So this is an idea I've been kicking around for a few weeks now. I've gotten a couple of chapters written though I'm still not convinced that it's going somewhere. To that end, I'm going to preface this story with the following:

I may not finish this!

I do, however, promise to let everyone know if that's gonna be the case in a much more timely manner than I did with "Fall". Regardless I'll keep working on it till I'm utterly certain it's going nowhere (if that turns out to be the case).

At any rate, I like the idea behind this story as it falls more in line with my own views of death than what I've written thus far for Animorphs. What those views are exactly are an integral part of the story that should be made clear within the first few chapters (though I'm sure some will have it figured out by the end of this one).

Oh and this is something of a crossover/OC fic...but not really. Confusing, I know, but you'll get what I mean soon enough (I hope).

Anyway, enjoy and review!

The usual copyright BS. I don't own Animorphs and I ain't makin any money off this.

~The Last Ronin~

I'm dead. I don't mean that in the "if I don't pass next period's exam I'm dead" way either. I'm actually, physically, dead.

Dead as a doornail. Dead and gone. Definitely dead. All dead.

You know, the whole "lights are out and the residents gone". That's what I am. My body is still out there, somewhere I suppose, but Rachel has left the building. Not only left but lost my keys down a storm-drain and forgotten my way back.

I was expecting to feel afraid but I'm not anymore. Like a scary movie I was only scared because I didn't know when whatever was going to happen was going to happen. Now that it has though I just feel...tired.

Tired and a little sad. There was so much I 'd still wanted to do. So much I needed to tell the people I love. Mom, Dad, Sara, Jordan...Tobias.

I wonder what happens now. The Ellimist seemed to think there's nothing after death. Of course, he's never actually died either so...I hope he's wrong. I want to see them all again; especially him. I want to hear his voice, feel his arms around me, his lips on mine.

That last image of him, seeing his heart breaking like that, nearly killed me before the polar bear had the chance. I came so close to breaking down and begging for my life, but it wouldn't have done any good and I couldn't let him know how scared I was.

I hope he can forget about me; move on. He deserves to have someone in his life, to not be alone anymore. I just wish that someone could have been me. Whoever they are certainly won't be good enough, but if he's happy...

Exhaustion washes over me. Thinking is just too tiring. Remembering is tiring...and painful. Maybe I'll just sleep. I'm so very tired. Didn't I do enough? Surely I can rest now. Rest and forget so I don't have to feel this pain anymore.

Yes. I'll sleep. At least for a little while...

x-x-x-x-x

"WAAAAHHHHHH !"

"Congratulations you two," the midwife smiles, cleaning off a small, screaming, blood covered body, "a girl, and Fate does she have a pair of lungs."

The older woman finishes wiping off most of the blood, wraps the baby in a piece of cloth and hands her to my mate.

Lily nuzzles our daughter gently, inhaling her scent and licking off a few missed spots of blood.

I reach over and stroke my daughter's cheek. She grabs my hand and, stuffing one of my fingers into her mouth, begins to gnaw on the digit with her toothless jaws. She glares at me while doing this, as if daring me to do something about it.

I laugh and let her play. She can't do any lasting damage.

"It would seem our little girl was a warrior in her last life," I grin and kiss Lily, "what do you want to name her?"

"Please," my mate snorts back a laugh, "you had her name picked out since you found out I was pregnant. After that hero from that war a while back right?"

"My dreams told me that that is what her name should be," I point out. All members of our pack know that dreams are important, their messages not to be ignored.

"I know, I know," Lily grimaces, "It's just...she's our first. I would have liked to have some say in her name at least."

"We'll do what we can," I shrug and sigh. I agree with Lily on this but Fate will do what it will regardless of our wishes. Our daughter has an important destiny ahead of her if Fate itself chose her name.

I think over that name: it belonged to a young woman, a warrior, who died saving our world. I hope that's not an omen.

Lily fuses over our daughter, speaking quietly to her. My finger remains trapped firmly in her hand though she's stopped chewing on it. Her ice blue eyes stare at my mate's mouth, entranced by the movement and sound. Perhaps...maybe there is something I can do for her, in spite of Fate's plan.

"May Fate be kind to you, my little Raquel," I whisper.

As if she heard, my daughter looks at me and her mouth pulls up into a grin.