Rachel was sitting in her room, doing homework, when something told her to look out the window. She did, and saw a car pull into the driveway.

A familiar man stepped out.

"Dad!" Rachel jumped up and ran downstairs just in time to greet her father as he came up to the door.

She gave him a big hug. "What are you doing here?"

"What are I doing here? Aren’t you glad to see me?" He teased.

"Course I am. This is just a surprise, that’s all."

"Well, I’m doing a joint venture with our correspondents in this city and I thought I’d drop bye and see my girls."

"Great, Dad. What’s the assignment about?"

"It’s a organization in this city. It’s getting popular here and we’re doing a special on it and it’s place in the community."

Rachel’s throat tightened. "Organization?"

"It’s called the Sharing. Have you heard of it? Are any of your friends in it?"

Rachel quickly shook her head. "No."

"Well, I have to be off. I’m meeting with one of the club’s supervisors, Hendrick Chapman. Say, isn’t he your principal?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah."

"See you around, kiddo."

"Bye, Dad." Rachel watched as he walked back to the car and drove off. "Oh, Dad. Why did you have to investigate the Sharing?"

Rachel sat upon a bale of hay in Cassie’s barn. She had called a meeting. Everyone, including Ax was there.

She told them about her conversation with her dad. "What am I going to do?"

"There’s nothing you can do." Jake said practically.

"This is my dad we’re talking about. I can’t just let him wander into the Sharing! They’ll make him a Controller."

"You think I want to stand by and watch Tom go to meeting after meeting knowing what’s happening to my brother?" Jake snapped.

"My dad’s not a Controller. Not yet."

"How do you know?"

"He’s not. He wouldn’t let them take him."

"That’s what I said about Tom." Jake whispered.

"You just need to be a little more careful about what you say to him." Cassie suggested.

"So you think he’s a Controller too?"

"I didn’t say that, Rachel. But he’s working with Controllers. He might accidentally let something slip."

"You think I’d tell him about us?"

"He’s your father, Rachel. And I know you two are really close."

"That doesn’t mean I’d take stupid risks."

"Rachel..."

"Forget it, Cass."

Cassie turned away. "Okay, Rachel. I won’t say anything."

Jake jumped up. "I have a ton of homework to do. Let’s go. This meeting’s over."

Rachel followed everyone out.

Rachel knew there was a Sharing meeting that night. She also knew her father was going. And Rachel was not one to sit idly and watch.

Her father never noticed the bald eagle that soared high above him as he drove to the Sharing.

Rachel wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She just knew the Yeerks would not get her father.

Most of the meeting was out side. A mix between a barbecue and a picnic. Rachel could easily spy and listen in from her perch in a tree.

But when the full members began to leave for their private meeting, and her father was invited to watch, Rachel got worried. All the full members were Controllers, and their plan was to make her father one as well.

Rachel found a deserted spot and demorphed. She was trying to decide which would be more effective: Elephant or grizzly.

But first she would have to sneak into the meeting undetected. Time for the infamous fly morph.

Her plan worked. Rachel got in, a few seconds too late.

They were already pushing her father down the long stairway to the Yeerk pool.

Rachel needed a more dangerous morph to stop them, but she couldn’t demorph in front of the Controllers, so she followed them down the stairs.

About halfway, she stopped and let them distance themselves. She didn’t need anyone to see her morph.

Rachel knew it was safe to demorph. The Controller who had stayed behind in the Sharing building had already closed the entrance. And those in front had already entered the large cavern that housed the Yeerk pool.

Rachel’s blue eyes narrowed to slits. Elephant or grizzly?

Rachel began to morph. Rough, shaggy fur popped out of her skin. Grizzly was definitely better. The stairway was too narrow for her elephant morph to move around easily.

Rachel let out a low growl. Payback time.

A thick finger tapped Rachel on the shoulder.

She whirled around, ready to kill her attacker.

