Challenges, Part 1:

In Dreams

Cassie was in wolf morph, down in the Yeerk Pool. I was there, but couldn't morph. The others weren't there.

Cassie jumped at a Hork-Bajir's throat. After tearing it out, she twisted to avoid a Hork-Bajir's wrist blade....

....Impaling herself straight onto another!

< CASSIE!!!! > I yelled, in tiger morph, but it was too late. As she fell, I saw the otehr Animorphs come up behinf her. "All your fault," Rachel said, mad.

"You doomed us," Marco said.

< Where were you when we needed you? > Tobais demanded.

< Some Prince YOU are, Jake, > Ax sneered. All of this happened in a second. Cassie hit the ground at the hooves of Visser Three. The sounds was like a death knoll. Visser Three raised his tail blade and-

I sat bolt upright in bed, sweating and worried. My eyes wide open, seeing nothing in the dark. This was a recurring dream for many nights. Exhausted, I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

 

THE NEXT DAY....

 

I trudged my way through the pouring rain, making myself go forwards to Cassie's. Erek had called a meeting. That meant bad news, explaining why I was reluctant to go to Cassie's.

Don't get me wrong: I love Cassie, and her barn even, with every fiber of my being. But, when it comes to the Animorphs, I have come to hate going to her barn: it means bad news.

"Hey, guys, I'm here," I said, shaking off the rain from my slicker. "About time," Rachel said. She was lounging on a bale of hay.

"Sorry," I said by way of apology. "I had to make a good excuse for Tom. He knows I hate rain. Where's Cassie?" I asked sharply.

Suddenly, a picture popped into my head. Cassie, being beaten and tormented by Hork-Bajir while being dragged down to the Yeerk Pool. Trying to morph, being stunned with a Dracon Beam. Her head being shoved under....

I felt the rush of adrenaline enter my system.

Get a grip on yourself, man! YOU'RE the leader! You can't be freaking out! I mentally berated myself.

"I'm here," Cassie said from the barn door. "My dad had me lug these meds down. Give me a hand, Jake?" she asked. Ignoring Marco's snicker, I helped her manhandle the two large bags in.

As I did, I worked on slowing my breathing and fighting the panic that had overcome me so swiftly.

I turned and looked at Cassie, and felt my face stretch into a fool's grin. Even sopping wet, Cassie was beautiful.

Shows how far I've fallen in love.

Anyway, Erek showed up at precisely 9:30. "Bad news," he said, shaking rain off his image of a slicker.

"The Yeerks have gotten a new machine, called the Hacenfrelo, that will enable them to find Ax, and expose the rest of you."

I swear time seemed to stop. "What?" I demanded. I could feel my heart begin to speed up again. "How?"

"Well, it's interesting. The same scientists that developed the AMR," and here Erek made a slight bow towards Tobias, "developed this before their untimely death. What happens, is that the Yeerks release a chemical airborne agent that attaches itself to a particular DNA structure-in this case, an Andalite's. Once sufficient particles have attached to Ax, it will send out a concentrated chemical marker that won't disappear if Ax morphs. It will expose you-well, do I have to lay this all out? What do you think Visser Three will figure, after he sees only one Andalite? There is already speculation, from him and others, that you are human. A lot of clues point to it."

There was silence for a moment as we all absorbed this new info. "The Hacenfrelo is being held in the Yeerk Pool; luckily, it's not done. I suggest you get into the Yeerk Pool ASAP and destroy it."

While he had been talking, I had been racing to figure out a plan. I suddenly thought of one. "3 of us will acquire Chapman and a few other know human-Controllers. I'm sure Illim will let 2 of us morph him. We'll sneak in and go from there. That sound good to eveyone?"

When they nodded, I said, "Well, today's a Thursday that we get off. Tomorrow, me, Marco, and Rachel acquire Chapman. Cassie, arrange for Tobias and Ax to acquire Illim after school. Meet at Cassie's barn on Staurday, 8 o'clock sharp. AM," I said with a meaningful look towards Marco.

Eveyone agreed and left. I remained.

"Cassie, can I talk to you for a sec?" I asked. She nodded.

Taking a deep breath, I started. "I-I had a dream, where we were in the Yeerk Pool, and you-you-you died. So, just be careful, OK?"

"OK," she agreed. On impulse, I pulled her into a bear hug. She returned it. Separating a little bit, I looked at her eyes. The feeling hit us both at the same time, like lightning. I bent my head downward, she arched hers upward, and we kissed. French style. Not the one on the cheeks, either.

Separating, we stared each other in the eyes. We both smiled.

The moment seemed to span a thousand years, until we heard Cassie's dad say, "Cassie?"

"See you later?" she asked.

I nodded. I gave her a peck on the cheek and walked quickly back to my house.