"Gosh, I dunno," she says. "Do you think we can trust them to get us there safely?"

"If we don't, you can be sure the paper will say we tried our very best."

"We're all perfect gentlemen. Besides, I think all of you can handle yourselves."

"I know for a fact Theron and Barnett can take most guys in a fight."

"Fencing isn't exactly applicable to self-defense, but I think we can handle a walk home."

"I should hope so."

"I think that rounds to a yes!"

Matt and Allison spend most of the walk talking to each other and ignoring their friends.

Stiles tries to guess at which of Allison's friends is more approachable, and concludes that it must be Anna.

"So I don't think I have your name. I'm Stiles Stilinski, the sheriff's son."

"I'm Anna. Stiles, huh? Did your dad seriously give you the same first name as your last name?"

"My first name is Polish, and it was my mom's idea. It's completely unpronounceable, so I go by Stiles. Is Anna a nickname, or did your parents want to give you an easy childhood?"

"It's not the first, so it must be the second, I guess."

"What's your deal, anyway? I think I know Barnett- quiet, fencing- and Allison- bubbly, fencing- but I'm not sure I know your deal. Matt says you work on the school newspaper. Do you guys get to cover anything good? I haven't read it."

"Aw, you want to know about li'l ol' me? I'm the sports writer, so I get to go to all the games."

"Oh, is that fun? I think we're the only school in the country where lacrosse is bigger than football."

"Read my articles and maybe you'll find out."

"I'll do that."

"Hey, Stiles, we should cut through the construction site. I think you and Anna both live down that way, so this'll be a quick shortcut."

"The abandoned construction site where homeless people sleep? Sure, that sounds safe."

"Still a little early for bedtime, Stiles. It'll be fine."

They walk. The construction site has been abandoned than most kids their age remembered. Her mom always warned her not to go there, scaring her with stories about kids just like her getting caught by falling metal beams and flying wooden splinters and all kinds of imagery that scared her when she was kid.

Allison's not a kid anymore. She's surrounded by friends, and she's talking to the guy she kind of likes, and that makes everything seem less scary. She thinks, though, as she sees the light in the sky, that her mom might get a kick out of this.

"Wait, hold on. I think there's something in the sky."

"Like the moon?"

"That's no moon...seriously, Allison, what are you talking about?"

They can all see it soon enough. The light resolves into the shape of a ship. The front end resembles an egg in shape, while a long, narrow portion extends towards the back. Two stubby wings protrude from the sides, and the end of each wing gives off blue light. At the back of the ship is a tail, which curves upward to a sharp point. The ship is descending through the sky, slowing down as it approaches.

"...A spaceship."

Allan hits Matt on the shoulder. "Matt, tell me you brought the camera..."

He already has it out.

"It's- some kind of government test. They test in the desert, right?"

"Where do you think the desert is, Matthew. That's a spaceship."

"What do we do?"

In her panic, Allison seems not to have noticed the way her hair is standing on end, spreading out around her.

"Prepare to bring them to our leader?"

Matt continues collecting evidence.

"I'm not sure we should be gawking at it. Shouldn't we call somebody?"

"Who, the alien sighting hotline? Everybody hide before they see you."

Stiles looks for an unfinished bit of building to duck behind. Finding something satisfactory, he does.

As he walks away, the ship begins to descend. They can make out its size now (just a bit bigger than a school bus) and its direction; it's going to land in the construction site.

Hiding seems prudent. Taylor will also find some cover.

Yeah, now that the thing is getting close, he wants to see what comes out of it before doing anything else.

"Hey, wait! Where's everyone going-"

"We need to hide. Allison, come on-"

It's too late for that, though. Anna, Allison, and Matt watch as the ship lands on the empty patch of ground in front of them.

Stiles doesn't even glance back. He cowers, waiting to hear what happens next.

The thing looks horribly burned. Some kind of firefight in space, before it got here?

"I think they might be hurt."

Allison steps forward, moving closer.

Anna and Matt can also see that part of the hull have melted, though everyone looking can tell the ship is in bad shape.

Anna also moves up. "Should someone go for a first aid kit...? Or call someone?"

Matt starts to move to do something.