< Marco?>

He rolled his gorilla eyes. < No, it’s the Easter Bunny.>

< What are you doing here?>

< Cassie figured you’d do something like this, so we came to keep an eye on you.>

Rachel glanced behind Marco and saw the rest of the gang in power morphs. < Thanks, guys.>

Marco smirked. < Tell that to the guys up there. I can just see the headlines. ‘Sharing meeting cut short due to wild animals stealing food’.>

Rachel was already headed down the stairs. < Let’s do it!>

< Hey! Wait for me!> Marco hurried to catch up to her.

Rachel peered around the Yeerk pool. She was still in the stairway entrance, hidden in its shadows. Good thing too. If a Controller saw her, she would have ten Dracons on her in a second.

Rachel’s father was not far away. They were leading him to the infestation pier.

His foot lashed out and kicked a Controller in a place that must have hurt. "Take that you fucking SOB!"

Rachel grinned with triumph. Good ol’ Dad. Always the fighter. And people wondered where she got her temper from.

< Charge!> Rachel yelled with enthusiasm.

The Animorphs jumped out and slashed Controllers left and right.

< Make this fast, Rachel. We don’t want to wait until the cavalry arrives.> Jake said edgily.

Rachel knew exactly who he meant by the ‘cavalry’.

With all the commotion, and the Controllers distracted, Rachel’s father broke free.

< Come on!> Rachel screamed at him.

He decided to trust these talking animals. They were better than the Sharing psychos.

< Too late.> Marco muttered. < The cavalry is here.>

< Let’s move.> Jake snapped. < We’re out of here.>

The group started retreating up the stairs.

Rachel glanced behind her. No problem. Her dad was right behind them.

TWEEEEEE!

TWEEEEEE!

Dracons sizzled the air, and Rachel’s fur.

TWEEEEEE!

TWEEEEEE!

Rachel saw her father’s form crumple. The body tumbled down the stairs.

< Daddy!>

< Rachel! Get out of here!> Jake ordered.

< My dad got shot!>

Jake hesitated for a brief moment. < Go!> He turned and sped up the stairs.

Marco grabbed her arm with his ham-sized fist. < Rachel, I know what your going through, but we have to get out of here.>

Rachel didn’t answer.

Marco simply dragged her along. Halfway up the stairs, Rachel began to run as well.

Rachel couldn’t really remember how she got home that night. She was like a walking zombie.

Her father was dead.

It hit her hard.

Rachel stretched out on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Oh, Daddy. Why did you have to die?

Rachel closed her eyes and cried. She hadn’t cried like this in years. And the last time, her dad had been there to comfort her.

Rachel buried her face in her pillow, soaking it with her tears.

"This is all my fault. If I hadn’t morph, and gone down there, Daddy would still be alive." Rachel sobbed. "I wish I didn’t morph. I wish I couldn’t morph."

Slowly, the soft fabric was replaced by a gray haze, then nothing at all.

"It would be better. Dad would be alive. Tobias would be human. I would be normal." The thoughts swarmed in Rachel’s head. She just wanted to make everything right again.

"I wish we never took that shortcut through the construction site. I wish we never met Elfangor. I wish I never received the power to morph. I wish none of us ever received the power to morph. I wish I wasn’t an Animorph!"

"Are you sure that’s what you want?" A booming voice interrupted Rachel’s thoughts.

"Yes!"

"Then so be it. Be careful what you wish for, Rachel."

Rachel opened her eyes. She had just had a really strange dream. She looked around her room. It was really dusty. Something looked out of place. Frowning, Rachel got out of bed and stepped out of her room.

"Mom?" No answer.

"Jordan? Sarah?" No answer.

"That’s strange" Rachel muttered. It was Saturday. Everyone should have been home.

She climbed down the stairs and walked into the hallway. Now she knew what was wrong. She was in her old house. The one that had been crushed when she morphed an elephant in her room during her crocodile allergy problem.

Rachel’s eyes clouded with worry. What was she doing here?

