This story is posted both on TTH and FF.net but I am posting it here because there are those that so not haunt those sites.
It is a Buffy Crossover, Dawn Fic. This is a rewrite of the series with Dawn inserted from the beginning, but the story starts at 'The Message'. And after 'The Gift' (The end of season 5) for Buffy. Dawn is a year younger, and the other a bit older, around about 14. I had to make them the same age! That is a tricky one, huh?
Okay, Disclaimer- I do not own BTVS Or Animorphs. Also, this is a Ripple Story, which means Dawn's influence starts out small then grows as we get in to the series. So for the first... Bunch of chapters... I do not own the plot, Animorphs, or the scenes that are taken straight from the books. (I will warn that the Android is the largest offender of all! Really, Dawn does nothing to change beans in that book/Chapter, but there is a few important Dawn facts that I needed added in there and a few plot holes, that come when trying to fit two series together, fixed in that chappy. Although you won't know which ones until much later... So if you are reading that chapter and wondering why this feels like a your are reading the original book almost word for word... You are. Sorry if that offends anyone.) Also to make things easier it all takes place in current time.
Oh and on a side note, I changed thought-speech from < > to { } Because some places, like TTH use tags that makes all talking go bye, bye. SO rather than play change the story for the different sites I just picked somthing similar.
Chapter One, The Message-
When everyone you love is gone you need something to cling to, and if things had gone differently then I may have picked up a hobby, like stealing things. But who needs a hobby when you are trying to save the world? Buffy didn't.
My name is Dawn. I can't tell you my last name or where I live. I can tell you where I used to live; Sunnydale CA. Don't recognize it? Don't worry. If you do, if you really know what Sunnydale is, then it is you I worry about the most.
We are fighting a war against a parasite more dangerous than anything that pulled itself out of hell. Sometimes I lay in bed, and wonder how we could have been so stupid. My sister died to save the world, and in the end the true enemy was much farther away than we ever knew. Like outer-space far. You think I am crazy, right? Think of it this way, there are parallel dimensions, magic, and vampires but little gray slugs taking over the world a little too much for you? Well they're here, and they're called Yeerks. Nasty little things that crawl into the heads of their host and take over all bodily controls and there's very little that stands between them and you.
There were six of us there the night I found out about the little bastards. Two sets of cousins, and two best friends. Cassie and her best friend Rachel, Rachel's cousin Jake and his best friend Marco. Then there was Tobias and Me. Our mothers were sisters, mine dead, his missing. I lived with my sister Buffy until she took a swan dive for the world and, well, mostly for me. After that my sisters closest friends tried to care for me but CPS had a reason why each and every one of them was unsuitable. Xander's job was unstable and Anya had no filter between her brain and mouth, which almost got her put in jail when talking to the social worker. Tara and Willow are too gay, that's not what the social worker said, but it was what she meant. Giles was not an American citizen and Spike... Well, he had no pulse. So I ended up with my mother's brother after my father Hank couldn't be found. That's where I meet Tobias, my cousin.
Jake had invited Tobias along after he saved him from a bully. I had been trying to teach Tobias some of the self-defense moves Spike, my bleached wonder, had taught me, but Tobias just couldn't get them right. And for the last month, where ever Tobias went, I was never far behind. What happened changed our lives forever. It thrust a bunch of fourteen-year-old kids in an alien war. Fourteen, that is a year younger than Buffy was when she was called. Almost ironic, huh?
We saw a space ship crash and we ran to see what had happened. Okay, the others ran and while I, knowing better but doing it anyways, followed behind. The alien's name was Elfangor and it was him that told us about the Yeerks, how humanity was going to be enslaved and used as hosts, but he could help. His people, the Andalites, were coming and he could give us a gift, the power to fight the Yeerks, to hold them back until his brethren finally came to save the day.
He held out his blue hand and in it held a cube, he told us to touch it and we would receive the power to morph into any animal we touch by coping the creature's DNA. I watched as the others placed theirs hand on the cube before looking at Elfangor, smiling. “Slayer blood, how can I say no?” and I put my hand above my cousin's.
