For those who read the last fic I wrote;

Yeah, I know, it's been ages since I updated my old fic, but what can I do? I was grounded. Plus my little sister wiped out the hardware, which means I lost the story -I haven't compensated yet, but I'm starting…

In the mean time, bite into this, it's a new idea I've been thinking about, it's set before the last book, okay? So Ax isn't taken by the One. It's bound to go further and I have the next chapter already in writing, but I'll only post it depending on your reaction, if no one reacts I'll probably not bother posting then next chapter…

We'll see how it goes…

THE THIRD BROTHER

Coming right behind you!

It's mine!

Watch it!

Hooves pounded the early morning grass. The soil was wet and clumps of earth flew as eight hooves jackhammered the soil. I aimed my blade. Presenting the dull side always.

Fwaaap!

The blade connected! Got it!

The ball blew across the grass, Cathydor approached it timidly and-

Fwaap!

A block!

It was a member from the rivalry team, Ramor, the heaviest Andalite on field. Instead of leaving Ramor on the defense they had him on the attack. A good move on behalf of our rivalry, no one was really interested in wrestling the drift ball out of Ramor's reach. First half we managed to talk Hagher into doing it. The result was not pretty.

Through my stalk eyes I watched a very bruised looking Hagher scowling at us. He was probably mad that we deliberately kicked him off the game.

Right now, I wished we had kicked Cathydor off the game. Cathydor is great as far as defense went, but attacking was never his specialty. So it never occurred to him that he should probably try and win back the ball from Ramor.

In the small league drift ball teams, it was okay to have members on your team with varying age. Ramor's the oldest on the field on this particular match, I considered trying to single handedly steal the drift ball away from him but had to reconsider. Ramor may be my neighbor and my friend, but that does not mean he would make it easy for me, as an adult, his concern is to make sure everyone has a fair chance at play.

Oh, by the way, I'm Scyeth-Coraff-Maheen, Captain of the undefeated Whestler Academy Drift Ball team. Brother of Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul and Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. And yes, can you believe it; I never met either of them.

My eldest brother is dead. My second eldest is assumed dead. That leaves me. Scyeth. And I tell you that I'm not joining the military.

I would like to do that, maybe if my brothers were alive they might have encouraged me, but I have grown out of the need to join the military and go burn some slugs as my friend Hagher would say, in any case, the real reason behind why I had declined enlisting was because my parents –both my parents- were opposed to it.

I didn't need to wonder why.

My mother had told me that Father became quite withdraw and depressed after Elfangor's death. And that my birth brought him out of his deep depression. In any case, I have never known my father to be depressed in any way. And nor did I believe that he had been depressed by the death of his eldest sons. He had me; that was enough.

Or so I thought.

Idgar! I roared suddenly, springing into action and galloping after Ramor take his right!

I approached Ramor on his left, Idgar took his right, we boxed him in and as Idgar tripped him I stole the drift ball. A member from the rivalry team leapt over his fallen teammate and tore after us as both Idgar and I ran at the opposite direction.

Two more team members from Ashelmore University of Engineering Arts raced behind us. One of them -just by looking at him- I instantly recognized as a runner due to his lightweight body. If he so much as tried fighting the ball from me he would be trampled dirt and broken bones.

The other guy looked like he could fight me and loose easily, I felt confident enough to continue galloping with the ball drifting no more than a few feet away from my blade per swipe.

I was swiftly reaching the goal posts. In two more strides I would be in striking distance…

The object is to get the ball to impact one of the three poles that the rivalry team defended. The object was not to connect the ball with a fellow team member's knee. As I just did.

Idgar! I yelled over his surprised yelp of pain, partly annoyed that he was standing there blocking my path and annoyed that I haven't told him to clear the way. What was wrong with me? Usually I didn't make such stupid mistakes.

Our instructor yelled angrily at both of us and we managed not to crash into each other, the light runner swept between us and stole the ball, and accelerated towards our posts.

Defense! I yelled, Get back in line!

