ANIMORPHS: The Wanderer

By-Dark_One

Part One: A Concealing Effort

Chapter One

I opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was that I was in unfamiliar

surroundings. That, at least was normal. I'd been moving around a lot, so

my surroundings never stayed the same for more than a few weeks.

What I saw next had me lurching to my feet, dagger in hand. I always keep

a dagger under my bedroll within easy reach and another in my boot. And I

was glad now. There was someone, or something, in this room with me. And

whoever, whatever, it was, well, they were going to have a fight on their

hands if they messed with me.

Greetings. My name is Ahdri. I suppose you could call this my hirac

delest. Final statement. Oh well. That doesn't much matter. The story I

am about to tell you is strange. Almost impossible to believe. However,

I've lived it. I believe.

Who am I? I'm a shape shifter. A new one. I just recently came by my

powers. In my natural form, I'm fairly tall. Pale skinned, black hair,

greenish-yellow eyes. At least they used to be. Now they're gold. Sharp

gold.

I'm more or less American, but my mother is Japanese. She taught me her

language. Sometimes I speak it, sometimes I don't.

You've heard the story by now. I won't waist your time with it.

Especially since right then, I had to deal with this intruder in my territory.

"Who are you? Who sent you?" I asked the figure in the corner. The

figure jumped up and I saw it was a boy. A kid, really. Probably about my

age, maybe younger. He'd been crouched down and looking through the broken

boards to the alley-way beyond. He saw the dagger in my hand and gulped.

"Who are you?" I growled again.

"M-my n-name's T-tobias. Who are you?" I scowled.

"That's none of your concern," I said. "But call me Ahdri. Who sent you?"

"What do you mean?" he asked. Playing dumb, I thought to myself.

"You know what I mean. Who sent you after me? Why are you here?" I

snarled, my dagger glinting in the low candlelight.

"I'm hiding," he said, uneasily. I sniffed in disdain.

"Huh. From whom?" He gave a short, strangled laugh.

"If I tell you I'm being chased by aliens who want to control my mind,

would you believe it?" he asked. I snorted.

"Not likely," I started, but something made me ask, "What kind of aliens?"

"They're big with razor blades and they have slugs in their brains," he

said. Something clicked in my mind and I nearly passed out from shock.

Oh, God! Hork-Bajir controllers! This guy's being chased by them? But

doubt crept into my mind. No. He's working for them. He's one of them,

trying to trick me.

"Hork-Bajir?" I said weakly, without thinking. I heard him gasp.

"You know? You know about them?" he asked me. He started forward, but I

held up my dagger and he stopped.

"Don't move, kid. How do I know you aren't working for the yeerks?" I

hissed, my eyes flashing.

"You know about the invasion then," he said. Then he frowned. "Hey,

wait! How do I know you aren't working for them? How do I know this isn't

a trap and you're planning to turn me over to Visser Three?" he demanded.

I flung my dagger at him. It struck the wall a hair's breath away from

his head.

"Never. Say. That. Name," I snarled. "Never."

"Okay, whatever you say, Ahdri," Tobias said, holding up his hands. Then

he asked me something I thought was odd at the time. "How much do you know?"

Taken aback, I answered him, reciting the information I couldn't recall

learning. "I know that the yeerks are here with their Taxxon allies and

Hork-Bajir slaves. I know that the yeerks are trying to invade Leera, but

are failing. I know that the Andalites fight the yeerks, but right now,

they're too far away to help. I know that there was a space battle and all

were killed but Prince Elfangor. He came to Earth and was murdered by

Visser Three." I spat the name as if it were poison. To me, it was.

"And I know that there is a small Andalite force here on Earth which is

seriously disrupting the yeerks' plans. And what the abomination doesn't

know," I added smugly, "is that the so-called 'Andalite bandits' are

actually four human youths with morphing capabilities, one nothlit hawk

with morphing powers restored by the Ellimist, and an Andalite aristh. The

nothlit being Prince Elfangor's human son. Tobias." I leaned back against

the wall.

Tobias just stared at me. Finally he said in a strangled voice, "Who…what

are you?" I shrugged.

"That's not important. What are you? You are, after all, in my

territory, kid."

"I'm the nothlit hawk," he said. I believed him.