So who's still with me? Most normal people have tuned out by now, right? So that leaves; The crazies- Who cares? The Watchers-Stuffy prats. The pointy pulse challenged- Hi Angel! Spike, it's okay your Bit's still alive. The Weres- Miss you Oz. The Witches- Love you Willow and Tara! Be careful, kay? And other random demons and humans who fight you- Xander, Anya, Cordy and all the rest you... I will always love you. Listen to me, all of you, you need to keep the supernatural a secret from the Yeerks. Can you imagine if they got a hold of demons as hosts? If they had witches in the task force or if the slayer... It must not happen. You need to stay as far from this fight as you can. As much as we could use your help, it is just too risky.
~*~
Tobias was our first casualty; he stayed over the two hour time limit and is now stuck in hawk morph. He was having more trouble adjusting then I could help with. Jake, as good of a guy he is, just didn't understand Tobias' needs now. I brought Tobias raw liver and other giblets, and helped him to understand there is nothing wrong with meeting his new form's needs. I think it bothered him more than me. After all I used to prepare Spike's blood for him.
“Hey Dawn, you okay?” Cassie asked as she sat by me in the lunch room. We had become friends during the last couple of weeks, kind of a click. Cassie was sensitive, like a witch in waiting; she knew when each of us was out of sorts.
“I'm thinking of my best friend from before, Spike.” I told her.
Her dark eyes lit up, “The one that looks like Billy Idol?” She asked pointing to the picture on my clear-view folder.
“Yeah, he took care of me after Buffy died.” I tended not to talk about it that much. Yes, because it hurt but also because I was scared what would happen. After all, Buffy didn't seem to like the insane asylum too much.
“Well, I was wondering if you won't mind helping me out after school at the clinic. The others already said they'll be there.” She asked.
“Knee-deep in poo, how could I refuse?” I said with a wink and she gave the appropriate response.
Cassie was like a Willow-Tara mash, minus the lesbian part because Cassie was totally crushing on Jake. And she was black, meaning she would kind of look odd with blond or red hair. But she was shy and sweet, she cared about everyone, she even helps her parents with a wildlife clinic. However today after school was not about helping animals it was an Animorphs meeting.
Animorphs, a term invented by Marco, is what we are calling ourselves. It's the new age Scoobies. I have a feeling it's about the dreams I keep getting. I know Tobias has been getting them too, this voice asking for help and the feeling of being trapped. At first I thought it was Buffy. Goddess knows, I thought it was Buffy telling me I sent her to hell. But after the second time I knew it was different, the cry was in thought-speech. That is what we use when we talk to each other in morph; it is also what Elfangor used to talk to us, since Andalite's don't have mouths. And, no, I do not know how they eat.
The rest of the day went by slowly; school just didn't seem to matter much anymore. No one really liked me; they all thought I was a freak, except for the others. I guess I kind of was, maybe I should see someone. Was it normal to be depressed after everyone important was taken from you? Plus, school sucked anyway, so why be happy there?
As I started across the school to head towards Cassie's I saw a shadow fall across me, I looked up to see a red-tailed hawk. “Hey, Cuz.” I said as he sat on a goal post.
{Plans changed; we're headed to Rachel's.} He told me.
I turned around, grumbling about always being left out of the loop.
{Pity. Pity. Pity.}
“Oh, shut-up.”
Rachel's house reminded me of our house back in Sunnydale. It had been sold and the money was put in a trust for me, but I missed it. The way everything went together, it was a sign a mother was in the house, the love just beamed from the couches to the curtains.
Up in her room I let Cassie tell everyone about the dreams, adding the differences in my dreams versus theirs. Mine had a lot less water in them and much more voice.
“No dreams about water, expect the one about Dawn in a red Bay-Watch swimsuit.” He smiled cheekily at me, and against my will I could feel my face turning red.
{Cousins!} Tobias called.
“Kill me, please?” I said covering my face.
“Most of my dreams involve Mr. Rogers though, as not pleasing as Dawn-” He was cut off as I chucked a stuffed toy from Rachel's bed at him. The others didn't understand me, how I was so different here with them versus at school. The thing was when I had a purpose I felt alive, the most I've felt since Buffy died.
