CHAPTER 2
"Hello, Animorphs." He said.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I have a message for you from Rachel," he said. This perked up my interest. I was listening now. But, even after Rachel's death, Cassie still thought she was some sort of killing machine. She wore a face of contempt. "Before she passed away, she told me to give you this message." He transformed into Rachel. No, he wasn't Rachel, it was a sort of hologram. A hologram. Just a hologram. The hologram started to talk.
"Hello, everyone. If you are listening to this it means we have kicked some Yeerk butt! But, that is not what I came here to tell you. I came to set things straight.
"I am not some sort of hard blooded killer you all think I am. I have taken a lot of time to think about it and I came up with the fact that I find no joy in killing an innocent life. I just like getting my anger out on something, and if it can be the reason why I am angry, why not? I. . . I don't like watching real things die, just the Yeerks, the bad ones Cassie, not ones like Aftran.
"I love going on stomping rampages in my Elephant morph, you know, stomping over cars." She, no, the hologram, smirked. "But only if it takes no innocent life, Cassie.
"I didn't want to tell anyone this, it would take Jake's trust away from me. The Crayak. . . after we dealt with him. . . he gave me an offer. He said that I could be indestructible, a thing with great power. I just had to work for him. Just do one thing, then I could have free will. Just one thing, and I could destroy the Yeerks. That one thing was to. . . to. . . to kill Jake." Rachel, no, the hologram shuddered. Was it possible? Jake? I couldn't see Jake's reaction, it was too dark. I didn't have a lot of time to think about it, though. The hologram started again.
"Of course, I refused. Then, and Cassie can back me up on this one, David returned." She looked as if she was going to cry, her eyes a puffy red. But was it possible? David came back? "He, no, his people put me and Cassie in plastic cages. He put airholes in mine, but not in her's. He said if I morphed rat for two hours, he would put airholes in Cassie's tank and then set her free. I morphed, and then the Crayak came back. He made me into a Super Rachel. I was stronger than the strongest person! I had claws extended from my fingers. I could become a giant whenever I wanted! Morphs only took a second to complete! I was unstoppable! I had the power! Then I was transported to a sort of arena type of thing. He, the Crayak, said we would fight to the death. Me and. . . and Visser One. It was a mismatch. I had him at my clutches, begging for mercy. If I just squeezed. . . But, I let him go. The power, it would be addictive. I had to stop. If I didn't stop, I would have killed Jake. I couldn't do that. Just couldn't. The Crayak got mad at me. No, mad was an understatement. He was furious. He put me as a rat. I felt helpless, it was the opposite of what I was before. I would have to spend my life as a rat! Then, he changed me back to Super Rachel. Back to the helpless rat. Super Rachel. Rat. He finally stopped when he realized he wasn't getting anywhere with me and let me go. I couldn't tell you anything, or change my attitude because that would lead to questions.
"So, I asked the Ellimist to give you this message for two reasons. One so you would know how I really felt and second, so I could tell you how much I really liked you. You. . . you helped me realize who I am." The hologram shimmered away.
Cassie started to cry. "I should have known. She was just trying to keep us strong. I feel, like I should have been a better friend."
I flew over to Cassie and perched on her shoulder. It's okay Cassie. I have an idea. Ellimist! I called.
"What is it,Tobias?"
You owe us. We won a game for you against the Crayak, on the Iskroot home world. Then we defeated the Yeerks. We caused him a great deal of losses. The Howlers for one. You owe us. If you could just bring her back, and act like she never died. So I don't know she dies, you know? Please?
"Well, I guess when you put it that way. But, you do realize I will be tampering with your brains. You might change, Tobias. Everyone might change."
"Yes, I understand." Jake said. "And I am willing to take that chance."
"Very well then." The Ellimist said. "But, Cassie, you will know."
"I know that, but make every effort you can to prevent that, please." Cassie said.
"I will try."
SCHLOOP!
I was looking at the Earth. It was spinning wildly. I was in space, cold was all around me. I thought I couldn't breath, but there seemed to be a bubble of air around me. I looked around to see the others. Either they were not here, or they were not in eyesight. All I could see was a brilliant light of green coming from what I assumed was the Ellimist. I saw millions, trillions, a whole sky full of stars! I was looking at the spinning blue marble from what only astronauts could see. I saw all this, all this wonderful, beautiful sky, and I didn't care. I only had one sole thing on my mind. Rachel. I couldn't wait to see Rachel! I was going to see Rachel!
SPLAT!
I landed on a patch of soft earth.
"There have been some changes," a voice boomed from all around me. "Earth is still being taken over by the Yeerks. James's crew is not here. James has the power, but after he touched the morphing cube, it broke. He, and only he, can morph out of all the kids. They have no knowledge of what happened.
"It is not an all-out-war. Visser One is continuing the former Visser One's attack plan. Stealthy. Marco and his parents still live in the woods, but everyone else's family has no knowledge of what is happening. Visser One is still believing it was 'Andalite bandits' who are causing all the damage. Tobias also saved his mother. she is living like Marco's parents. She is not blind. And Rachel still lives. I will now erase your memories of everything else."
