Challenges, Part 2:
Prophecies
As my dad called for me, I recalled me and Jake's latest kiss, and felt warm, thought a bit shaky. It had been…intense, and I wasn't sure if I was read for that sort of commitment.
That's in the future, I told myself firmly. For now, think of the present. Of Jake.
Thinking of the events that led up to out kiss, though, I shivered. Jake had told me that he had had a dream of me dying. What I didn't tell him was that I had had the same dream, of me dying in the Yeerk Pool. Also, when he said it, I felt…..I don't know. Something like, I KNEW it had to be true. I knew it would happen.
I didn't let Jake know. I blanked my face, didn't let my emotions show. Didn't want to be weak. Jake, he is just an incredible person. Despite all his stress, between the Yeerks and his brother, he keeps it together. That's another reason to tell him; no need to add it to his stress levels. He might even cancel the mission for me, and that would be doom for the human race.
So, anyway, I jogged over to where my dad was feeding the meds to the animals. "Dad, can I go out with Rachel tomorrow for a while? She convinced me to go to the mall."
He peered at me, eyes bright with humor. "Is this the Cassie I know? Going to the mall with Rachel? Wow, look at how much you've changed!"
I said nothing, but drifted into his arms and a big hug. "No matter what happens, Cassie, you'll always be my precious, little baby girl. I'll always love you."
I said nothing, but tears formed in my eyes. Would you say the same thing, Dad, if you knew what I had become?
SATURDAY……
We met at my barn at precisely 8 o'clock. I had gotten Tobias and Ax in to acquire Illim, and Rachel, Jake, and Marco had somehow managed to acquire Chapman.
We flew to MickeyD's, and demorphed in the dumpster. Once inside, we all went up to the counter and asked the serving girl for a Happy Meal with extra happy. She made a fake laugh and jerked her head to the restrooms. We headed in that direction, but, once we were sure the girl was paying attention to other customers, went into the bathrooms. They had a men's and a women's. The pairs we had decided on earlier were: Jake and Tobias, Rachel and I, and Marco and Ax.
Rachel and I stashed our stuff behind one of the toilets, and we both morphed at the same time.
I felt the Yeerk changes start. A gray mucus covered me from head to toe. My eyes and ears filmed over, as I became blind and almost deaf. I shrunk suddenly, two antennae popping out of my 'forehead'. My arms and legs retracted into my body. My neck chemical to avoid outing Rachel through thickened, becoming as thick as the Yeerk. I became award of vibrations. Something picked me up in its hand, and pressed me into an opening. Oh! Oh! An ear canal!
I slithered in, pushing membranes out of the way and secreting the pain-deadening chemical to avoid sending Rachel into agony.
I crawled into her [A/n: For the sake of simplifying, I will refer to Rachel as 'her' while she's in Chapman morph] brain. I saw memories everywhere I turned.
I saw Rachel, going on a balance bean for the very first time. Rachel, reveling in her predator morphs and predator mindset, getting a rush from battle. Rachel, Rachel, Rachel.
But probing her left me vulnerable to her probing. She saw my distaste of combat, my love of peace, of animals, of nature. She saw the time when I quit the Animorphs, saw me through my eyes. As I saw me through her eyes. I saw her through her own eyes; she saw herself from my point of view.
We learned more intimate things about each other in five minutes than we knew from a lifetime. We became better friends, understanding each other perfectly.
We snuck down into the Yeerk Pool with the boys, each in their own morphs. Once there, we morphed out behind a building.
"Tobias," Jake whispered. "Go up and see if you can spot a place where the Hacenfrelo might be."
No prob, Tobias said and silently swooped up. After about 5 minutes, he was back.
I see it, he reported. Big guard, but Visser Three isn't there.
"Let's go," Jake said. He began morphing tiger; I morphed wolf; Rachel morphed bear; Marco, gorilla; Tobias morphed Ax; and Ax stayed himself.
I hope you don't mind, Ax-man, Tobias said when he completed the morph.
I don't, Tobias, Ax said. As my shorm, I grant you permission to morph me anytime.
Thanks, Ax-man.
Stay in the shadows until we reach the building, Jake ordered. Follow me, Tobias said.
We followed him until we reached a shack with about 50 Hork-Bajir guarding it. Prince Jake, might I suggest a distraction? Ax suggested.
What do you have in mind, Ax? Jake questioned the Andalite.
If the guards see myself and Tobias, they might chase us. Some of them, anyway. Plus, it will help to inforce the image that we are all Andalites. Ax justified his idea.
Well…. Jake hesitated, clearly reluctant to send Tobias and Ax into a situation where they could be killed, merely to draw some of the guard away.
Jake, we'll be fine. We'll double back and lead the Hork-Bajir around a merry chase, and then come back here. Tobias spoke in support of Ax's idea.
All right, Jake let in.
Tobias and Ax ran through the middle of the pack of Hork-Bajir. The Yeerks were so stunned, they didn't react. I saw both Ax and Tobias' tail blades flash; then I saw two Hork-Bajir slump, dead.
They ran around the outer lip of the cavern. The Hork-Bajir sounded the alarm, and about 25 left to chase our teammates. That was still about 25 for the four of us, though.
OK, go! Jake ordered. We leapt into battle. I don't' remember any of the battle; however, eventually I ended up in the shack. I saw the machine in a corner.
I went over to it. Computer, self-destruct? I asked timidly.
To access self-destruct, the computer said, hold down red button and blur button, and enter access code "Frejsnik". I swear to God it was the truth.
Tears formed in my wolf eyes as I realized what I had to do. I could hear the battle outside; my friends were getting pounded. I held down the red and blue buttons.
I love you, Jake, I said, whimpering.
Frejsnik.
A huge flash of light filled the room.
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!