“As interesting as it is to pick on Dawn, I have something to show you.” He pulled a tape out of his bag.
“Oh, movie time.” Marco exclaimed.
“Not a movie, doesn't anyone watch late night news?”
“Not allowed near the tube.” I said shrugging, before the others put in their reasons.
Jake sighed, “Rachel, can we use your DVD player down stairs?”
“Sure,” She answered.
We all trooped down the stairs, while I gave Tobias a ride on my forearm.
“Hey Tobais,” Marco said, “I've been meaning to ask you, are hawks like seagulls? I mean do they poop while flying?”
{Depends, are you still thinking about my cousin in a bathing suit?} He replied.
Jake popped the the disk in after we all got settled, “It is only a small segment.”
We watched as a large, hairy man held up a large piece of metal, “So we're pulling fashion police?” I asked.
“Look at what he's holding, look at the letters.” Jake said shaking his head at me.
“It's not in English,” Cassie said.
“Or any language I recognize.” I told them. They found out, during an earlier mission, that I spoke and read a number of languages.
“That night the Andalite crashed I ran into the ship to get the cube. I saw writing, that writing, in the ship.” Jake told us.
“You think that's a piece of an Andalite ship.” I whispered.
Everyone got silent. Even Marco.
I looked at my cousin, but he seemed to be spinning. And then there was the ground. Hello ground.
~*~
{Please help me.} The voice said, {I can't last much longer. Please, if you hear me, help.}
I was under the water, but I was standing on blue-green grass. Strange. {Help.}
“It's what we do.” I told the voice, even though I couldn't see it, “We help the helpless.”
I opened my eyes to see Marco standing over me and Rachel arguing with Jake about calling nine-one-one. Cassie was awake and telling them she was fine when I saw Tobias. “Toby!” I jumped up and ran to him. It seemed no one thought to catch him just like they missed me.
Cassie ran over to check on him, and just as she did he woke up. He jumped up and started to flare and jump around and it was a moment before Tobias was able to overcome the hawk. Did I explain that when you morph you get the animals basic instincts, it sometimes take a moment to overtake them. The first time I morphed my attack morph, a huge croc, I nearly ate Marco. Much to Rachel's amusement.
I listened as the others decided that it could be an Andalite that was calling them. Yeah, got that here. And whether we should journey to the beach to check it out. As one by one they voted to go they looked at me.
“Help the helpless.” I told them, smiling at my cousin. He had a connection with the Andalite that crashed, though we don't know what it was.
Buffy died by drowning the first time, I really hope I don't follow in her footsteps.
~*~
Well, we learned a couple of things the last few days, One- Fresh water fish really do not belong in the ocean. And two- The Sharing sucks. Okay, so we already knew the last part. The Sharing is supposed to be a feel good big brother organization that helps out youths. When it is in fact a Yeerk cover organization trying to find new hosts. Goodie.
Now, because of overhearing some Controllers talking about a Andalite ship, we were heading to the Gardens. It is a theme park slash zoo that Cassie's parents works at as vets. I am glad they never asked what my sister did after my mom died. 'Oh, she killed things,' not the best answer. Mom, on the other hand, she owned an art gallery. I love art, and dance, always have. Sometimes I think maybe I could be an artist when I grow up. And pretend that mom was still around, so she could sell my paintings. Sometimes.
Marco's mom died too. He had a lot of money problems and sometimes it made things difficult and embarrassing. I would be in the same boat if Spike and Giles didn't send me money every week. I felt bad taking some of the Magic Box's profits from Giles and I really didn't know where Spike got the money, didn't really want to.
Marco, Tobias, and I were from broken families, while Jake, Cassie, and Rachel were from the strong American standard. We seemed so perfectly divided and different that I just know the PTB had something to do with it. And then sometimes I think that I was never meant to be part of the team. Like the monks threw a wrench that no one was expecting. Monks? You ask. Don't, it's need-to-know.
We were going to absorb dolphin DNA in order to check out the ship we think is on the bottom of the ocean. And I must say dolphins, pretty impressive. They swan around, jumping through the air, doing anything to achieve the all powerful treat.