She walked to the kitchen, wondering if the hole she had created was still there. It wasn’t. In fact, the entire kitchen wasn’t there. Neither was the dining room or back porch. All that was left was a smoking hole.

Rachel dashed out the front door and gasped at the sight that stood before her. The entire neighborhood was destroyed. Half of the houses were no longer standing. It looked like a war zone.

"War." Rachel whispered. She knew what this meant. The war was no longer secret. It was open. But had it all happened while she slept? Why had she not woken? Why didn’t Jake call her? Where was her family?

Rachel walked down what was left of the street, carefully avoiding the debris strewn across the ground. There were bodies left in the open. All that was left were bones.

Rachel shivered. Was her family just bones now?

After walking for ten minutes, she saw it. The city. The city of gleaming metal and glass that towered in the sky.

It was no human city. It was Yeerk. A spaceport full of Controllers.

A chill ran down her spine as the truth sank in. This could not have happened overnight. This took years. Something very wrong had happened.

Rachel looked around. She needed to hide, get out of the open where any Yeerk could see her.

Too late.

"What are you doing here?" A sharp voice asked her from behind.

Rachel whipped around. A man holding a Dracon beam stood in front of her.

"I...I...I thought I saw someone here. I was suspicious, so I came to investigate." Rachel lied quickly.

The man nodded "Your name?"

I need a name. Rachel thought. A Yeerk name. Any Yeerk name.

"Eslin 463."

The man seemed satisfied. Rachel let out a sigh of relief.

"You’ll have to come with me."

Oh, shit! Rachel gulped. This was not good.

"She’s one of my technicians." A voice called out behind her. "No problems."

The man nodded. "Just taking precautions." The man left.

Rachel slowly turned around, and came face to face with the holographic image of Erek King.

Rachel was glad to see a familiar face. "Erek!"

"Who are you, what are you doing here, and why do you look exactly like Commander Rachel?"

"Erek. It’s me, Rachel."

He looked confused. "Come with me."

Rachel followed him to an abandoned building. They stepped inside and Erek scanned her with some sort of instrument. He seemed satisfied. They went down to the basement and Erek pressed a brick. The wall opened up to reveal a dropshaft. The stepped in.

"Base" Erek said. Within seconds, they were deep underground.

Erek led her down a hallway and into an empty room.

"Stay here. I’ll be back with Commander Cassie." With that, Erek was gone.

Fifteen minutes later, the door swished open once more. A short black teen sporting a gun walked in. She was wearing ripped jeans shorts and an army tank top. Her mouth was curled in an act of pure defiance.

Rachel’s eyes widened as she recognized the figure. "Cassie?"

The girl’s cool demeanor didn’t change. "Who are you?"

"Cassie, it’s me. Rachel."

"Rachel has been dead for two years. You are not her. Don’t pretend."

"Cass, I’m not from around here, but I am Rachel."

"Prove it."

"Fine, I’ll morph." With that, Rachel began to morph her Bald Eagle.

Cassie looked at her awestruck. "The real Rachel can’t do that!"

"Cassie, what are you talking about? We can all morph."

"Who’s ‘we’?"

"Us. The Animorphs."

"The what?"

"The Animorphs. Animal morphers. Remember, Marco came up with it."

"You’re nuts."

"Cassie. Don’t you remember? Elfangor gave us the power morph."

Cassie shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"But you were there! And Marco and Jake..."

"Don’t ever mention that name again." Cassie hissed.

"Whose?"

"Visser Nine."

"Jake?"

Cassie’s mouth tightened.

Rachel shook her head. "No! Jake can’t be a Controller! He can’t!"

"The real Rachel would already know."

"And Marco?"

"Who?"

"Jake’s best friend."

Cassie blinked. "Him? He died a few years back."

"And Ax?"

"Ax?"

"Aximili. The Andalite."

Cassie growled. "He’s Visser Three."

