Okay, this'll be a little different from my others…

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I was in a black void. I looked around… and saw colourful threads below me, above me… around me… so pretty…

THESE ARE TIMELINES.

I looked around.

"Ellimist? Is that you?"

"Yes" he was suddenly beside me, an old man.

"Do you know what's going on?"

He chuckled.

"You died saving someone else's life Jade, that's what happened"

I frowned "You're the mysterious HBs, aren't you?"

This time he looked at me, then shook his head.

"No. They have a power I will never have, not even if I live another five millennia. They are infamous"

"Are… do you know what's been going on?"

"Not until you returned from the past was I aware of some misgivings"

"So… what now? Am I dead? In limbo? Whatever?"

"Your… future, simply put… is unknown right now"

"So… what. I just get to hang here with you until the HBs decide what to do with me"

"Yes"

"Did they… tell you"

"I know very little Jade. Perhaps a little more than you, and what I do know would be quite hard for you to comprehend, in any language I know"

"I only know like, two languages dude"

The Ellimist chuckled again.

"Yes, I know this. Come, let us watch how your family progresses until then"

"Hmm… kay"

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James

Two months seemed to blow by like a rocket. There were interviews, press conferences… everyone wanted to know about all of us… even the auxiliary Animorphs and the Animal Eyes crew… we were all pretty big.

I got offers for TV shows and junk… but I didn't want them. Instead, I gave Pedro the morphing power, and watched as he flew for the first time, being able to speak and see and just… move!

It lifted my heart, just that little bit.

I was given whatever I wanted, but instead gave it all to the rehab centres and schools for the blind and stuff.

By the fourth month, Jake had brought a house, and Desiree and I went to live with him, along with Tom. Hannah was there too, and we all took turns taking care of her.

There was to be a memorial for my mother. Jade. She'd fought bravely, and neither Jake nor Amanda wanted her to be forgotten. The memorial was to be in a few days, and until then, I would stay and take care of Hannah.

The others… the Animorphs and Animal Eyes… all got their own lives. Last I heard, Robert had taken off with Sakura for a while…

If that was how he dealt with the grief… well, it was a shitty way of doing it.

Then again, that's how I felt.

Two days before the memorial for Jade and the others who died in battle, I was alone feeding and changing Hannah. I always loved her cute little smile… she even giggled at me now… like she knew…

I fixed her baby clothes, then picked her up and went outside the back. There was no danger of anyone getting in. The house was on a high hill, and with Ithiell's help there were maximum style force-fields around the place that didn't obstruct the view or the beautiful winds that came up off the sea below…

"Heee" Hannah giggled, looking out over the ocean as I breathed in deep…

IT IS ALMOST TIME.

I growled. Those damn…

"Haven't you done enough?" I muttered "What more do you want?"

IT IS ALMOST TIME. BE READY TO BE TESTED.

"Fu-fudge off" I muttered, changing what I was going to say at the last second… little ears… growling.

THAT CANNOT BE DONE. BE PREPARED.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?-!" I screeched into the sky.

IT CANNOT BE. THE DAY AFTER THE MEMORIAL, YOU WILL GO.

"Leave me alone! I don't want to be tested! You've taken enough from me, so go away!"

"Ga" Hannah seemed to agree.

LOST THINGS DO NOT ALWAYS STAY LOST. FOUR DAYS. THEN YOUR FINAL TEST WILL BEGIN.

"Great" I muttered sarcastically. Then there was nothing.

I swear, if I hadn't been holding Hannah I would have hit something.

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Ithiell

I tried to blank my mind, but to no avail. This was like when I'd lost my twin Inaad… she was still missing… somewhere out there, but Jade… Jade was gone fo…

"Ithiell?"

I looked up to see Amanda staring at me. She was dressed all in black, and the light that had once been in her eyes and her face… was all but gone. She was an empty shell now. I sad seventeen year old girl who was lost within herself…

I don't think the rest of us were much better.

Robert and Sakura were no-where to be found. So they couldn't be told about the memorial… knew he'd hate me for not telling him, but it wasn't really my fault if they…

"All right. Let's skedaddle" Rachel sighed, walking past me. I nodded, and we headed to the limousine that was going to take us all there.

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Robert

I stared out over the ocean… it was late at night, and there were few lights to interfere with the moon or the stars. The breeze was blowing my hair out of my eyes, so I could see the waves crashing against rocks far off to the left.

"Robert?"

"Yes Sakura?"

"Perhaps we should try and contact the others. See how they are?" She sounded hopeful… too hopeful… didn't want to break her heart…

"We'll see about that in the morning" I muttered, laying back on the sand. Sakura was soon laying beside me, and I wrapped and arm around her shoulders.

"It's beautiful" she murmured.

"Yeah" I agreed. If I were more of a romantic, I would have added an obvious comment.

But I'm not a total geek of a romantic. I'm the guy who takes it as it is. The reality. Good or bad, right or wrong. It's there. And there's nothing you can do to change it…

As I thought this, I realised what I'd been doing… and gasped.

"What… what is it?"

"N-nothing. Listen, how about we call Amanda tomorrow, ok?"

"Really?" She got up, looking down at me. I nodded.

"Really"

She cuddled into me after that, making me feel better and worse at the same time.

My mind was just in overtime…

I realised it then. I'd been running… running away from the truth, like a lost dog…

I guess now was the time I was going to have to face it.

Like it or lump it.

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Sorry dudes. I just thought you all deserved a… kick… of reality for a bit. Sad reality… but true.

Ah… but I'm not done yet! MORE TO COME!