"Hello, Animorphs." He said.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I have a message for you from Rachel," he said. This perked up my interest. I was listening now. But, even after Rachel's death, Cassie still thought she was some sort of killing machine. She wore a face of contempt. "Before she passed away, she told me to give you this message." He transformed into Rachel. No, he wasn't Rachel, it was a sort of hologram. A hologram. Just a hologram. The hologram started to talk.
"Hello, everyone. If you are listening to this it means we have kicked some Yeerk butt! But, that is not what I came here to tell you. I came to set things straight.
"I am not some sort of hard blooded killer you all think I am. I have taken a lot of time to think about it and I came up with the fact that I find no joy in killing an innocent life. I just like getting my anger out on something, and if it can be the reason why I am angry, why not? I. . . I don't like watching real things die, just the Yeerks, the bad ones Cassie, not ones like Aftran.
"I love going on stomping rampages in my Elephant morph, you know, stomping over cars." She, no, the hologram, smirked. "But only if it takes no innocent life, Cassie.
"I didn't want to tell anyone this, it would take Jake's trust away from me. The Crayak. . . after we dealt with him. . . he gave me an offer. He said that I could be indestructible, a thing with great power. I just had to work for him. Just do one thing, then I could have free will. Just one thing, and I could destroy the Yeerks. That one thing was to. . . to. . . to kill Jake." Rachel, no, the hologram shuddered. Was it possible? Jake? I couldn't see Jake's reaction, it was too dark. I didn't have a lot of time to think about it, though. The hologram started again.
"Of course, I refused. Then, and Cassie can back me up on this one, David returned." She looked as if she was going to cry, her eyes a puffy red. But was it possible? David came back? "He, no, his people put me and Cassie in plastic cages. He put airholes in mine, but not in her's. He said if I morphed rat for two hours, he would put airholes in Cassie's tank and then set her free. I morphed, and then the Crayak came back. He made me into a Super Rachel. I was stronger than the strongest person! I had claws extended from my fingers. I could become a giant whenever I wanted! Morphs only took a second to complete! I was unstoppable! I had the power! Then I was transported to a sort of arena type of thing. He, the Crayak, said we would fight to the death. Me and. . . and Visser One. It was a mismatch. I had him at my clutches, begging for mercy. If I just squeezed. . . But, I let him go. The power, it would be addictive. I had to stop. If I didn't stop, I would have killed Jake. I couldn't do that. Just couldn't. The Crayak got mad at me. No, mad was an understatement. He was furious. He put me as a rat. I felt helpless, it was the opposite of what I was before. I would have to spend my life as a rat! Then, he changed me back to Super Rachel. Back to the helpless rat. Super Rachel. Rat. He finally stopped when he realized he wasn't getting anywhere with me and let me go. I couldn't tell you anything, or change my attitude because that would lead to questions.
"So, I asked the Ellimist to give you this message for two reasons. One so you would know how I really felt and second, so I could tell you how much I really liked you. You. . . you helped me realize who I am." The hologram shimmered away.
Cassie started to cry. "I should have known. She was just trying to keep us strong. I feel, like I should have been a better friend."
I flew over to Cassie and perched on her shoulder. It's okay Cassie. I have an idea. Ellimist! I called.
"What is it,Tobias?"
You owe us. We won a game for you against the Crayak, on the Iskroot home world. Then we defeated the Yeerks. We caused him a great deal of losses. The Howlers for one. You owe us. If you could just bring her back, and act like she never died. So I don't know she dies, you know? Please?
"Well, I guess when you put it that way. But, you do realize I will be tampering with your brains. You might change, Tobias. Everyone might change."
"Yes, I understand." Jake said. "And I am willing to take that chance."
"Very well then." The Ellimist said. "But, Cassie, you will know."
"I know that, but make every effort you can to prevent that, please." Cassie said.
"I will try."
SCHLOOP!
I was looking at the Earth. It was spinning wildly. I was in space, cold was all around me. I thought I couldn't breath, but there seemed to be a bubble of air around me. I looked around to see the others. Either they were not here, or they were not in eyesight. All I could see was a brilliant light of green coming from what I assumed was the Ellimist. I saw millions, trillions, a whole sky full of stars! I was looking at the spinning blue marble from what only astronauts could see. I saw all this, all this wonderful, beautiful sky, and I didn't care. I only had one sole thing on my mind. Rachel. I couldn't wait to see Rachel! I was going to see Rachel!
SPLAT!
I landed on a patch of soft earth.
"There have been some changes," a voice boomed from all around me. "Earth is still being taken over by the Yeerks. James's crew is not here. James has the power, but after he touched the morphing cube, it broke. He, and only he, can morph out of all the kids. They have no knowledge of what happened.
"It is not an all-out-war. Visser One is continuing the former Visser One's attack plan. Stealthy. Marco and his parents still live in the woods, but everyone else's family has no knowledge of what is happening. Visser One is still believing it was 'Andalite bandits' who are causing all the damage. Tobias also saved his mother. she is living like Marco's parents. She is not blind. And Rachel still lives. I will now erase your memories of everything else."