Rachel wasn’t sure if she should ask about Tobias.

"Have you heard of Tobias?"

"Visser One."

"Tobias is Visser One!?"

"Don’t know why the Visser would take a human kid instead of the Andalite."

"Can’t Tobias morph?"

"Of course not." Cassie scoffed.

"That makes no sense. Why would he...unless..." Rachel’s eyes widened in comprehension. "I think I know why."

"Why?"

"Tobias is Elfangor’s son."

"The Visser did get his revenge." Cassie nodded "What better way than to take his child? Andalites were always devoted to their families."

"I’m going to kill him."

"We’ve tried. Many, many times."

"Yeah, well I can morph. And for some reason, he can’t"

"I still don’t understand why you keep insisting that there are people who can morph. Only Andalites have morphing technology."

Rachel sighed. This was too confusing. "Cassie. I know this will sound weird, but I think maybe I’m from some other place, some other time."

Cassie looked at her susceptibly. "Why do you think that?"

"Things are totally different. This is just wrong. Maybe I’m from the past. A Sario Rip..."

"What year?"

"1999."

"This is 1999. .I think."

Rachel shook her head. "It can’t be. Where I’m from, my friends aren’t Controllers, I’m not dead, and the Yeerks aren’t in control."

"Ra..." For one moment, Cassie’s mask fell and the pain showed in her face. "I can’t call you that. It doesn’t feel right."

"Then call me...call me Xena."

Cassie frowned in confusion. "Alright. Xena. The Yeerks have been in control for over two years. You can’t possibly be from 1999."

"Then where am I? Another dimension? Alternate universe?"

"You can ask Erek."

Rachel sighed. "As long as I’m stuck here, I might as well do some good. I want to help you fight the Yeerks."

Cassie looked at her cautiously. "You seem legit. And you know a lot about Yeerks. Why don’t you give us all the info you have, and then we’ll talk."

"Deal."

Rachel searched her memories for more information to tell Erek. "We destroyed the Kandrona setup in the North Pole." She told him.

He was recording what she knew about the invasion, which was a lot.

"I’ll look into that. What else?"

"Visser One, the old Visser One, is, was Marco’s mother."

"She’s Visser Two now."

"Oh, and there was the oatmeal thing."

Erek looked confused. "Oatmeal?"

"Yeerks are addicted to instant cinnamon and maple oatmeal. Once they eat enough, they don’t need Kandrona rays. However, they go crazy and the host gains control except for brief periods."

"That’s very useful to us."

All of a sudden, Cassie burst into the room. "He’s coming."

"Who?"

"Visser One."

It took Rachel a moment to comprehend. "Tobias."

"You like him, don’t you." Cassie asked.

"I do."

"Do you know how many he’s killed?"

"Not Tobias, the Yeerk."

"He killed Rachel. Our Rachel."

"You hate him?"

"More than anything else in the world. I’d give anything to take him down."

"And I’d do anything to save him."

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence.

"Look," Cassie began, "I need your help. Originally, the plan was to detonate a bomb at the Yeerk Pool. It’ll kill a lot of Yeerks. But we couldn’t get through security. Anyone without a Yeerk in their head won’t get through. Erek’s been under too much suspicion lately, and I didn’t want to use him again. I wanted you morph a Yeerk and enter me. But now, the Visser is coming. Destroying him is now our main priority. Defeating him will be a hard blow to the Yeerks. You can help us, but since you have feelings for his host, maybe you should stay behind."

"No way. Let’s kick some Yeerk butt."

"You are Rachel."

"Cassie?" Erek spoke up.

"Yes?"

"Instead of blowing up the Pool, why not just dump oatmeal in it."

Cassie frowned. "Oatmeal. What good is that?"

"Rachel says instant cinnamon and maple drives them crazy. It’s like a drug to Yeerks."

Cassie nodded. "How much can we synthesize by tonight?"

"Enough. Especially since we can raid the kitchen."

