Disclaimer: I do not own the Animorphs, Ax, Crayak, the Ellimist/Toomin, Drode, and all those other people and things, you know the drill. They all belong to K. A. Applegate. So does the beginning of this story, it's from the last Animorphs book, "The Beginning". Well anyway, enjoy!
Chapter One
Time stopped.
He came to me. The Ellimist.
The puppet master came to watch my final act. It figured. He was in his saintly old man guise. As fake as everything else about him. The all-powerful weakling. The mighty manipulator.
"You," I said accusingly.
"Yes."
"Who are you?" I demanded. "Who are you to play games with us? You appear, you disappear, you use us, who are you, what are you?"
And then, for what seemed like a very long time, the Ellimist told me. I saw. I understood.
But I also knew he would not save me. That he couldn't under the arcane rules of his millennia-long war with Crayak.
The Ellimist was there to honor me, and I guess that was nice of him. Wasn't going to help me much.
I wanted so much to live. I wanted so much to stay and not to leave. In a moment no answer would matter to me, but just the same, I wanted to know what I guess any dying person wants to know.
"Answer this, Ellimist: Did I . . . did I make a difference? My life, and my . . . my death . . . was I worth it? Did my life really matter?"
"Yes," he said. "You were brave. You were strong. You were good. You mattered."
"Yeah. Okay, then. Okay, then."
I wondered—
The Ellimist interrupted my thoughts on whether or not Marco would cry about my death. It was odd: I was almost laughing thinking about Marco's reaction to this. "Rachel . . ." he said slowly, as if an idea had just occurred to him. "I have just thought of a way for you to 'live'. I know how badly you long to be alive still. I would not make you truly alive again, in the sense that you were alive before. However, you would not be dead. Rachel, you would be more of a . . . spirit. That is not quite the right word, but close enough. Similar to Crayak, Drode, and I. You see, Crayak has broken the rules; he uses the Drode as an extra set of eyes and ears, figuratively speaking. The Drode is his helper. How would you, my happy little accident, like to do that for ME?"
I did not hesitate. If I did this for the Ellimist, I might get to see Tobias again. And Cassie, Marco, Jake, and Ax as well, of course. But especially Tobias. If the Ellimist would let me, I could tell Tobias and the rest that I was okay, in a sense. That I was sort of alive. And that one day, we would be together again. No one lives forever. Except for maybe Crayak and the Ellimist. Just as I was saying, "Yes," the Ellimist told me, "If you refuse, you will be sent where you were meant to be immediately after your death. You have been good. God will not refuse you entry through the gates."
So heaven existed. I felt strangely relieved. "I will accept your offer, Ellimist. I will do what you ask."
"Please, call me Toomin."
"What do you want me to do for you, Toomin?" I inquired.
And that is how my life as the Ellimist's right-hand man—or woman, whatever—began.
I learnt of everything I'd need to know to help Toomin. I was so busy that several Earth years passed by. (Oh, no, I was thinking like Ax!) I traveled to various solar systems and various times, doing work for Toomin. I hardly had time to think of Tobias and my friends and family, I am embarrassed to admit. Occasionally, Toomin had nothing for me to do, so I "sat" in zero-space wondering what became of the rest of the Animorphs. Jake . . . most likely a military commander. Cassie, of course, would be an environmentalist or a veteranarian. Ax would probably either work at a Cinnabon as a human, sneaking treats whenever he could, or would have been promoted to the rank of prince in the Andalite army. Marco? He would probably be a talk-show host or something in the spotlight. He always was good at jokes and quick comebacks . . . and Tobias. Tobias, he would still be a hawk. I was as sure of that as I was sure that my name was Rachel. He had his mother, Loren, now, but that was no reason for him to become a human nothlit. Long ago, during the war, he had said that after the war, he would become human again. We would be married. But without me . . . I knew he was still a hawk. I knew it.
How I missed him. How I missed all of them. Did Cassie and Jake ever get married? Have Ax and Marco found anyone? I was longing to know. I found Toomin's thread of time-space and located him in the universe. Then I sighed. Toomin was attending to a war between the Helmacrons and the Tyloctons. I remembered the time the Helmacrons went up Marco's nose, and we followed them . . . that was one of the grossest things I had experienced while being an Animorph. I smiled, recalling the crazy Helmacrons.
Toomin appeared before me, as the old man. He looked tired. "Those Helmacrons . . . beings of Crayak, I tell you."
My heart leapt up. "Toomin! Is there any business you would like me to attend to on Earth?"
Smiling, he said, "I am surprised you did not ask me this sooner. . . . no, I am afraid there is not. However, most of your friends are not there. I have just learned that Ax has been taken prisoner of a being called The One, a creation of Crayak. Tobias, Jake, and Marco are attempting to rescue him. They, along with three other humans, are on a ship, wandering around space, trying to find The One and Ax. On the other hand, Cassie is still on Earth. I do not particularly think this wise, but . . . if you would like to . . . you may go and visit her. You may tell her what you have been doing. I will call for you when you are needed."
"Yes! Thank you, Ellimist!" I was overjoyed at the prospect of seeing Cassie.
I transported myself to earth.
