AN- I don't own any original animorph characters-they belong to K.A. and Scholastic-don't sue-

To let you know, I love Cassie so don't forget nothing is ever what it seems in this story-well, usually-please read and review- I promise I'll answer your questions! PS-sorry if they are a little OOC-I really do try



Chapter One: Cassie

My name is Cassie. I'm an animorph. You know my story, so I'm not going to tell it to you again. I was supposed to be at the Hork- Bajir camp following out Jake's orders, but I guess something just told me not to. Jake and Rachel's thought-speak could be heard from my position only two feet above the trees. It never occurred to Jake that I would disobey his orders and eavesdrop on their conversation. Well, life is full of little surprises. I heard all about Jake's plan. Truth be told, it made me sick. I wasn't mad at Jake or Rachel, I was angry at the way life had turned out. We had been handed the bad hand of cards in life. I was sick thinking about the way we all turned out. I knew I could save Rachel, so I followed her. I did everything she did. I morphed flea, got on Tom's head, and some time later, got on the Blade Ship. I saw Rachel, she saw me, but she thought I was a real flea. I knew she wasn't. I saw Rachel jump off, so I did the same. She demorphed and morphed to grizzly bear. I hadn't really paid attention to what was going on around me, but now I did.

After Rachel demorphed someone shrieked, "Animorph"!

That's right genius: Animorph Rachel replied cockily. It was then that I demorphed.

I stayed flea size, but regained my human body. I saw that no one was looking my way so I demorphed the rest of the way. I then morphed to wolf. Tom told the Yeerks to stop firing and start morphing. They did. Rachel took care of Tom and the leopard, so I went for the buffalo. I leaped onto his back and bit into his neck. I fell down. I saw the Yeerk slithering out. Wimp, I thought. I saw the buffalo lying unconscious. I gave it a good kick in the head. That woke him up.

Owwww what sounded like a man's voice came from the buffalo's body.

Demorph I said.

I ran after one of the lionesses. We battled for a while. By then everyone knew I was on the Blade Ship. I no longer had the element of surprise.

Cassie Rachel cried. What are you doing here?

Saving your butt I replied. She was about to ask something else, but Jake beat her to it.

"How did you know", he asked.

Before I could answer, the lioness jumped on my back and ripped at it with her teeth. I let out a howl and rammed the lioness against a wall. She jumped off and I swung my paw at her head. She went down and was about to get up when I rammed my head into her stomach. She lay unconscious. The other lioness lunged at my throat, but I moved out of the way. She flew into a wall and I ripped at her throat. She died before the Yeerk could escape.

Tom! Jake yelled. Tom! I saw a snake slither up towards Rachel who was preoccupied by the polar bear. I pounced on Tom.

No you don't I said as I threw the snake into the nearest wall. Tom stopped moving.

Rachel, on the count of three, ram the polar bear on his front side. One, two, three!

I rammed his back as she rammed his front. He managed to swipe her one last time before he went down. Rachel fell to the ground.

"Rachel" Tobias cried who had morphed to human. A single tear ran down his cheek.

She'll live, Tobias. If she gets out of here I told him. I demoprhed to my human form. I saw the ex-Controller huddled in the corner, preparing to morph.

"No" I said. "I need you to fly her back to the Pool Ship. She has to live. She'll die if she stays here".

I want to help he said half way in his Bengal tiger morph.

"You can help by getting her out of here" I replied firmly. "Please, demorph".

He hesitated, but in the end decided to listen to me. I saw the questioning look in his eyes. I knew the question he wanted answered.

"I have to finish them", I paused. "Or die trying".

"Cassie, no" Jake said. "If you dock with the Pool Ship then…"

I cut him off. "No, Jake. We won't dock in time. This is the only way".

"No" he whispered.

The ex-Controller, Dave he told me, and I dragged Rachel into the Bug Fighter.

"When she wakes up, tell her what's happened. Let her know I love her and ask her if she'll take care of my family for me. Please" I asked Dave.

"Okay" he said. "Thank you, thank you Cassie the animorph. I'll never forget you". I smiled as he took off in the fighter.

I went back to the bridge. I knew Tom and the two other Controllers would soon wake up.

"I didn't go back to the valley like you told me too. That's how I knew. I heard you two talking".

Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He knew I would die. I knew I would die. I would kill the rest of the Yeerks, or die trying. I couldn't let morph-capable Yeerks run freely around the galaxy. They would invest some other species. Marco nodded. He knew why I had to stay.

"The life of one for the lives of many" Marco said quietly. The others understood too.

"I love you, Cassie" Jake said wiping away his tears. "Don't you ever forget that. I'm so sorry I failed you".

"You didn't fail anyone, Jake. To fall is not to fail. You only fail when you give up. You never gave up, never surrendered. I love you too". I paused as tears began to flow from both Jake and my eyes. "Let go, Jake. Don't think about the past. Focus on the future". I began to morph to wolf when I heard the lioness stir.

I love all of you very much I said once I finished morphing. I tried to remember every detail of this moment. For this moment could be my last. Ax stepped toward the screen.

Cassie he said. You are a great warrior. And even a better friend. He gave a slight bow. It is customary to bow to those who are honorable on our world. You are truly honorable.

"All hail Cassie the Great", Marco said sarcastically.

I laughed as my friends gave a slight bow. I bowed back to them. I already missed them. I didn't want to die. I already missed the life I thought I would never have.

I'll never forget any of you I said. Jake let go. If not for yourself, than for me. Let go. I heard the lioness get up just as I cut off the communications system. The others got up with her. Tom slithered forward.

So animorph he began, its 3-1. You know my host is begging me not to do this. He's fighting me with all his strength. I love to hear them scream.

The match is hardly fair I replied tersely.

I know. Get her he answered.

I lunged for the bear. I bit into his neck. The lioness went for my neck as Tom bit my leg. And then everything went dark.