Cassie’s eyes glowed. "I just figured a way to take Visser down, once and for all."

"How?" Erek asked.

"This oatmeal. He has a human host. We sneak some of it into his food. And it bye-bye Visser."

"No!" Rachel shouted. "The Yeerk would stay there forever then."

"What do I care. I just want that damn Yeerk out of the way. It would cause a power struggle and give us the perfect time to strike."

"If Visser One goes crazy, they would kill Tobias!"

"I can’t let emotions determine my course of action."

Rachel stared at this version of her best friend. "You’re so...so ruthless!"

"This is how you survive out here."

"But Cassie. You never wanted violence. You made peace with a Yeerk!"

"I did?"

"Yes."

"I tried that here. Stupidest thing I ever did. Failed miserably. I thought it would work. A peace treaty. I was a fool." Cassie’s face hardened. "It was a trap. I should have known Yeerks couldn’t be trusted. I should have know all those damn slugs could be nothing but evil. But no. I had to make a deal with one of them."

"Who?"

"Aftran. That Yeerk scum."

"Aftran? Did you say Aftran?"

"Yes."

"But she did want peace. She didn’t want to take unwilling hosts."

"Yeah, right." Cassie snorted. "I was going to meet her. We had a deal. I would become her host and we’d work together to find a better way. A team, a symbiosis. But that slug ambushed me with a dozen Yeerk troops." Cassie gritted her teeth. "That’s why Rachel died! She didn’t trust the Yeerks. She followed me. And when they attacked, she saved my life. But they killed her. They took away my best friend!"

Rachel didn’t know what to say. "I’m sorry."

"But I’ll get them back." Cassie vowed. "I’m going to make them pay." She stormed down the hallway, leaving Rachel to stared after her.

Rachel could not believe what she had just heard. That sounded nothing like the Cassie she knew. Sure, earlier she thought Cassie had been acting more aggressive than usual, but in this kind of situation that was to be expected. But just then, she was so heartless.

Rachel sighed. War changed people. Heck, it had changed her. But for Cassie to give up her morals like that, well, that took a lot.

Rachel leaned against the wall. "Erek, why is Cassie like that?"

"Like what?"

"Angry all the time."

"She’s always been like that."

"No she hasn’t. She used to be so sweet and kind to everyone."

"I take it the Cassie you knew was a little different."

"That’s the understatement of the year."

"Well, she’s been through a lot."

"Like what?"

"She lost her parents early on in the invasion. Then they took her boyfriend, Jake. When the Yeerks began attacking outright, she and Rachel escaped into the woods. We were taking in some humans at the time and they were two of the few people who had escaped the Yeerks to that point. We let them live with us. They wanted to fight the Yeerks. And they could do something our programming wouldn’t allow: Violence. Together, with the other humans we had given refuge to, they hurt the Yeerks. Then Cassie tried to make peace, and it ended in disaster. She lost her best friend and comrade. Before, she had become tougher, but that hardened her to a point where there was no Cassie left. Just a desire for revenge."

Rachel nodded sadly. "She’s leading the resistance."

"Yes. She’s our most valuable warrior. She knows how to wage war, and she’s keeping everyone here safe."

"But she lost herself. The Cassie I know had killed, and fought the Yeerks, but she always had hope. A light shinning inside her. When I look into the eyes of the girl I met today, all I see is darkness. It’s like she lost her soul."

Erek looked away. "Perhaps she has. War does that to people. I wish this never happened. I wish the Yeerks hadn’t won."

A fleeting thought passed through Rachel’s head, but before she could grasp it, it slipped away. Rachel knew it was important, and soon, she would remember again.

Cassie stood at the door. "Xena, come with me." With that, Cassie stalked out of the room.

Rachel ran to keep up with her. "What going on?"

"The mission is tonight. We have to prepare."

"What’s the plan?"

"Didn’t you hear earlier?"

"I mean the details."

"You morph a Yeerk..."