Cassie got the workers to let us pet them, as I reached out to touch the dolphin I could have sworn it gave me a look that Buffy would. It said I know what you are, but I will protect you. It was strange since Willow made the green glow part of me that certain animals could see disappear until I am more ready to handle that part of me. Dolphins, huh?
~*~
As I tied a watch to Tobias' leg, so he could keep track of time for us, Marco stood over my shoulder, “Rolex? Darn, I didn't know you where that rich.”
I rolled my eyes, “I'm not, I think Spike stol- Umm it was a gift.” I flushed after my correction.
{I don't think any bird watchers will notice.} Tobias told them moving his leg around.
“And if they do they'll just think you're a kept bird.” Marco said.
One by one we morphed into dolphins, I went last so I could wave bye to Tobias. Morphing was a rather ugly process, like a body becoming something it was not meant to be. If you've ever see a were-wolf transform then you know what I am talking about. And I was not too great at it and making it pretty like Cassie could was not going to happen. Funny when you think about it since I have more experience with changing form then them. But while I don't make it pretty, I am able to control my morph better than the others. I know, but didn't you almost eat Marco? Yeah, well, who doesn't want to eat him once in a while? Annoying wanker.
That is why I was on team with Tobias trying to tell the others that they needed to get a hold of themselves. Not that anyone listened to me, not until the sharks.
~*~
Save a whale, nearly drown Marco, and then get told where the alien is from said whale. Not weird at all.
“What if we hitch a ride? I know someone. But... wrong coast.” I said. We were trying to fix a problem... That the ship was way too far out to get there in our two hour time limit. Of course I didn't tell them the biggest flaw in the 'I know someone' offer was that the someone I knew also threw his father in the ocean for a few weeks. In a coffin.
Jake looked at me, “Dawn has a good idea. If we first morph into something like a seagull and take a boat out to sea.”
“I hate plans the start with 'First we morph,'” Marco whined. “Why don't we just hand ourselves over to Visser Three right now?”
“The plan is daring, if you want we can put it into a vote.” Jake said looking around. Yes, Jake is our Buffy.
“I'm in.” Marco said just before Rachel. As everyone looked at him he shrugged, “Wanted to beat Rachel.” Rachel was our much less evil Faith, minus the horny.
{I don't think I should vote since I'll be land locked.} Tobias said.
“You get the dreams too.” Cassie told him.
{Why the three of us?} He asked.
“You are in morph.” Rachel told him, “Then there is Cassie and Dawn who have talents when it comes to morphing.”
I shrugged, more or less. More less, but who's asking?
“You should get a vote. You are part of us.” I told him. 'My blood.' I thought in my head, 'It's always the blood.'
{Yes.} He said.
“Yes.” Cassie said after Tobias, which means they were all looking at me.
“As long as it's not Dracula's ship we high-jack. I'd never live that down.” The others looked at me before laughing at what they thought was a joke. I really would never live that down.
~*~
We were all huddled in an area between shipping containers, shivering from the cool ocean air. “All I'm saying is once winter comes we are going to be a sad little group of Animorphs.” Marco said. He was talking about the fact we could only morph with the most skin tight of clothes, that weren't very warm.
I tilted my head, “What is this winter you speak of?” I asked making everyone laugh.
“Oh, Cali girl is in for a surprise.” Marco said.
{I better go before I can't fly back, or end up in Singapore.}
“Show-off.” I told him knowing he had read a manifest or something.
He dropped me the watch. {Take care, Dawnie.}He told me in private thought-speech.
“Bye, Toby.” I whispered.
It was boring; sitting huddled in the cold for an hour while we headed farther out to sea. And time alone with my thoughts always leaves me in bad places. So I tried to do other things, like playing word games with Cassie and Jake or talk about the latest fashions with Rachel.
After about an hour Cassie, who had a mind melt with the whale, figured it was time to jump into the ocean. After tossing in a half morphed Marco, because the bozo couldn't swim, was this the wrong time to mention my fear of heights because next thing I know I have Cassie holding my hand counting to three. Before she got to two she pulled both of us off the railing and in the water we went.