"Uh-huh. And I'm a shape-shifter from another world," I said. He looked

at me as if he thought I didn't believe him.

"It's true!" he said. I nodded.

"I know." He stared at me. "And I'm a shape-shifter. I can shift any

form, provided it has only four limbs." I added. "You want proof?" He

nodded.

I breathed in and out. Tobias gave a cry of disbelief. I knew why. He

was staring at himself through his own eyes.

Chapter Two

"So, what are you going to do now, little Animorph?" I asked him, sneering

just a bit. I was back in my own body, yellow-green eyes and black hair,

toying with my dagger that I'd retrieved from the wall. Tobias shrugged

from where he sat on an old crate.

"I don't know. I need to get back to the others to let them know I'm all

right. Rachel will be worried sick about me. And the rest, too," he added

hastily. I didn't comment.

"And what makes you think I'm going to let you go by yourself out there

before three days are up?" I asked. He glanced at me sharply.

"You still don't trust me?" he asked. I scowled at him.

"I trust no one, Tobias. Not even with my last name." He smirked a little.

"We have a lot in common, then," he responded. I ignored him,

concentrating on sharpening my dagger with a wet stone. I looked at my watch.

"You'd better demorph. If my calculations are right, you've been in morph

for over two hours." He gasped and got a look of intense concentration on

his face.

The first change was that he grew feathers. I blinked. His mouth became

a beak, his arms became wings and his feet became talons. He shook himself

out of the remainder of his clothes as the last traces of human-ness

disappeared. In place of the boy Tobias, a red-tailed hawk clung to the

crate.

<Wha-?> a voice in my head asked, startled. I smiled slightly.

"Glad you escaped, Tobias," I murmured. "Though how you managed having

been in morph for over two hours is beyond me." His raptorial head turned

and he looked at me with those fierce hawk eyes.

<What's going on? Who are you, anyway?> he asked me sharply. I gazed at

him levelly. Golden eyes met golden-brown without flinching.

"I'm Ahdri," I said simply. "And I've decided. I'll help you get back to

your friends and fellow warriors, Nareiko."

<Nareiko?> he asked me. I had to smile.

"It means 'little spirit child'. Come. Let's go find your friends."

Chapter Three

"Okay, now which way?" I whispered to Tobias. He was in hawk form and

perched on my shoulder. I had shifted a short, brown-blond girl with grey

eyes.

<Through that clump of trees.> Tobias was directing me to a clearing in

the woods where he said we'd find the others. I was nervous, but I didn't

let it show.

"How much further?" I whispered tensely, thought I kept my body and

posture relaxed.

<Just a little further. You should be able to hear them by now.> I

listened. Sure enough, I could hear the murmur of voices. The voices

sound…angry. No, one person was angry. The rest were trying to calm her

down. Suddenly, that voice raised above the murmur and I heard very

clearly, "I don't care! I have to find him! He could be hurt, or

captured-" Another voice interrupted her, trying to soothe her. Tobias

chuckled.

<That's Rachel for you.> he said. I stopped and looked carefully around a

tree. There they were. All of them. The four humans, and-

An Andalite! I didn't move. He hadn't seen me, I didn't think.

<Are you sure this is safe?> I asked Tobias, reverting to thought-speech..

<Perfectly safe. Hey! How did-?>

<Never mind.> I took a deep breath, then walked boldly around the tree

and into the clearing.

All talk died away. The Andalite looked shocked. The humans looked

shocked and scared. I raised my hand in greeting to them. Then, with my

other hand, I lifted Tobias up onto my hand. With a flick of my wrist, I

launched him into the air.

<Hi, guys!> I heard him say. Instantly, the others forgot about me and

clamored around Tobias. I wasn't sure if that was his intent, but it gave

me time to shift into a squirrel. I watched the reunion for a while.

<Oh, I almost forgot! Guys, I'd like you to meet--> Tobias stopped in

mid-sentence. <She's gone!> I flicked my tail in amusement.

"What? Who's gone?" the brown haired boy asked. Jake, I remembered, from

what Tobias had told me.

<The girl who brought me back! The one- Ahdri? Ahdri!> Tobias was now

flapping around, looking for me. I stiffened, just like any other squirrel.

<Good bye, Tobias,> I whispered in thought-speak to him. <May we never

meet again.> Then I leapt into the branches and dashed away.

