Animorphs 2.0

Cassie

Cassie

Tobias spoke to his father before me. I guess Elfangor didn't want to show favoritism by putting him first or last. Duh, made sense. I didn't really know why I was here, but I knew why all the others were here. They had a war to fight, the enemy to kill. I wanted nothing to do with that, but I was also amazed to find out that aliens existed. New life, this was amazing! Too bad it had to be ruined by the atmosphere. We were here to be turned into soldiers, I knew that, but I didn't want it. That's why when I went in I simply sat down and waited for Elfangor to begin. I wanted to know what he had to say, whether he would try to convince me to become one of his soldiers, tell me how important it was to fight. I wanted to know how hard it would be to convince him I didn't want to fight.

"You don't have to fight if you don't want to, Cassie." That was the first thing he said to me, when I came in and sat down. I waited for him to speak but he didn't and a long silence followed in which we simply looked at each other. When finally he opened his mouth, this was what he said. I was shocked. I hadn't expected this from him. I knew this was optional, but I'd expected him to try and convince me to join him, not give me a chance to leave.

"You obviously want me to be here, Elfangor." I said, confidently. "I would like to know why before I flatly turn you down.

He smiled at me and I felt as if I'd passed a test I didn't know I was taking. "You have a good heart, Cassie... and it's in the right place. You understand people, you care about them, and because of this, you are the one I'd put most of my trust in."

"That's just my character. Not what I can bring to this team. I'm definitely not like Rachel, with her thrill for danger, nor like Marco with his cool, clear-cut vision. I'm not born for this like Tobias or willing to hurt to prevent being hurt like Jake. You don't need someone on your team second guessing every move she makes wondering if it's right or ethical."

Elfangor nodded his head. "Actually we do. The others out there, even Tobias, whose heart is pure, could use someone like you. You would be their rock, their compass. You would turn them in the direction they have to go and you would pull them back if they went too far and show them the better way. That is how you could be useful to them. But that is not the reason for you. There is a reason for you to fight in this war Cassie. Yes, it will be hard, you may do things that go so against your morals that you can't sleep at night. You may see things that would destroy your innocence, change your life forever. But there is no one more important to fight in this war, than you."

It all starts with an Andalite. A man named Seerow. You know what he did? He found the Yeerks. On their homeworld. And you know what he saw? Not slugs, not parasites, but a race of beings with desires as much as everyone else. A race that should have the same opportunities to grow and live as much as the next. That's what you can do Cassie. While the others are thinking of ways to destroy the enemy, you will think of ways to help them. To help them help themselves. The Yeerks are cruel, that is true, but not all Yeerks are the same, just as not all humans are the same, or all Andalites. The others see no more than that which they hate. That which must be destroyed. While not wrong that they must defeat the Yeerks, they are too blind to see them in any other light. I must confess myself like them. I have seen too many horrors in this war to avoid seeing cruelty on both sides; I cannot see the Yeerks as you would. You are perhaps the most valuable soldier of all. The one who wants to stop the war, stop the fighting, seek to make peace. That is the chance I am offering you. I am not saying it will be easy, or that you will be completely successful, only that if you decide to join, that would be your duty. And I'm positive you would bear it well."

I thought only for a few moments on what he said. The choice was really no choice at all.

"I choose to fight." I said, confidently. I hoped to god I wasn't making a mistake.