"Wait!" Rachel interrupted. "I don’t have a Yeerk morph."

"We have a few Yeerks around here. I’ll get you one. Now, as I was saying, we bypass security, then I can get the rest of the team in. Group A will cause a commotion. Group B, which originally was going to set the bomb, will unload the oatmeal. They are still taking a few smaller bombs along to destroy the buildings. Group C will capture a Controller, preferably a high-ranking one so we can interrogate him. And you and me...we go after the Visser."

"You’re going to do it, aren’t you. Kill Tobias?"

"I know you like the guy. But I have to do what will benefit us the most. I can’t get his host out safely, but I can weaken the Yeerks." Cassie paused. "Are you with me?"

Rachel stared at her. She didn’t want to help seal Tobias’s doom, but she knew that a life as a Controller was worse then death. She also knew chances like this didn’t happen twice. The Yeerks would be thrown into disarray. It would be a big a blow as when she and the other Animorphs destroyed the Kandrona. Also, a part of Rachel wanted to defeat the Visser that had thwarted them for so long. Visser Three, Visser One, he was still one and the same.

Rachel took a deep breath. "I’m with you."

Three hours later, Rachel was a Yeerk in Cassie’s head.

< We’re going to go to the kitchen and put the oatmeal extract in his food. Then we’ll have to find somewhere to hid so you can demorph.> Cassie said silently.

< Let’s do it.>

< Rachel always said that.>

< I am Rachel.>

Cassie walked purposefully to the kitchen.

The Hork-Bajir at the door respectfully let her pass without comment.

< Human hosts are considered more valuable so it’s assumed that any Yeerk with a human host has a higher rank. That’s why he let me in.> Cassie explained.

Rachel looked around at the containers of synthesized food. Actually, Cassie looked around, but Rachel could see what Cassie saw.

< Now what?> Rachel asked.

Cassie peered at the labels of each container, then finally pulled on off the shelves.

She opened it and dumped in the liquid oatmeal extract Erek had given her. She glanced around quickly and put the container back.

< That was too easy.> Rachel muttered.

< Security’s low. They think they’ve won. We’ve been pretty quiet the last few months planning this.>

Nobody noticed as the black teenager slipped out.

< Where can I demorph?> Rachel asked.

Cassie went into a shed and locked the door behind.

Rachel slithered out of her ear. < Finally.>

Cassie turned away. Seeing Rachel morph once was gross enough.

"Are you done yet?"

"Amotht. I mean, almost." Rachel said as her mouth appeared.

BANG! BANG!

"Hey! Who’s in there?" A voice yelled from outside.

Rachel frowned. There was something familiar about that voice.

Cassie glanced at her friend, who was almost fully human. "Coming!"

As soon as Rachel looked normal, she yanked open the door.

The Controller looked at them suspiciously. "What are you doing in here? Come with me."

Rachel glanced at Cassie.

"Go." Cassie mouthed.

Rachel and Cassie followed the Controller, lagging behind a few paces.

"What is he doing here?" Rachel whispered.

"Who?"

"David."

"Who’s David?" Cassie asked.

"What do you mean ‘who’s Da...’Oh, right. Different reality." Rachel muttered.

Cassie tapped the communicator in her ear. "Erek. Are you there?"

"Everyone is in position."

"Wait for my command."

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked quietly.

"Shhhh." Cassie hissed.

They stopped outside one of the many building surrounding the Yeerk Pool.

"Stay here." David ordered. With that, he disappeared into the building.

Rachel shot daggers at the closed door. "He’s mine."

Cassie shrugged. "You can kill whoever you want. Just don’t mess up the plan."

David came out with a device in his hand. "Yeerk scan. Pointless precautions, but I have to do this everyone. Can’t wait ‘til I get a promotion."

"Oh, shit." Cassie muttered. "Looks like we have to up the schedule."

Rachel threw an well-aimed punch at David’s face. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Now!" Cassie screamed.