Chapter Four

I had thought that was the end of it. I return the hawk-boy to his

friends, I never see him again, I remain safe.

Little did I know.

I was coming back from the store, shifted to a red-haired girl with black

eyes. I was carrying a bag of groceries. I looked like an ordinary girl.

Then, I heard it.

"Ahdri?" I stopped, shocked. I glanced around. Then, I kept going. I

shouldn't have stopped. I heard that voice call me again. "Ahdri? Is

that you?"

I stopped again, horrified. Had they found me already? Oh, gods….

"Who…who is there?" I hissed. Then, the person spoke the one name that

I'd hoped never to hear again. And yet, I'd known it was him.

"Tobias."

Chapter Five

I stared at him as he emerged from the shadows. I was in shock! What was

he doing here?! Well, I wasn't in so much shock I couldn't react. As soon

as he was close enough, I grabbed him and pushed him back into the shadows,

slaming him into the wall. In the next second, my dagger was at his throat.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" I hissed. "You follow me, they follow

you, they find me, I'm done for! If they don't infest me, they'll kill me

and then a I won't be worth a shit to you or your friends!" Tobias stared

at me, shocked. I took the dagger away and let go of him, backing up two

paces. "Get the hell outta here before you get us both caught."

I melted back into the shadows. He stared after me, then turned and half

walked, half ran out of the alley. I smiled grimly. I had hated to do

that to him, but the kid had to learn. You don't mess with a hunted

shape-shifter and you really don't go looking for her.

"Sayonara, Tobias," I whispered as I headed back to the cellar. I was

gonna hafta re-locate if I was gonna stay ahead. That was what was on my

mind as I headed down the alley.

I bumped straight into a gorilla.

"Watch where you're goin', you big hairy ape!" I snarled. I wasn't

interested in how the gorilla got there, I just wanted to get by.

<Big?> the gorilla said. <Ha HA! Someone finally called me 'big'!> I

groaned. The last thing I needed was to run into Marco.

"I don't know how you got here, or why you got here, and frankly, I don't

care! Just get out of my way so I can pack up my stuff and re-locate, 'kay

Marco?" I smiled at him and pushed my way around him. I heard his jaw

drop, but before he could say anything to me, I was gone. Now more than

ever, I had to get out of there.

I just hoped it wasn't too late to save my ass as well as their's.

Chapter Six

"Sh-." I picked up my bag with my limited possessions and headed out the

door. I was running out of safe locations within the city. If I didn't

want to be found, I'd probably have to venture out into the forest.

That was especially dangerous. The Andalite, Aximili, had his territory

out there and so did Tobias. This was not a good week for me.

I shifted form. Now I was a thin, dark haired dark eyed boy with a set

jaw and a haunted look. Not exactly my best choice, but I was in a hurry.

My dagger was safe in my boot, my other dagger tucked into the sheith in

the lining of my jacket. I slung the carry-bag over my shoulder and headed

out into the streets. Then I heard it.

<Is that her?> I nearly froze in place. Damn! I forced myself to keep

walking. Please don't stop me, please don't stop me.…

<I don't know, I'll check. Ahdri!> I stopped and looked around. I

changed my voice and said, "Wha-? Am I hearing things?" I paused, the

kept walking. <Nice try, Nareiko. But wrong.> I thought at him.

<Ahdri! I don't understand->

<I said not to follow me. Now, hopefully, you won't find me.> All through

this, I kept walking, a blank look on my face. I heard Tobias call out to

me, but I didn't answer.

I made it out to the forest. I shifted to a girl with hazel eyes and dark

hair. It would just look like a normal girl out for a hike. I thought I

was home free when I heard it.

<Yeerk!>

Chapter Seven

<Yeerk!> I kept walking. Not directed at me, ignore it, I told myself.

Boy was I wrong. Again. A tail-blade was suddenly at my throat. Damn

Aximili. I ducked back and under it and kept walking. <Stop yeerk!> Duh,

I kept walking. I looked casually around at the scenery like any hiker

would. Then I realized my mistake.

"Damn!" I muttered. I turned around. Sure enough, he'd followed me.

Aximili. Brother of Prince Elfangor. I inwardly groaned.