Water cold. Water cold. Water cold. Guess what? Brain function in cold water is not too great. It took me a minute longer to morph than the others, but that was normal, as I said before I am not that great at it. By the time I was a complete dolphin we could see the coming helicopters. It meant one thing, Yeerks.
Cassie told us to take a deep breath. And I can tell you I did, but dolphins are not meant to hold their breath forever and after a while it was becoming uncomfortable.
As I was about to join in on the complain team. I saw it. The ship, the one I could now see that in my dream I was standing inside of. Its huge clear dome was a least half a mile long and full of blue-greenish life.
I was stuck looking at the dome, when I noticed the others had left me and Jake, I think, was pressing a panel. I snapped back to myself and my body was screaming AIR! So I quickly followed the others in.
As the panel behind us closed, Marco had to open his mouth... mind, {I knew we'd be in a fish tank sooner or later.}
As the water drained I was very happy to find air. Glorious air! Ugh, glorious, a word that needs to be removed from my vocabulary.
After everyone waited for me to finish de-morphing, shut-up, the other door opened bringing in a burst of floral air. But as a flash of light hit the others. I quickly ducked and rolled forward, but not fast enough for a moment later I was hit. Darn.
~*~
When I came around Marco had said something to make the Andalite very angry.
I looked at the Andalite, taking in his appearance, he was a light blue, and looked like a fur covered centaur expect for a few differences; he had an angular face with slits for a nose and no mouth, on top of his head sat two extra eyes that moved atop stalks allowing them to move freely, and his tail, at the end of the strong appendage sat a long curved blade. {How could you have heard my call, I sent it to my cousins.} He asked.
“I don't know, but both Dawn and I heard it, and one other, Dawn's cousin.” He turned one of his eyes to look at me.
“We wanted to help.” I told him.
“We thought it might be an Andalite.” Cassie added.
{How do you know of Andalites?} He asked.
“We meet one, right before he was killed.” Jake told him.
I saw him give Jake a stare down with his main eyes, {Who was it that you saw die?}
“I don't remember his whole name-”
But I cut him off, “Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul.”
“How does she do that? My mouth just can't put all that together.” Marco said.
Making me roll my eyes. “Great, I'm a Giles.” But I saw the Andalite was no longer looking too great.
{Who killed him!} The Andalite was yelling at Jake now.
“The one you don't want us to talk about.” Cassie told him.
He looked sad, as he lowered the weapon and his tail dropped. {He was my brother. How... Did he die well? In battle?}
“He died protecting us.” I told him. “He fell with honor.” I would know, I've seen too many people die.
{My brother was a great warrior. No Andalite could claim better.} He said.
“I lost my brother too, he's a Controller.” Jake told him.
{And you humans, do you serve Yeerks or fight them.} He asked.
“Goddess, you have to ask?” I exclaimed.
“Goddess?” Marco asked making me turn and glare at him.
“Don't even.” I said holding a finger up. “Fight.” I clarified to the Andalite.
{That weapons do you have? What do you fight with?}
“Wooden stakes, crossbows and pixie dust.” I said rolling my eyes.
“Dawn has a screw lose. Sometimes.” Marco told him.
“The power your brother gave us, the power to morph.” Jake intervened.
{Elfangor did that? It is not done.} He looked upset, {Things must be very bad for him to resort to such measures.}
I can't help thinking that he talks like old British guys, saying ten words when three are needed. “It's bad. And I've seen bad, horrific even. Your ship isn't ultra sturdy and some of it broke off. The Yeerks are on their way here.”
{What do you plan to do?}
I looked at Jake. “To get you out of here and hide you where they can't get to you.”
{You came to save me?}
“Yes.” Jake told him.
He smiled with his eyes, {You must rest before morphing again.}
As we walked the Andalite told us about the ship, stopping because he said it was something he wasn't supposed to talk about. Finally telling us that he was young much like us. The others seemed disappointed but I shrugged it off, after all what were we? What were the Scoobies?
