Title: Once (it was enough)
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: references to violence and canon character death
Pairings: none
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 175
Point of view: third
Prompt: Animorphs, Rachel, needing bigger and bigger hits of adrenaline
Once, backflips and cartwheels and intricate dance routines were enough, gymnastics tricks that left her mother worried and her little sisters laughing in breathless delight. Once nearly falling off the balance beam, or the high wall at school, or missing a handhold on the bars. Once, one of Cassie's horses running out of control, Rachel barely managing to stay on.
Once, diving as an eagle, a falcon, a dolphin. Once, roaring as a tiger, charging as an elephant.
Once, staring down Visser Three, Visser One.
Once, listening to Crayak. Yelling at the Ellemist.
Once, tearing schoolchildren apart with words; once, blood dripping on the floor as the enemy gasps and dies.
Once and once and once.
Here, now, was this always how it would end? In battle, for a world she loves, for her sisters and her friends and people she'll never know, for all the worlds that have already fallen, for the worlds that'll stand because she stood here now—
Once, there was a girl who taught her sisters to dance. Once, that was enough.