<Hello>, says a voice in all of their minds. It sounds warm and gentle, despite the note of pain.

"Aah!' Anna yelps.

<Do not be frightened.>

As they watch, the ship's door begins to open, revealing a figure standing just inside. As they step out, the teenagers see a strange hybrid creature: blue and tan fur covering a humanoid torso, an equine lower half, strange antennae with eyes at the ends, no mouth, and a sharp, sickle of a tail.

The creature stumbles out of the door, collapsing.

Allison rushes to its side.

"Allison, wait-"

He steps forward, but hesitates.

Anna moves up too.

Allan pokes his head out.

"Are you alright? What do we do- I don't know first aid, does anyone know first aid?"

Her hands hover above a patch of singed fur and melted flesh.

<There is nothing you can do. The wound is fatal.>

He sounds almost apologetic.

<I will die, shortly. I am here to warn you.>

Stiles stays cozy and safe in his hiding spot. He can hear just fine from there.

"Warn us? About what?"

<I am not the only one. There are others coming, called Yeerks. They are parasites, who enter the bodies of their hosts and control them. Many of them are already here.>

"What do you mean, control?"

"I don't like the sound of parasites."

<This is a Yeerk outside of its host.>

They see a- disgusting, vile, hateful- image of a greenish-gray slug in their minds.

<Human-Controllers look the same as any other human does, from the outside. I wish I could say more, but there is not much time. The Yeerks are pursuing me now, and will arrive soon. I want to prepare you. Inside my ship, there is something which might help. You, go inside, and bring the small, blue box back to us.>

Just as the image of the Yeerk came with a sense of disgust, it is obvious to all of them that the alien means for Allen to bring him the blue box.

"What are we supposed to do? We're just a couple of teenagers!"

Box inside the ship, sure. He's always wanted to see inside an alien spacecraft.

The ship seems to be fairly small. Allan finds something resembling controls, several objects of unknown use, and a holographic projection of two aliens with two smaller aliens. A family photo, it would seem.

More importantly, perhaps, he finds a small blue cube.

<This cube is a weapon. With this, you stand a chance against the Yeerks. This will grant you the power to morph.>

"And what does that mean?"

<The power to morph is the power to acquire the DNA pattern of any creature and become that creature. Hurry, we must do this quickly, before they arrive. Gather round, and bring me the box.>

Allison hasn't left the alien's side. She seems very attentive.

"How is turning into animals going to stop us from getting mind-controlled?"

<This is all I have to offer,> he apologizes. <Touch the box. Remember never to stay in morph for longer than two of your hours, or you will be trapped forever.>

Anna touches the box.

...fine, he’ll come get the magic powers.

As they all touch the box, so too does the Andalite. They feel a slight tingling sensation spread through them.

<You may acquire any DNA pattern through touch. Remember the two hour limit. Remain disciplined, keeping a check on your emotions. Run, before my pursuers arrive.>

“Any DNA pattern? Including yours?”

<Only Allison may acquire me.>

Allison, who hasn’t moved from her spot by the alien, and has stopped speaking, nods. She places a hand on the alien’s flank.

<Any animal you acquire will...become...docile...>

The alien trails off.

"...Is he dead?"

"N-no..."

She doesn't sound confident.

But moments later, they do hear the voice in their minds again:

<I live yet. But not for long.>

Above them, in the sky, they can see red lights begin to appear.

"I'm sorry."

And he's off. He's not planning to stay until the other aliens kill this one.

"We probably shouldn't be here when they arrive."

"But-"

"We don't know how many of them there are. Or what we can really do."

Anna frowns. "I don't like running."

"Discretion is the better part of valor."

"Don't like Shakespeare either..." she grumps.

"Allison, they're right. We need to go."

He reaches out for her shoulder.

"No, I can't just- he's my- I won't!"

But she does.

Matt wants to take a picture. He wants to so badly. But they've stumbled into something where every shred of evidence-

They run.

Good plan. How far are they going?

Allison would like to be close enough to witness what happens next.

"Allison, it's not worth it. He's going to die anyway."

She's found a place to hide for now. It's good enough. He's given her enough to know how to operate a tail blade, if it comes to it.

