Animorphs: A New Beginning

[Cloak]

(I guess I didn't kill this thread.  Cue relief.  I don't know if I mentioned it before, but Smilodite senses are similar to that of the big cats -- you know, excellent night-vision, sensitive olfactory and audiotory senses . . . but maybe that's a given.)

Hu grabbed his cloak -- which was the cloak every apprentice wears -- and his Encarta -- a small watch-like device that functions as both an encyclopedia and a translator, though Hu never needed to use this feature.  Then he ripped himself away from what days ago had been his family.

Hu stopped at nondescript part of the forest.  He kneeled and swept away some debris away from three grooves in the ground.  He unsheathed his claws, and stabbed his right ones into the grooves.  Then he made deep-throated, purring-like noises.

Suddenly, the ground before him fissured.  The password had been accepted.  The fissure opened wide enough for him to enter.  Hu leaped down, and landed hard, but on his feet.  He looked up and saw the fissure close.  Some loose rocks tumbled down and hit him on the head.

Why does that happen to me every time I come down here? Hu thought, rubbing his head as he proceeded forward.

[Kelran-Isthinar]

((This is supposed to be an Ax like thing, where he doesnt plan to get in too deep, until he finds out just how far from home he is, and the longer he stays the more attached he becomes to the cause))

Kelran chuckled at Nichole's landing. "You can morph a bird, and you can morph a feline, now if you could just do both you could do a decent approximation of a Gryphon, though admittedly genticaly speaking you would be at least 90% off."
He turned to Yarin, "speaking of which, our species has an incredibly dense and complex genetic code, as I mentioned, while we look something like a combination of the avian and feline life on this world, our genes probably, mind this is only a guess, but probably share only 10% of entirely identical markers.
Originally our species had an entirely feline skeleton and much bulkier talons, we could fly just as well, but we could not stand on two legs.
But over the centuires we evolved ambi-pedal skeletons, and more precision talons."

Kelran glanced back and forth, seeing that no one but Yarin fully understood what he was saying. "Well, Yarin, we should continue this later when we have more time on our claws, Id certainly like to discuss relative tehcnological points as well.
Moving along...." he sighed and stretched his wings slightly,
"Honestly... Im still not sure about this. I mean no offence, but I do not intend to stay here, as soon as I can aquire a working spacecraft somehow I intend to return to my people."

Kelran could see that some of them were dissapointed, others, especially Cody, kept their faces intentionally blank.
"However... while I am here, I wish to aid you in your fight. I dispise evil, and injustice, and Im not about to see it go unchecked in my prescense."
Kelran threw up a claw, "But let us be clear on a few things; firstly, I want to know more, alot more, about this bio-mimetic morphing technology before I begin using it. IF I begin using it. and secondly..."
Kelran stared straight at Cody, as if daring him to challenge his next sentance,
"I am not familiar with the term 'boss' but if its in any way synonymous with leader, then I congratualte you on earning the repect and right to lead your peers. But I am not one of you, and while Im glad to help, while I am here I acknowledge only one leader." Kelran tapped his chest with a single talon.
"Help you? yes. Work with you? yes. Accept direct orders? no. As long as thats not going to be a problem...."
Everyone but Kelran shifted uncomfortably waiting for Cody's response.

[Cloak]

(I probably should note that Hu's Mage Master was the youngest to achieve that rank in thirty some Aruten years or about 490 Earth years, achieving it at two and half years old -- about 37 1/2 Earth years.)

Hu entered the major atrium of the temple, and found his Mage Master -- his father -- laying on his back.  He was dying.  The last member of Hu's family was slowly leaving him.  Hu was shocked -- he though his Master was invincible.

"Hu," he spoke as Hu approached him.  "You must take my satchel . . ."

Master Tygris forced his small satchel on to him.  It was small enough to tie onto his belt.  Hu was hesitant.  Such a thing was for a Mage Master . . . and he was at least three years away from such a thing.

Sensing his hesitation, Master Tygris said, "You must.  You must use it against the betrayer.  He's . . ."

But what this betrayer was, Hu never heard from his father, as his last breath left him.  Hu was now completely orphaned, widowed, and childless.  Hu could not bare the pain of it all.  He felt that he would break Langon's Law gladly should he meet this betrayer.

[traycon3]

Cole looked between the two of them, still sprawled out on the ground. She had grinned at the thought of trying to approximate a Gryphon and hadn't stopped grinning until Kelran had begun his little speach. She was beginning to feel a bit awkward, her natural shyness coming out in full force. So, she pulled out her cell phone and checked the time. She still had over four hours. But just to be sure, she checked it again, going through the math, ect. She still had over four hours until her next class.

[Chad32]

Kelran had challenged Cody's supremecy. The last time Cody saw some new guy in the gang challenge the boss, that challenge was swiftly dealt with. Sometimes painfully. However, this was not a gang. He wasn't sure how Yarin or Nichole would react if tried to set the Gryphon in his place. He decided to let it slide, for now. Especially if Kelran wanted to leave, anyway.

"Well, if you want to leave, we'll have to steal a Yeerk spacecraft. Human rocketships won't do you any good.We can help you get one."

Cody explained all they currently knew about morphing technology. He then left Kelran in the care of Yarin.

