Nichole

My name is Nichole Matthews.

Or Nihalora-Yvoric-Matmews, depending on who's asking.

I guess most people would call me a geek.

A nerd.

A useless waste of society.

But to tell the truth, I'm more than that. I'm a half-Andalite, like Tobias.

Well, not quite because the Ellimist didn't take my father away. He left when I was four and found out the Yeerks were on Earth.

Most people would call me a pushover or a loner.

A rogue, as the Yeerks put it. "The Rogue Andalite" more specifically.

I rarely run into The Animorphs because most of my work is with the Peace Movement and preventing certain atrocities from happening.

But every once in a while I'll use them as a stepping-stone.

But I guess under my rough exterior, I do have a peace-loving mind-set.

I hate to see people get hurt, and have no problem with hurting those who hurt people.

I used to dance, but took up gymnastics so I can be a bit more limber in certain aspects.

I'm also a second-level black-belt in Karate and occasionally cover for one of the other teachers for the white-belts.

I can move almost as fast as an Andalite, but this isn't one of those natural skills that comes from being half-Andalite or whatever. I've trained for years with a holographic image of my dad.

I've studied under my brother and sister--technically half--especially my sister, who is a brilliant mechanic but is more interested in learning tail-fighting techniques.

My brother is a genius mathematician who spends most of his time criticizing my mathematical timing of my moves.

I love them, but the only way to contact them is through my Z-space transponder.

My father left me a lot of things when he left.

Including the power to morph.

But I will always remember the most important thing he ever said to me: Morphing is not a toy.