“I'm Cassie, that's Marco, Jake, Rachel, Dawn, and there is one more up top, Tobias.” Cassie pointed to each of us.
{l am Aximili-Esgarrouth-lsthil..} He told us.
The others stared so I was kind enough to repeat it to him.
“Ax.” Marco said. “Because not everyone had Dawn's skills.”
{Who is your Prince?} And one by one we all looked at Jake.
“Oh! Come on.” Jake said.
{I pledge to you Prince Jake until I may return to my kind.} He made a kind of bow and I couldn't stop the giggle. It was just too strange, and yet not strange enough.
~*~
As Ax was describing the scenery of the Dome ship Rachel leaned close to Cassie and I, “He's cute.” She whispered. It was stupid but I found myself blushing, “And I think Dawn agrees.” She added making Cassie turn to me quickly, only causing me to turn redder.
As the others put Ax through the third degree I just watched him. When you first looked he seems so sure if himself but when you looked harder you see the hesitation and the young age. When they seemed to be ganging up on him just too much I jumped in, “We all have secrets.” I said in response to him not being able to tell us certain things.
“Of course, coming from the queen of secrets.” Marco said turning to me.
“I'm just saying if he says he can't tell us things than pressuring him is just going to make him angry.” I said back.
“Um, I am ready to morph,” Cassie put in, most likely trying to defuse the situation.
“Right, we should go.” Jake told everyone.
As we walked to the hatch Marco spoke up, “I have to ask, what are we going to do with him?” Pointing to Ax.
“I don't think he can go out like that, I mean water pressure, thus compact slash exploding Andalite and all.” I put in.
He moved his main eyes to me, {You are correct my body will not be able to manage the pressure at this depth nor the change of pressure upon arrive of the surface. But I was able to obtain a sea creature morph from this world.}
“Great-”
Ping. Ding. Ding. Ping.
“Don't tell me.” I said holding my head in frustration.
“They found us. Sonar, you know? Ever seen Hunt for Red October?” Marco asked.
“Yeah, but Spike's crypt gets crappy reception.” I told him.
“Crypt? What are you ghetto?”
“Whatever, let’s get out of here.” I said not wanting to say more.
We all shoved into the fish bowl thing and we started morphing.
After the ship rattled with an explosion Cassie pointed it out we realized Ax had morphed into a shark.
{Hey, no fair. I want to be a shark.}
{Shut-up, Dawn.} Rachel told me, I think she was thinking the same thing, and I tried my best to give a dolphin pout. Which I don't think worked.
As a final explosion came we swam free from the ship.
It was not long before we found that Taxxons could swim, strangely well for giant round worms. These things have the control of a newly risen vamp and the appetite of fifty and a million more teeth.
However it was a slaughter. Taxxons were not meant to fight a bunch of dolphins and a shark. They popped like an over ripe apple, it was gross. {Goddess, why can't all bad guy just go poof and dust?}
Whoop. Whoop. Whoop.
{What the heck is that?} Rachel asked.
Whoop. Whoop. Whoop.
{Bad, that's what.} I said.
{It is a creature from one of our Andalite moons, a mardrut. It uses water to propel itself using a chamber system, which sounds like-}
Whoop. Whoop. Whoop.
{That.}He finished.
I could see its huge body coming towards us, {That’s not a normal alien moon creature, it is very determined to get us.}
{It is Visser Three in morph.} Ax said, full of utter disdain.
{Yeah, we meet.} Marco told him.
{You meet Visser Three and lived? Very honorable.} Ax told us.
{I'll trade the honor for a speed boat right now.} I said, {Or a pepper-up potion}
{A what?} Jake asked.
{Why do all my Harry Potter jokes fall flat?} I muttered.
{Illiteracy, in Marco's cases at least.} Rachel said.
{Har-Har.} Marco said back.
It didn't take long to figure out dolphins are not marathon swimmer. My muscles where tiring and it was starting to make my head spin. Slayer strength would have been very, very welcome right now.
{When I catch you I will eat you my little Andalites. It won't be long now.} Visser Three's voice crashed through my mind.
Whoop. Whoop. Whoop.