Defense had been drifting forward ever since the ball (which was stuck to the rivalry team's territory throughout the match and finally reached ours) along with all the excitement was far away. They scuttled back and Cathydor, first in line of defense tried to tackle the runner but failed, leaving the job to Kuer, Lumnar and Ajeel. But Ajeel was too far left to be much help and Lumnar had been caught off guard, Kuer turned to tackle but the runner was already within striking distance.

Noo! Dargeion wailed in my head as the drift ball hit the center post. We had them!

I tried hard not to show any emotion on my face as the referee announced the end of the game. My team, seven in total headed to the center of the field, the other team did the same. I tried hard not to look angered. I didn't want them to savor their victory.

They couldn't. They couldn't openly gloat about it, we had nearly beaten them but lost because of general clumsiness on our part. If it weren't for that swift hoofed runner we would have won, if he had hit any post aside from the center post I would have won. We, my team, would have won!

But we lost.

And already, the other team was boasting.

The referee announced the winner –literally slapping it on our faces- and I stepped forward and touched tail blades with the other team's Captain, Randof. And he smirked openly.

I resisted the urge to knock his head off his shoulders and stiffly hauled my team off the field.

I started yelling at them but was interrupted by our instructor who shouted at us for being lazy and un-coordinated and told us to meet him after The Sunset High Celebration.

He left us after a while and we roamed lazily across our field –yes, beaten on our own turf, how embarrassing- I stretched my tail and called my team in, beaconing them to come closer and listen to what I had to say.

We were eight, the usual number of players on a small league Drift Ball game. The bigger leagues had up to twenty-eight players and the game was a bit more complicated. Lumnar, Kuer, Ajeel and Cathydor played on the defense line, the rest, Dargeion, Idgar, Hagher and me played on the attack line.

You would think that I would launch into a lecture right then about how important coordination is in a game of Drift Ball. I didn't, we had more significant things to talk about.

Like the Sunset High Celebration.

Have any of you found partners? I asked.

No, and thanks to mister popularity I probably wouldn't, at least, not when I'm looking like this. Hagher grumbled indicating at his bruised form with his left arm and stared at me.

Me neither, Cathydor said, I-

You just shut up. Idgar interrupted him, You almost had a partner, she would have said 'yes' if only you asked.

I couldn't. Cathydor replied, trying hard not look uncomfortable.

Why? Lumnar asked.

Because-

Because he was too busy being embarrassed to ask her! Idgar shook his eye-stalks at Cathydor, you have got to loosen up Cathydor. Why can't you be a little bit bolder? They'll kick you out of the military if you aren't prepared to be headstrong, you know that don't you?

Now, Cathydor definitely looked embarrassed, he shifted his weight and said. I tried. I-

One of these days, when your superior officer asks you why haven't you plunged into a bold suicidal mission you'll say 'I tried.' And then, that would be that. And one of these days, when-

Alright. I cut in, we get it. If Cathydor couldn't get a partner for the Sunset High Celebration then that's okay, I'm going without a partner so he could come with me.

Everyone stared at me like I was nuts. Kuer, Lumnar, Hagher, Dargeion, Idgar and even Ajeel who usually ignored me. Cathydor looked even more uncomfortable.

What? I asked defensively.

Have you lost your brain? Kuer asked me.

Did he ever have a brain to begin with? Hagher intervened innocently.

No. Idgar answered and I swiped at Hagher giving Idgar a mocking angered look. Hagher side stepped and Idgar jumped sideways to counter me.

Why aren't you going with Nateesh? Lumnar asked skeptically after Idgar, Hagher and I settled down.

Because that's who Cathydor is going with, I said still grinning at Hagher. Cathydor emitted a high chocking sound,I'm going to drift along with them.

I can't! Cathydor shrilled. She's supposed to go with you!

Actually, what he meant to say was that he wouldn't go with her because he's afraid he would humiliate himself in front of her and everybody.

You're taking her. I said, that's what I told her yesterday night. You can't say no. I gave her my word.

Cathydor looked sick. No you didn't.

Nateesh is Prince Suleman-Thyill-Fereen's daughter. You'd have to be insane to mess up while you are with her. It is never a good idea to take a Prince's daughter to a Celebration unless you know that you are not going to screw up. I'm not sure why, It's just the way it is.