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Hey, it's me, the author! I hope you thought that was okay. It's my first attempt at fanfic, except for my two songfics. Please review! I need to know what you all want to come next and how I can improve it. Any suggestions are welcome!
Chapter One
Time stopped.
He came to me. The Ellimist.
The puppet master came to watch my final act. It figured. He was in his saintly old man guise. As fake as everything else about him. The all-powerful weakling. The mighty manipulator.
"You," I said accusingly.
"Yes."
"Who are you?" I demanded. "Who are you to play games with us? You appear, you disappear, you use us, who are you, what are you?"
And then, for what seemed like a very long time, the Ellimist told me. I saw. I understood.
But I also knew he would not save me. That he couldn't under the arcane rules of his millennia-long war with Crayak.
The Ellimist was there to honor me, and I guess that was nice of him. Wasn't going to help me much.
I wanted so much to live. I wanted so much to stay and not to leave. In a moment no answer would matter to me, but just the same, I wanted to know what I guess any dying person wants to know.
"Answer this, Ellimist: Did I . . . did I make a difference? My life, and my . . . my death . . . was I worth it? Did my life really matter?"
"Yes," he said. "You were brave. You were strong. You were good. You mattered."
"Yeah. Okay, then. Okay, then."
I wondered—
The Ellimist interrupted my thoughts on whether or not Marco would cry about my death. It was odd: I was almost laughing thinking about Marco's reaction to this. "Rachel . . ." he said slowly, as if an idea had just occurred to him. "I have just thought of a way for you to 'live'. I know how badly you long to be alive still. I would not make you truly alive again, in the sense that you were alive before. However, you would not be dead. Rachel, you would be more of a . . . spirit. That is not quite the right word, but close enough. Similar to Crayak, Drode, and I. You see, Crayak has broken the rules; he uses the Drode as an extra set of eyes and ears, figuratively speaking. The Drode is his helper. How would you, my happy little accident, like to do that for ME?"
I did not hesitate. If I did this for the Ellimist, I might get to see Tobias again. And Cassie, Marco, Jake, and Ax as well, of course. But especially Tobias. If the Ellimist would let me, I could tell Tobias and the rest that I was okay, in a sense. That I was sort of alive. And that one day, we would be together again. No one lives forever. Except for maybe Crayak and the Ellimist. Just as I was saying, "Yes," the Ellimist told me, "If you refuse, you will be sent where you were meant to be immediately after your death. You have been good. God will not refuse you entry through the gates."
So heaven existed. I felt strangely relieved. "I will accept your offer, Ellimist. I will do what you ask."
"Please, call me Toomin."
"What do you want me to do for you, Toomin?" I inquired.
And that is how my life as the Ellimist's right-hand man—or woman, whatever—began.
I learnt of everything I'd need to know to help Toomin. I was so busy that several Earth years passed by. (Oh, no, I was thinking like Ax!) I traveled to various solar systems and various times, doing work for Toomin. I hardly had time to think of Tobias and my friends and family, I am embarrassed to admit. Occasionally, Toomin had nothing for me to do, so I "sat" in zero-space wondering what became of the rest of the Animorphs. Jake . . . most likely a military commander. Cassie, of course, would be an environmentalist or a veteranarian. Ax would probably either work at a Cinnabon as a human, sneaking treats whenever he could, or would have been promoted to the rank of prince in the Andalite army. Marco? He would probably be a talk-show host or something in the spotlight. He always was good at jokes and quick comebacks . . . and Tobias. Tobias, he would still be a hawk. I was as sure of that as I was sure that my name was Rachel. He had his mother, Loren, now, but that was no reason for him to become a human nothlit. Long ago, during the war, he had said that after the war, he would become human again. We would be married. But without me . . . I knew he was still a hawk. I knew it.
How I missed him. How I missed all of them. Did Cassie and Jake ever get married? Have Ax and Marco found anyone? I was longing to know. I found Toomin's thread of time-space and located him in the universe. Then I sighed. Toomin was attending to a war between the Helmacrons and the Tyloctons. I remembered the time the Helmacrons went up Marco's nose, and we followed them . . . that was one of the grossest things I had experienced while being an Animorph. I smiled, recalling the crazy Helmacrons.
Toomin appeared before me, as the old man. He looked tired. "Those Helmacrons . . . beings of Crayak, I tell you."
My heart leapt up. "Toomin! Is there any business you would like me to attend to on Earth?"
Smiling, he said, "I am surprised you did not ask me this sooner. . . . no, I am afraid there is not. However, most of your friends are not there. I have just learned that Ax has been taken prisoner of a being called The One, a creation of Crayak. Tobias, Jake, and Marco are attempting to rescue him. They, along with three other humans, are on a ship, wandering around space, trying to find The One and Ax. On the other hand, Cassie is still on Earth. I do not particularly think this wise, but . . . if you would like to . . . you may go and visit her. You may tell her what you have been doing. I will call for you when you are needed."
"Yes! Thank you, Ellimist!" I was overjoyed at the prospect of seeing Cassie.
I transported myself to earth.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, it's me, the author! I hope you thought that was okay. It's my first attempt at fanfic, except for my two songfics. Please review! I need to know what you all want to come next and how I can improve it. Any suggestions are welcome!