"You would have words with me, aristh Aximili, brother of Honored

Elfangor?" He looked startled. "Aximili, give up!" I said. "All of you,

just give up!" I slung the pack onto my sholders and shifted a giant

timber wolf. With that, I ran.

Chapter Eight

I found a shack out in the woods. It looked abandoned. I had to chance

it. I shifted back to normal, set my pack down, pulled off my jacket and

lay down with my dagger in easy reach. I fell asleep.

The sound of footsteps told me everything I had to know. Someone had

found me! I lurched to my feet, dagger in hand. Then I saw who it was.

It was Jake. Next to him was Cassie. Out the window in the tree, I saw

Tobias. They'd found me.

"Oh, shit!" I said, lowering my dagger and turning away. I paced toward

the wall two steps, then turned and looked at them. "How did you find me

this time?"

<Relax, Ahdri. We used this shack to hold Jake when he was a Controller.

We've known about this place a long time.>

"Real reasuring, Tobias," I told him. "What do you want?" When I got no

response, I said. "Let me rephrase that in terms you can understand. Why

do you insist on finding me when I don't want to be found?"

"We had to find you," Cassie said slowly. "You may be the only one who

can help us." I stared at her. Really stared.

"What?!"

Chapter Nine

"Okay, let me get this straight," I said, some hours later. We were all

seated in the shack. I had put my dagger away, but it was still within

easy reach. "You're asking me to risk my neck on some suicidal mission to

free your brother and the whole thing depends on having a look-a-like to

help with distraction, is that it?" Jake nodded. "One question. Who's

you're brother?"

"Tom ________." I felt my heart stop beating. Tom? This was Tom's

brother?!

"Jake," I said dazedly. "He's spoken of you, you know." Jake jumped.

"Who? When? Where?" I stared into space, remembering.

"We shared a cage in the yeerk pool many times. When he wasn't screaming

his head off at the yeerks, he and I talked. He told me about… God, I feel

so guilty! He joined the Sharing because of me! He wanted to be close to

me." A tear rolled unbidden down my cheek. I brushed it aside impatiently.

"Tom spoke often about you, Jake. He said he envied you, being free,

being innocent-" I smirked a little. "But most of all, he talked about all

the times you and he had shot some hoops. He knew you'd be really good if

you stuck with it." Very softly, I added, "He was proud of you."

"We almost freed him once," Cassie said softly. I just nodded.

"The first time the 'Andalite Bandits came to the pool? I was there. I

cheered when I saw him riding out on the tiger. That was you, I take it?"

I asked Jake. He just nodded. I saw that he was remembering, too. And

trying not to cry.

"We were together in the cage again after that. When I asked him why he

hadn't run for it, he said he'd had to save the tiger. And he wouldn't

leave me." I had to stop. The tears threatened to spill over my eyes and

my throat had closed up. After a moment, I continued. "After that, we

were put in separate cages. For a while, it seemed like his yeerk and he

were getting rather close." My voice was bitter. "Then, it abruptly

changed, and Tom was back in my cage for a while. Then, when he wasn't

there, you all attacked again. It had something to do with oatmeal." They

all laughed weakly. "My cage was torn open and I escaped out of the pool.

"That's the last I saw of any of it. Since then, I've been hiding in

alleyways and every place I could to escape the yeerks. As far as anyone

knows, I'm dead." It felt funny saying that. But it was true. "And now

you come and offer me a chance to free Tom at last.…"

"How did you come to be a shape shifter?" Cassie asked me. I sighed.

"Just lucky, I guess. I met this kid, a girl with really funny hair, and

she told me everything about it. It's funny. She's the one that told be

about you. There was an alien with her, not an Andalite. She…I don't

know…when the alien touched me, I got this amazing shock. When I found out

about the shape shifting powers, I figured, 'Great, a way to hide.' Then I

thought, 'No. A way to fight'."

"Who's this girl you mentioned?" Jake asked me. I shrugged.

"She never did give a name. The others in her group called her

'Moonblade' or sometimes just 'Blade'." I smiled slightly at the memory.

"One of the boys called her their "Fearless Leader." Of course, she

elbowed him when he did."

"Sounds familiar," Jake said dryly. One corner of my mouth quirked.

"So, how do we go about freeing Tom? What's the plan?" I asked. Jake

told me. It was dangerous. It was crazy. Insane. And Havens' Day, I

liked it.