Oh, and Prince Suleman is a very important person in the Andalite High Command, so I think there's something there that implies 'losers beware'.

I know I have a partner, Idgar has one too, Kuer told me he finally found one yesterday –cutting it close aren't you?- and Dargeion as well as Ajeel aren't going to be there. Lumnar concluded, So, all of us have partners except for Hagher and Scyeth?

Dargeion couldn't come because he had work to do in the Academy and Ajeel was preoccupied with family business –or so he says- I knew for a fact that even though Kuer and Idgar were going to attend I wouldn't see them. Since their scoops are on the eastern side of the continent they would have to attend in the eastern hall. We were attending in the western hall.

So that left Cathydor, Hagher, Lumnar and me.

Ajeel was the first to leave the group and Dargeion went with him, and I felt a little bit relieved. Relaxed even. I don't know why but I dislike Ajeel. And Dargeion is his best friend so the two were never close to me.

Which, to be honest, didn't bother me. I had plenty of friends, but the closest I could find where here, on the team.

If I were any closer to Hagher he would have been my shorm. But I'm not that close so he's my best friend. Hagher is a hard person to like; he's extremely fond of himself and his stupid practical jokes. And for some reason, his brain is full of witty comments.

They could get very annoying in a very…touchy situation.

Now, Idgar is Hagher's shorm. So I see a lot of him when Hagher is around. I suppose Hagher and I were closer before he met Idgar. I fell second place on Hagher's 'list of friends' when Idgar showed up. At first I had been annoyed about the whole thing. Now, it was okay though.

Lumnar is who I'd spend the evening with if I didn't want anyone to bother me, he's usually quite but in an assertive way. It's not that Lumnar didn't have anything to say, he does, it's because he isn't the sort of person who would start conversations.

I am the sort of person who would start conversations so it was not unusual that Lumnar ends up listening to me ramble for long periods of times. He was a listener, I suppose I'm a talker.

My mother had always told me I'm narcissistic.

Okay, okay, just because I like to talk a lot –and the subject has always been something that revolves around me- that does not make me a self-centered person.

Does it?

Cathydor is a different story. He acts like he had just fallen out of the sky and was just practicing taking his first steps. Stumbling the entire way.

I don't know how he came on the team. I don't even know why I like him. I have never known myself to waste my time with people like Cathydor, shy and timid, but you know what? It's nice to give instead of take all the time. Cathydor isn't able to 'give' you anything; he sort of latches and looks around in a panicked state.

Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but it is not far from the truth.

I broke off from the group and wasn't surprised to see Cathydor coming with me.

Thanks, I…you caught me off guard. I didn't expect you to do that.

See what I mean? Even Cathydor knows that I had a tendency to take more than what is necessary. I knew that I had shocked the others in my little gesture.

Actually, I knew Hagher would comment on that. And he wouldn't call it a 'little gesture'.

Okay, maybe I did like Cathydor more than I showed to people. The reason I wouldn't show it to people was because Cathydor doesn't look like he's able to stand up for himself let alone stand up for a friend.

In any case, what distinguished Cathydor from the rest was his loyalty. That is one thing I couldn't ignore about him. The others would say something like maybe we'd get together and pull a prank on 'you-know-who'; they'd do it and frame another teammate in the process. Can you believe them?

That's okay, I said shrugging it off, I wasn't lying when I said Nateesh wanted you as a partner.

I thought you liked Nateesh. Cathydor asked timidly.

There are many other females. I said offhandedly, then I grinned, bet you one of them is going to come over and ask me why I haven't got a partner.

That's why you're going alone? To…to project one of you're images? he questioned.

I'm not going alone. I said irritably, I said I'd be drifting with you and Nateesh. That way I could tell you how not to screw up.

Cathydor flushed. He started to say something.

Don't worry, I was just joking. I smiled, relax, Sunset High wouldn't be a nightmare, you just look forward to it. Alright?

Cathydor looked slightly relieved at that.

I have to go. I said, I'll meet you with the others at Sunset High. Be there Cathydor. And make sure Nateesh is with you.