CHAPTER 3
Cassie
SHE WAS NOTHING LIKE I EXPECTED. I don't know, for some reason I was expecting some big, buff girl ready for action, like Rachel. Well, Rachel is petite and gorgeous, but on the inside she's a lean-mean-fighting-machine. Allie was almost exactly the same thing on the outside, but she didn't have that essence of confidence that Rachel had around her. She was small, very small, unbelievably shorter than Marco, and she was cheerful. I guess I was expecting someone who was about to cross the line from warrior to homicidal maniac. She looked like she was happy she was an animorph. When the Ellimist approached her, she must have thought she was crazy with all the stuff he/she/it was telling her. I know I was. Of course, I didn't get my power from the Ellimist, I got it from Ax's older brother and Andalite soldier, Prince Elfangor. But that's a different story.
We didn't actually go to a burger joint, we headed back towards my house, to our barn. It was stocked with animals in cages, some sleeping, some that growled and moaned to greet us when we walked in.
"Wow," Allie breathed. "What is this place?"
"It's the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic," I replied. "My dad runs it. I'm Cassie, by the way."
She smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"And this is Rachel, Tobias, Marco, and Ax. Ax is an Andalite."
"I've never met an Andalite before."
With that remark, I knew that there was something definitely wrong with this picture. She had never met an Andalite, yet she possessed the incredible ability that until a little while ago, was only a characteristic of this species. The question I really wanted to ask her was why she was doing this. Why did she want to help us win this war? Especially if she was given a choice between not wanting to risk her life everyday and not to be one the most wanted people by the Yeerk Empire.
"So how much do you know about morphing?" Jake asked. "How many times have you done it?"
"You'll have to excuse Jake," Marco said, apparently he had recovered from his episode earlier today, "he's kind of our leader, you know. Our guide. He makes all the decisions around here."
"Well, I don't know much about it...morphing itself. I know about the Yeerks, that's for sure," she blushed a little, as if she had said something she wasn't supposed to. "I mean, the Ellimist told me a lot about the whole war thing."
"What about morphing?"
"I - I only have one morph. A snow leopard. I snuck into the zoo one time. I've only morphed once."
"Once?" Jake raised his eyebrows extremely high. "Only once?"
Allie swallowed and shrugged.
"It not like she had to use it yet or anything," I cut in. "Did you?"
"No, I only did it that once to see if it was real - if I could really do it. To see if I had lost my mind or not."
"I know what you mean," I said comfortingly. "This whole inter-galactic war thing is very shocking at first. But you just kinda come to terms with it later on. You just need experience being an animorph, that's all."
"An animorph?"
"Yeah," Tobias said. "That's us. The Animorphs. An Andalite, a hawk with the mind of a boy, and four - well five, earth kids against an evil army of mind controlling slugs."
There was silence as Tobias's statement echoed in our minds. And in two words, Allie convinced me that she was more like Rachel than I thought.
"I'm in."
Marco smirked at Rachel. "Isn't that your line?" Everyone laughed. But Jake returned to his serious tone.
"It only a matter of time before we'll have to fight them. I think that someone should work with Allie until she gets a little more used to morphing."
"I will," I volunteered.
"Get her a couple other morphs too," Jake added. "Something with wings, something small."
"No problem," I replied. "Do you want to start tonight?"
Allie shrugged. "Sure. I have to run home first. Can we meet at...say seven?"
I nodded.
Ax spoke for the first time, using his human mouth. "There is something that his troubling me. Troub-ling."
"What is it, Ax-man?" Tobias asked.
"If were have added another member to our army against the Crayak, then what did he add to his army?"
Jake and I exchanged worried glances.
"Is there any way we cannot worry about this now?" Rachel asked. "I'm so sick of this stupid game between the two of them. I mean, we're nothing but pawns trying to survive and somehow beat the other team. Did the Ellimist explain everything to you about his game against the Crayak?"
Allie nodded. "And about your battle on another planet, and not to mention the entire dilemma with the Time Matrix."
"Everything about it?" Tobias questioned.
"Yes. I was there. I mean, not really, but it was like a movie playing in my head, only I could feel your pain, your anger, and how much you all care about each other. And I know about Elfangor. I was there at that abandoned construction site also. I've seen all your battles, all the horror, all the glory. I was there - not physically, but I was there."
"And you still chose to join us?" Marco asked. "After everything you saw -"
"How could I not?" she replied. "Any person with the least bit of compassion couldn't possibly know that this was going on and not try to stop it. There was no choice on my part. I had to join you. After all, there are only six of you."
"It will be nice having an extra animorph around," Jake said. "The more warriors the better, I guess."
I hoped he was right.
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