Animorphs 2.0

Shorms

A/N: This is a short chapter. After this things get complicated. I put this in as a transition between what just happened and what will soon. I mostly wrote this fanfic as a way for all the things I wanted between Elfangor and Tobias to play out. I hope you like it.

Tobias

We fought for a long time. It seemed whenever we dealt a blow to the Yeerks, they would be back to full strength within a few weeks, and come up with something even more horrible. My life was a mess of school and missions and coming home beat to my father. I wished for an end to the war. We'd fought countless battles. We'd discovered the existence of the Chee, peaceful androids created by a race of creatures called the Pemalites, living on Earth. Though sworn against violence, they had infiltrated the Sharing, and gave us Intel on the Yeerks; they were vitally useful to us. Over time, it seemed like my life had always been this way. Any time we tried for normalcy, something would happen. I spoke about it with Ax a lot. I never told my dad how I felt. I knew he still feared for me. He was proud I fought, but his biggest fear was still losing me. I couldn't tell him how tired I was, how I wanted it all to end. I spoke to my uncle instead.

Over the past months we'd grown very close. I was very pleased about this. I felt a kind a connection to him that went past us being Animorphs. We both had lost people. Even though my father had turned out to be alive, he knew how I felt. Then again, he was still alone on this planet; everyone he'd known had died the day he'd crashed here. I too, in a way, was alone. My father, though having lived a long time on Earth, was still not really one of its people. I was a part of two very different worlds, stuck in the middle. I found peace with Ax, and he found comfort in me. One day, he told me of a term amongst his people called a shorm. It came from the Andalite word for tailblade, meaning this is someone you trust so much, if they put their tailblade to your throat, you would not be afraid. I was touched that Ax considered me his shorm.

I came to him one night, simply wanting to talk. I found him looking up at the sky.

"You looking for home, Ax?" I asked.

<I know where the Andalite planet is, Tobias. I was simply thinking of my family.>

I smiled at his literalness. It would take a little longer before our culture influenced him enough to soften him up. It was already having an effect; I'd recently heard Ax use sarcasm on more than one occasion.

"You miss them, don't you?" I asked him, more serious now.

He nodded. <Yes, Tobias. I miss my family. I miss my people.>

I looked down. "I'm sorry."

Ax cocked his head in puzzlement. <This is not your fault, Tobias.>

I shook my head. "I just meant I feel your pain."

<Oh.> A silence followed. <Tobias?>

"Yeah?"

<Do you resent your father for bringing this war to you?>

I laughed a grim laugh. "Ax, he didn't bring anything to me. If anything, he saved me. Without him, I might've had a Yeerk in my head by now."

<But your mother—

"Fought for what she believed in. She should have done nothing less. I fight in her name, Ax." Another silence followed. Mine this time. "Aximili? Are you still mad at my father?"

His main eyes left the sky and looked at me, smiling that Andalite smile in his eyes. <No, Tobias. I think you, most of all, have shown me to forgive him. I had not known the pain he went through in his fight; it's not my place to judge. I have even forgiven him for breaking our most sacred law. I admit us Andalites can a bit close-minded at times. This may have caused certain blindness in regards to other species. I see how you humans are deserving of the gifts we Andalites can offer you. You would not misuse them the way the Yeerks did. I feel proud to fight with you for your race, Tobias.>

I smiled and came closer to put my arm around my uncle. "Me too, Uncle Ax. Me too."