A/N: And here it is. Finale. 54 was awesome. More like a really great fanfic than Animorphs, yet with such...authenticity. And that is wonderful.

Disclaimer: Animorphs belongs to K.A. Applegate and Scholastic. Falling for the First Time belongs to BNL. Heres To The Nights belongs to Eve 6.

P.S. The smaller bold-italic words are song lyrics. I was considering putting them in last chapter, remember?

Rachel:

And as I curled up and closed my eyes after the Ellimist's story, I saw the strange world that was the fabric of time and space. I watched as a thread woven across many others, a strong thread, yet one to be treated gingerly, dimmed and curled, disappearing. Deep down I knew it was mine.

I felt sad. It was the end. I'd never feel the rush of adrenaline as we charged into battle. I'd never fly with Tobias again, mock-hit Marco, tease Cassie about her (lack of) fashion, look to Jake for the solution that was always there, laugh at Ax's love of food. Never, ever again.

But I had mattered. I raised my head, and as I did, I saw the vague-I guess you could call them marks-where my line had been. Some places were brighter, some were darker, but all seemed to have a certain feel to them.

Me.

I set my hands down on what had to be Tobias' line where mine had touched his, and suddenly remebered kissing him by the ocean.

I smiled.

Here's to the nights we felt alive,

Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry,

Here's to good-bye tomorrow's gonna come too soon.

Tobias:

After I'd taken Rachel's ashes, I hid them in an abandoned shack near my meadow. Then I continued to the meadow.

I flew to the top of the tallest tree there, tucked my wings back, and cried out a cry of mourning, both in thought speak and through the hawk's mouth.

No!

"TSEEEEEER!"

Then I dove.

I didn't spread my wings and catch the thermals. I didn't circle upwards.

What point was there? She was gone. Forever.

And then, whether it was the Ellimist, or me, or Rachel, or something else, I remembered kissing Rachel by the ocean after my first encounter with the crazy sub-visser Taylor. Then a part that seemed different, more recent.

She smiled.

I opened my wings and flew upward.

And it feels just like I'm falling for the first time.

Rachel:

I watched as Tobias, Jake, Marco, and a couple of other humans I didn't know name a ship after me. I watched as Ax's line painfully diverted from the Andalites and became twisted and deformed.

"What does it mean?" I asked aloud.

Good question.

I looked around bewildered.

What the...was it the Ellimist?

No. The Ellimist used a big, booming voice.

But where had I heard that voice before?

I saw at last.

Elfangor had his hands on Ax's line.

Tobias:

I looked into the eyes of my best friend, of my shorm.

They weren't his anymore. They were filled with hate and evil.

We were alone, weak, vulnerable.

No.

We were not. We had each other. Somewhere in there, Ax was with us. Rachel was with us. Elfangor was with us. We, nor anyone else in this beautiful universe are ever truly alone.

And that would never change.