"Go. I'll be fine."

The lights begin to come closer.

Taylor hesitates, caught between concern for her friend and fear.

Anna finds a spot a little ways back of Allison to watch.

This decides Taylor, and she joins Anna.

Three ships begin to land in the construction site. Their red lights glare at the fallen ship as they touch down. Two smaller ones (still larger than a school bus) flank a larger ship with wings that resembles an axe.

<The Blade ship,> he says bitterly. <Piloted by the only Andalite-Controller, Visser Three.>

The Blade ship looks like it might hit some abandoned construction machinery on the ground, but it disintegrates it and finishes its descent.

A door opens in the side of the ship. 

"He can morph, too."

"Peachy."

Out steps the Visser. Walking with a sure, steady gait, the Andalite-Controller approaches the fallen warrior. He places one of his legs on his chest, pressing down.

<You will not win, Visser Three. There are more of us coming.>

The Visser only looks down on him. His four eyes stare at the bleeding, pathetic creature, lying there on foreign dirt.

Behind him follow his troops; some, looking like walking collections of knives. They resemble purple and green bipedal dinosaurs with blades projecting from most joints, as well as their tails and heads. Each of them carries a gun.

Crawling behind them are giant centipede-worms, thicker than an adult human. Their bodies end in toothy maws on one end, which faces the dying Andalite.

The aliens surround the Andalite and his ship, weapons pointing both inwards and outwards. The Visser remains silent.

<Hork-Bajir. They are naturally peaceful, but the Yeerks have taken what was left of them after a biological weapon nearly destroyed their species. The host of the Abomination was to blame for that one. The filthy creatures behind them- Taxxons. Vile, vicious cannibals. They chose to be enslaved so that they could have more plentiful food.>

The world just got a whole lot bigger real quick. He's not sure he approves of this development.

<You know, I always imagined crushing you under my heel would feel more satisfying. It's a shame, really.>

More powerful than the limited effects of tone of voice, it seems this mode of communication brings with it waves of emotion. Disdain, superiority, and confidence cling to the words as they reach their minds. Anyone listening to the Visser is tempted to cower, just a little.

<They will come for you. They will come for you, and no part of your little empire will survive when we've finished with you.>

But it's too late. The Visser is morphing now. It's an ugly process, body parts shifting and deforming as the Andalite body swells in size.

<Your ship has been shot down. Any survivors will fall Earth's wildlife. The closest Andalite ships will take months, if not years, to arrive, and by then I'll have already won.>

He has but one opportunity.

The Andalite's tail blade twitches while the Visser is morphing.

He slices into his own throat.

He sends a final message to the human observers: the sense of peace found in tending to his garibah. How he sung to it, silently, as his brother watched on, and he knows love and true happiness.

The Andalite dies. Allison cries, but she's not going to wait for whatever monstrosity the Visser has become to spot them.

"Let's go."

"That sounds like a good idea."

They go. Whatever else the aliens do is their business. Allison bore witness to the most important part of the night's events.

She doesn't much want to talk. She walks with Anna and Taylor, and then heads home. Her parents act suitably worried, an uncommon sight in the past few months. Now that Alsandor has given her an explanation, she almost wishes she didn't know. She deflects their concern, tossing her hair and smiling and they get back to ignoring her. She sleeps.

Anna calls Allison the next day.

"So. Uh. Last night, huh."

"Yeah, it was a lot to process. Are you? Processing?"

"Not. Not so much, no."

"We should talk about it more after school. It was- we should talk in person."

She does not want to go to school, but then her parents might try to act normal again, and she doesn't want that.

"After school. Yeah. Okay."

She goes to school. She pretends it's an ordinary day. The police don't show up trying to drag her off to get an alien, mind-controlling, parasitic slug installed in her head.

Stiles and Matt have an unpleasant conversation before school. Matt makes sure to meet up with Allan before homeroom.

"Hey. Sorry for how last night ended. Maybe get everyone together again tonight. I haven't talked to the girls yet, but I think everyone's on the same page here."

"Good idea. Clubroom?"

Nod.

"Should I talk to Allison, or do you want to reach out?"