the wild but practically lived there. The houses looked kind of homey, but I'm the guy who broke into a hotel just to have a nice place to stay the night, so I couldn't really imagine living there. I was even more surprised when a bunch of kids came running up. I didn't know whether they could see me so I decided to hang back and wait until the hunter had dealt with them.

RACHEL #4 - WITH CITRUS
I was on the verge of losing my temper and raising my voice or even shouting when the Ellimist stopped me, /Temper, temper./ I sighed and growled,

"Fine. You can make your own way to the others, who knows how." I was really ticked off that she could let something small bother her. I couldn't even imagine fighting the Yeerks alone. A team meant support and less chance of getting taken out by the enemy. How could she be like this? My long dormant voice of reason pointed out that she was only young so I should cut her a bit of slack. But I couldn't quite do that. So I vanished, frustrated.

RACHEL #3 - WITH KARAKAE AND CLAIRE
It felt like those three hours didn't take long at all and I suspected that I knew why. I'd sat and nursed my drink for that time, managing to hold onto a corner table. So, I approached her again and nodded to the young woman slowly. I had been thinking in those three hours. With her knowledge of the Ellimist, maybe, just maybe, she knew more about space and other beings out there. So she would evidently be a valuable member of the team. I asked,

"Are you ready to meet the others? I can send you there at any time." I'd felt bad about startling her with the psychic assault earlier, so I added, "It might be a bit disorientating. One minute you're here, the next you'll be in...let's see, an apartment with a few other people gathered." I gave her advance warning and waited for her to confirm whether she was OK to go. Then I'd get the Ellimist to let me do the whole transportationg thing.

[Blazing Angel]

I dropped to one knee and started talk to the children. "Trust me, you'll be able to shoot a buck like this someday. Would you mind bringing it to Leroy?" As one, the children lifted the kill over their shoulders and carried it to one of the cabins. One turned around and said. "Who is this?" at David. "A friend. I'm going to be gone for a while, while we do buisness." The child stares at him with large brown eyes. "Will you be back?" "Of course."

I turned to David. "Follow me." As I walked to the largest house.

[Karakae579]

I smiled and took a deep breath as the former (and possibly again) Animorph explained to me what the plan was and how this whole thing was going to work. It sounded simple enough for now. I pushed some of my hair behind one ear and reassured my host once more. She was still not convinced, but she was going with it. I guess I couldn't blame her. I was a little wary too, but I made sure that Claire wouldn't pick up on it. If she did, I would never convince her.

"I'll be fine," I told Rachel with a confident look. "I can being a bit disoriented. Anyway, I have everything. Send me where I need to be."

[yunyun]

Citrus scowled, closed the book angry, then started walking home ranting in her head. What the heck was with that girl? And what proof did she even have that she was the real Animorphs Rachel? Oh, so maybe she randomly appeared. How should I know if she randomly did? I was reading. READING. And can she not understand the need for me to be alone? I gave way bigger hints to her than my friends, and yet my friends figured it out. Uh, idiot. Citrus sighed, and went in her house

[Doomhawk]

DAVID
I felt uncomfortable as one of the kids looked at me. I'd never been good with children. Luckily the hunter handled it and before I knew it he was heading away from the children. I followed the instruction he gave me and trailed behind him as we headed towards a house larger than any of the others.

RACHEL #3 - WITH KARAKAE AND CLAIRE
I was impressed by the straightforward way in which the young woman stated that she was ready to make a move. I hadn't talked to her much, but I already felt the beginnings of respect forming in my heart for her. I smiled at her confidence and began to call upon the Ellimist's power. I felt it build up and concentrated.

"Alright, Ellimist Airways is open for business!" I joked. It was kind of a weight off my shoulders to not have to lie about what I was doing when it was clear that I shouldn't be able to bend time and space when I needed to. "If you imagine the physical act of teleporting- the vanishing in one place, appearing in another, it should take you to your team." As soon as she went, I too would disappear.

RACHEL #4
I suddenly was aware again. I frowned. I was no longer needed-

/We can't have the team missing one member. I suggest you try again. And do what you must this time./ The Ellimist sounded slightly unimpressed by my rage. So it wasn't a surprise when I found myself in a living room in what must be a house. I had no idea where I was exactly, but I realised that he must have sent me to the girl who'd tried to blank me. I was feeling spiteful enough to morph, maybe scare her. So, with a glance at the ceiling, checking it was tall enough, I closed my eyes and focused.

Weirdly, the back of my hands and arms sprouted fur and I felt the same thing happening to my feet before my nails grew and hardened. I didn't shoot upwards immediately but as I felt the unpleasant sensation of internal organs completely changing, I noticed that the floor was a bit further off than I expected. Well, I knew very well that morphing was always an uncontrolled process (unless you were Cassie.)

[Blazing Angel]

  As we entered the home, a figure wearing a cloak similar to mine, stood. He was an old man. The leader of our little family. "Why have you allowed this outsider to not only enter our lands, but live?" He asked in a deep voice.

  "Master," I said falling to a knee. "This stranger has come and given me a quest. I would like to leave the lands of our people to partake in it." The old man considered this and said "Do you know anything about tihs 'quest?'"  "Next to nothing."  "How well do you know this outsider."  "I met him an hour ago." He smiled. "You trust him though."

"Of course." "I'm afraid i can not let you leave the land without better reasoning," Henry stood and was silent for a second before saying, "Consider it my right of passage." The elder stared at him. "To fulfill the right of passage, a young man wishing to be a leader in our tribe must go into the outside world, and bring back another person who is willing to accept our ways and live with us."

"I am aware." "Your own father was gone for seven years before he found someone." "And he was all the stronger for it." The elder smiled. "You have my permission."

[yunyun]

Citrus walked in, and the first thing she saw happened to be a grizzly bear. "Uh..." She was totally nervous, but confused. How on earth did a bear get in here with out destroying anything? Then she remembered about that teen who was apparently was an animorph. And Rachel did have a bear morph. "Um...hi...?" Citrus muttered, really hoping that the bear wasn't real.   

[Gumby]

"Whoa, ****, who the hell are you?" Fisher said as a EU soldier materialized in his living room, which was now getting very crowded. He looked back at the bear, Rachel. "Is this limey on my team? And before you magic us all away somewhere, I need some gar. I'm not in the UNSN anymore so I don't have, well I don't have anything like he has. Do you think you can maybe zap us all over to an armory or someplace?"

[The Spectre]

Just what I needed, a UNSC nobody with superiority complex as a teamate-Limey?, just that you know any European Federation kommando is better trained and equiped than you UNSC showoffs-I replied

[Gumby]

Fisher held his hands up defensively.

'Whoa, piss off! First off it's the UNSN, not UNSC dip-****. Two, the UNSN Marines are five steps in front of you EU wet wipes."

[The Spectre]

I shot Rachel a look that meant something along the lines of "tell this guy to calm down before I put a bullet between his eyes"

[Blazing Angel]

((Why are these guys NOT on team Crayak?))