{We are going to die.} Ax cried, {He killed my brother, he killed Elfangor and now he is going to kill us.}
{Stop it, Aximili.} I yelled to him, {Keep going, don't listen and don't reply. People like him use fear to make their victims weak. He thinks that it will give an edge against even the strongest of warriors. But it only works if you let it.}
The more I pushed the dolphin body, the more it weakened. The water created a massive amount of resistance, making it no longer my friend and long since my enemy. Looking back I could see the monstrous creature not more the a few body lengthens behind us.
I thought about Buffy, how beautiful she looked when she died, like she was floating there in the air. Like she was in water instead of a portal to hell, just like how I am going to die. I could even hear the cry of the dragon from the other side of the portal. Wait that's not a dragon, it's a whale. The same whale that we had saved from the sharks earlier.
I could hear Cassie calling to the whale asking it for help.
{We have used eighty percent of our time.}
{Twenty-four minutes.} Rachel gaped; her lungs must have been burning as bad as mine were.
{We need to turn and fight.} I told them.
{What is Rachel doing with Dawn's voice?} Marco tried to joke, but it was strained and thready.
{We will not win.} Ax replied.
{It doesn't matter. What are we going to do? Let him eat us from behind? I'd rather jump into danger and fight than be devoured while running.} I told them.
{You sound like a warrior.} Ax said to me.
{Runs in the family.} I said.
{She's right.} Rachel gasped.
{Oh, Xena agrees, surprise.} Marco put in.
{We fight.} Jake told us making the decision for us, {On the count of three...}
{One.} Cassie said.
{Two.} I added.
{Three.} Jake finished and we all turned to face the mardrut.
I stared at the creature just as Buffy would stare at any demon before a fight to the death. I was ready to take my leap off the tower, to give everything in me attempt to save the world.
I moved my tail to speed forward, until I noticed Visser Three rising up. And up. Then I noticed what was doing it. A whale! Cassie's whale came to save us, and he brought a friend.
Two giant whales versus one alien moon freak equals scared little Yeerk.
{Haha, he's running away!} Marco cried as Visser Three turn to high tail it out of there.
{I don't think he likes whales too much.} I said.
The whale offered to give us a ride on their backs until we were able to morph again. As I warmed in the sun I started to dose off until the sun started to set and a chill came through me. Then there was a morph and a much easier swim back to where we hid our clothes.
I vaguely heard Jake and Marco talking about clothes and why human wear them. At a flutter above me I look to see a hawk. “Toby?”
{Dawnie... You found an Andalite!} He said his hawk eyes glittering.
“Yep, this is Aximili, or Ax for short as Marco has bestrode on him.” I turn to Ax, “This is my cousin Tobias. He doesn't like to be called Toby, but as family I don't count.”
“He's one of us.” Jake told him.
{Sort of. I liked this morph so much I decide a permanent change was needed.}
{You're trapped?} Ax asked him.
{Yes}
The Andalite looked at each of us and landed back at Tobias, {You have suffered for the actions of my brother, for his gift.}
{Elfangor was your brother?} Tobias asked, {I stayed with him until the end.}
“Wait, what are we going to do with him?” Marco pointed at Ax.
“He could come stay with me on the farm; it's not all that different from the Dome ship.” Cassie said.
“But we can't just go walking around with him.” Marco said with a duh motion.
I watched as he asked to place his finger on her forehead, it took me a moment to realize what he was doing. As he moved to each of the Animorphs I figured he was somehow going to mix our DNA. And I knew that I couldn't be part it, I don't know what the monks did when they made me, don't ask, and I wouldn't chance hurting my new friend.
As he came to me I stepped back, “That is not a good idea.” He looked hurt so I fibbed, kind of... “My DNA is messed up, a defect from in the conception. I don't think it is safe.”
He gave a nod before stepping back to morph. We all turned around because he didn't know what sex he was going to choose, and when we turned around I found out that Jake and Marco did not do too great a job of describing clothing to him. So upon finding out he was male, and that talking was a new and interesting experience for him, the boys helped him dress.
I smiled at him and offered to help him learn to walk. It was nice, not being the only non-human. Even if no one knew.