"Oh, Nichole. Before I leave, when will you have a free night? You know, to go out to eat or something else? It's kind of important." He said, and glanced brefly at Yarin.

[traycon3]

"Um Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are good...Why?" Cole asked, confusion evident on both her face and her voice. She was hoping that Cody wasn't asking her out. Yes, Cody was a cool guy, but he just wasn't her type. And plus, didn't he like that girl Emily?

[Yarin]

Yarin noticed Nicholes discomfort, that was good it meant that she did not wish to mate with him.  He waited for the time when he could get to his ship and hear Codys information.

[Chad32]

"Excellent." Cody said, and then turned to Yarin. "I'm going to go make preparations. You hang with Kelran for a while, and I'll see you tonight."

He left for Yarin's ship, and got out some of the stuff. He used a small container to carry the valuables to a guy downtown who would buy anything, and ask no questions. Soon he had a large amount of money to buy suits for Yarin and himself. He also bought a dress for Nichole that matched Yarin's suit. Finally, he bought one red rose that Yarin would give to Nichole Thursday night.

He took all that back to Yarin's ship, and headed for the school that Emily and Jason went to. He found her at a lunch table at lunch period.

"Hey Emily, how goes things?"

"Hi Cody. I brought food from home to eat. Do you want some?"

"Sure." He said, and took half an apple. "I was hoping we could do something Thursday night together."

"Are you asking me out?"

"I'm hooking up a friend of mine with a girl he likes, and plan to go as well. Would you be up for a double date?"

"That would be awesome. I'd have to sneak out, though, since my parents wouldn't approve of my hanging out with anyone that they haven't known for at least a month and done a thorough background check. I'm not joking. I can get out Thursday evening, though. The maids can cover for me."

"Thank you very much. If you will excuse me, I must continue my preparations. Oh, and I'll see you later about the thing."

"Right. The thing. I look forward to them both."

Cody looked around until he found Jason. He then explained what was going on, and invited him.

((Jmnar4 did say Jason was in highschool, right? So him and Emily could go to the same school.))

[traycon3]

((o.O The world is going on their date...And how does Cody know Cole's dress size?! O.O))
"Wait, what preperations? And why did you ask when I was...Oh, never mind. He's a man, of course he's not listening." The last part was, of course, mostly to herself.
"So, what was your name again?" Cole asked Kelran.

[Chad32]

((He's going to estimate. Just like he'll estimate Yarin's dress size. And it will all happen to fit. I don't want to make him out to be the fashion king like rachel, but he does have experience in observing people. He's been close enough to both of them to closely estimate their clothing sizes.))

[traycon3]

((I know logically what you meant by "Yarin's dress size" but that still brought up a mental image of him in a dress.))

[Chad32]

((suit size, then. I figured Cody would want to have a date too, since he's planning to be there for security reasons. Plus it's polite for him to invite Jason.))

[Cloak]

(I'm feeling that I'm going out on a tangent here.  Hu still isn't there.  But let's rectify that shall we?)

Hu proceeded through the temple.  He was sure the murdering sac of gonard gizzards was here.  But the question was where?  He knew this temple quite well, it was like his second home.  He entered a small ampitheater-like room, found nothing, and backtracked.

Then he noticed a room that was always locked with the usual claw-locks.  Only this time it wasn't.  That was the only room that Hu had no idea of its contains.  Feeling a noxious mix of fear and adrenaline, he proceed to enter the room.

There was a large gate like device on the opposite wall.  Then, before the mighty gate, was the betrayer who was somehow unlocking it.  Hu couldn't believe his eyes.  Surely, he wasn't it.  Couldn't be.

"Bened!  What're you doing here? . . ." Hu said, breathlessly.

"'Bout time you got here, Hu."

"I ask again, Bened, what are you doing in here?"

"You don't know?  Good Sky Tyger, you must be stupid.  The interplanetary/interdimensional wormhole is through this gate."

Hu brushed off the insult, as he immediately knew why it was sealed away.  The unpredicability of the wormhole.  The inherent dangers that came from it.  Hu said, with sudden realization, "It is you.  You killed your own father.  Your own nephews.  Your own sister-in-law. . . ."

"Yep." he said with no remorse.  "What are you going to do about it, big brother?"

Hu, in a fit of rage, attacked Bened, which is what he wanted.  But, paradoxically, Hu had always been superior in claw-to-claw combat.  As such, Hu was the victor but when it came to the final blow . . . he found that he didn't have the heart to deliver the blow that would finish his brother.  He could not kill him.

"You fool!" Bened shouted, as he attempted to stab Hu with claws and he managed to make a tenth of inch penetration.  But Hu managed to deflect most of the attack.  Bened hit the gate, which started to eek open.  With no known destination on the otherside.

[Yarin]

(hey i was thinking you could appear in the reasturant or wherever we are having our group date then we could all get into battle morphs)

[Cloak]

(I was considering a nearby forest, but you know what, yarin, that's far better.)

The gate opened wide, and there was a surprising suction.  Bened was sucked in immediately.  Hu had an instinct to dig his claws into the ground, but it was far too late.  He was in the air and through the portal, expecting to be crushed into nothingness.