Disclaimer: I do not own the Animorphs or any character from the books I happen to use.

Prologue: Cassie

Hork Bajir. One look at them and you think, yeah. Got to be bad guys. There not.

It is a widely known fact that Hork –Bajir are a kind, gentle species. Peaceful and blissfully naïve.

I come to the Hork-Bajir habitat just to think.

My name is Cassie and I'm a former Animorph. Or retired. Whichever one you prefer. I will always be an Animorph. I guess that's why it bothered me that my friends were in space fighting for Ax. And I was here. Thinking.

Sure, Jake had made valid points. But, I still feel like a coward.

Two years passed since Jake and the other's departure. I tried not to think about them being dead. But…

So, I sat and thought. I thought about everything. Even things I pushed far back in the dark places of my mind. I thought about Rachel. My best friend. The sacrifice that won the war. I thought about the decisions made during the war. My personal decisions. Was it worth it. One look at the Hork- Bajir habitat, with the young Hork- Bajir frolicking through the grass and Hork- Bajir harvesting bark together, it was.

I thought about Jake. He was gone. At least to me he was. Maybe to everyone. No. I wouldn't think like that. I had to keep hope alive. Jake. Out of all of us he lost the most, had to make the toughest decisions. I had been wrong to judge him. I should have helped him. Erik told me he would need me. But, I wanted to runaway from the remnants of the war. Selfish. Now Jake was gone. Now he was….

"Cassie?"

I instantly recognized the voice. Could it be? I looked up.

"Jake."

I was up before I knew and my arms flung over him. Not bothering to think about where he came from.

"I thought you were dead," tears slid down my cheeks. I released him suddenly self-conscious.

He looked shocked, "I- I thought I was." He looked around, "I was just about to-" He shook his head, "It had to be the ellmist. But why?"

The sound of wings.

(Jake. Man, what happened?)

Marco stepped from a tree looking around, "Well, this is only slightly freaky."

I blinked, "I don't understand. What's going on?"

ONE LIFE.

SECOND CHANCE