The Yeerk Pool erupted into utter pandemonium as bombs exploded and Dracons fired.

Cassie pulled two switchblades out of her pocket and tossed one to Rachel.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Rachel demanded.

Cassie flipped hers open and stabbed the nearest Controller. "Use it."

Rachel did two flips and landed behind a Controller. She quickly knocked him out. "Always figured all that gymnastics would come in handy one day."

"I would have...better weapons for us...if I had had a place to hid them." Cassie grunted between stabs.

Rachel noted the three Dracons aimed at her head. "I’m outta here."

She ran a short distance, then turned back in a surprised attack.

She knocked out the last Controller and looked around for Cassie.

Rachel spotted her friend just ending a fight with a human-Controller. It was easy to see that Cassie had won.

Rachel also spotted the tall teen a few yards away. Cassie’s back was to him, but Rachel could see him clearly. His hair was in a military crew cut, and his face was stony and cold, but Rachel recognized him immediately.

Rachel knew a confrontation was approaching, and made a dash to close the distance.

"Commander Cassie. We met again."

Cassie whirled around to face the voice behind her. "Jake."

"You’ve caused me a lot of trouble. At first, I wanted to make you one of us, but then I decided to simply eliminate you."

Cassie’s eyes narrowed to slits. "Fuck you." She lunged.

Jake lifted his Dracon beam and fired. It hit Cassie in the chest. For a moment, Cassie looked in horror at her old love. Then, with a cry of pain, she was reduced to a few loose molecules.

"Cassie!" Rachel screamed. "Noooooooo!!!!"

Grasping tightly to the switchblade in her hand. Rachel leaped at Jake. She had been running towards the two, and was right behind him. He had not seen her. The element of surprise was on her side.

Jake didn’t notice her until it was too late. The blade sank into the back of his skull.

Jake slowly turned, the knife still in the wound. He stared at Rachel, and she saw recognition in his eyes. Rachel knew the Yeerk was dead. She was now looking at her cousin.

"I’m sorry, Jake." Rachel whispered, with tears in her eyes. "I’m sorry it had to end this way."

"Rach-" The rest was gargled by the blood that dripped from Jake’s mouth.

"He was always a fool."

Rachel turned to face the voice behind her. "You!"

Tobias smirked. "You should be dead. I killed you myself."

"It’s time to die, Yeerk." Rachel hissed.

Hork-Bajirs and human-Controllers advanced towards them

Tobias held out a hand. "No. This one’s mine." He gestured towards himself. "Come and get me."

Rachel returned his cold glare. "Be careful what you wish for." Grizzly fur was already sprouting before Rachel finished the sentence.

Then the full implication of what she had just said hit Rachel like a ton of bricks.

Rachel stopped halfway through her morph. "I made this happen."

Tobias took the chance to attack. His kick hit Rachel squarely in the side of the head.

"Oof." Rachel jumped up and finished her morph.

With one big paw, Rachel hit Tobias.

Tobias was strong and agile, but he was no match for a bear.

Within minutes, he was lying on the floor, fatally wounded.

Rachel saw the Yeerk crawl out of his head, and smashed it with one big paw. She began to demorph.

Tobias looked at Rachel. "I love you. I’ve always loved you."

Rachel’s lips formed. "I know. I love you too." She bent over and kissed him goodbye.

Rachel could hear the footsteps of the Controllers heading for her. They would capture her, perhaps kill her. She knew that. Yet, Rachel did not run.

I wish I never made that wish! I wish I was an Animorph again!

The Yeerk Pool slowly disintegrated away. Rachel was back in her room.

"Why Ellimist? Why did you grant my wish?" Rachel whispered into the air.

"Was that world real?"

Rachel merely nodded.

Rachel’s head snapped up and a smile crept up her lips. "Thank you."

"Goodbye." Rachel looked out the window and saw her dad’s car pull into the driveway. "I’ll get you back, Dad. I promise."