Animorphs 2.0

Tobias' Story

Tobias

Many years later, I sat by my father's bedside as he breathed his last. He was an old man, tired and close to the end. My mother sat on his other side, holding his hand. The rest of the Animorphs stood at the back of the room. Jake, Cassie, Marco, Rachel, even Ax had come. All the way from his homeworld. We'd all come with our families. Rachel and my children, Jake and Cassie's, Marco's daughter had also been there. They had all left the room a while ago, after saying goodbye to Elfangor. He'd been like a grandfather to all of them, even those not directly related to him. He was the head of this huge family. It was amazing how many lives he'd touched. My father had spoken to each of the Animorphs separately not long ago. They'd all had tears on their faces when he'd finished. I could tell how much he'd meant to all of them. In this room, you could see whole his legacy.

His brother, standing in for his homeworld and the people who still mourned him. Aximili represented his Andalite life and all he had done as a warrior. The honor and sacrifice, the pain and horrors of war he'd endured, but also the pride. The incredible strength and dignity he'd possessed as an Andalite. Then, there were the Animorphs, the saviors of Earth, who owed it all to him, the one who'd saved them, giving them the power to save their world, injured and dying as he'd been. Earth owed him the biggest debt of all. Holding his hand was the woman he loved. Who he'd lost and regained, the woman he'd been with during the times of his life spent in peace. She was the reason he'd fought, the motivation to go through all that pain. So he, and others like him, could live lives that meant something. I'd often heard my father say his life would've been meaningless without my mother and I.

Lastly, there was me. The son he'd raised, the son he'd left. I knew my father the most, I'd seen the pain in his eyes from his past; I'd seen him lose the love of his life. I knew him as the hero, who'd fought even when he could not enter the battle. I'd lost him and regained him as well, and now, it didn't seem like I was ready to lose him again. I sat by my father's bedside and cried for all that he'd been, all that he'd done, all he'd lost. My father put a wrinkled hand to my wet cheek, lifting it and forcing me to look him in the eye. He smiled at me, his eyes – surrounded by laugh lines – reassuring as ever. I could not smile back, not now.

"Don't cry, my son." He said. "It is my time."

I shook my head. "I am not ready."

"You are, Tobias. You will be fine."

"I still need you. I don't want you to leave me."

He moved his hand to mine and squeezed it. "I will never leave you, Tobias." He promised. "I will always be with you." I nodded my head silently, the tears streaming down my face. "Live your life for me, Tobias." He continued. "Love your wife," his eyes moved to Rachel, "raise your children, be the best man you can be, the man I know you are."

"Yes, Father." I replied. He started coughing and I came closer, as did my mother, trying to comfort him.

"Do you remember the first time you called me a hero?"

I knew he spoke of when I was a child, when he hadn't known me. However, I'd told him of the time when I was raised by an Elfangor from a different world. "Yes, Father."

"Do you really think I am fitting of that title?"

I bowed my head. "There is no one more worthy of it than you?"

"Then put that on my gravestone. If you think I am worthy, I would like to be remembered for that." I simply nodded, I could not speak again. "Aximili." He called.

My uncle stepped forward, coming closer to the bed, in view of Elfangor. <I am here, brother.>

<Have you forgiven me, Aximili?>

<I do not blame you, Elfangor. You are a greater man than I could ever have hoped to be. I have forgiven you long ago.>

<You are greater than you think you are, Aximili. If I am given the title of hero, you will be my successor. If it is accepted, I bestow this honor on you.>

<Thank you, brother.> Aximili took his brother's hand, then stepped back against the wall.

My father's eyes turned to the woman beside him. "You told me once your love for me will continuously grow."

"Succeeding your death." She told him.

"As mine will for you, until you join me." He replied. I could not look away from this touching scene of husband and wife. My parents had gone through so much. They'd finally been able to live in peace together, grow old together, and this was a symbolism of all that. I saw how much they loved each other, how much they'd sacrificed. They didn't say much, but they didn't need to. It'd all been said in the years they'd spent together, in the love they'd shared.

"Tobias." My father asked for my hand again as the moment drew near. I clutched his with both of mine, vowing to never let go. "I will always be with you." He promised. To the other Animorphs he said, "You have done so much in my name, live your lives in the world you built for yourselves." To Aximili, called forward once more, he said, <Aximili, it is time.>

<I am the servant of the people> Elfangor bowed his head. <I am the servant of my Family.> He looked upward. <I am the servant of honor. My life is not my own, when the people have need of it. My life is given for the people, for my Family, for my honor.>

I recognized this as the Andalite parting ritual. I knew Elfangor spoke of both his peoples here. The Andalites and the humans, two species he'd worked so hard to protect. He'd also switched out the Andalite sentiment "Prince" for the more inclusive "Family" to include all those present and all those he'd cared for. I cried as I heard the words. My mother kissed his forehead. He died holding her hand.

We all went to our homes afterwards. Rachel and I to ours, Jake and Cassie to theirs, Marco and Ax to theirs respectively. I cried no more after that. All my thoughts were pleasant of the man who'd been my father. The man with the word "hero" on his gravestone, under the name Elfangor. I was proud to have been his son and appreciated all he'd done for me.

That night, my oldest daughter, Eleanor – "El" for short – cried in her sleep. It was Rachel's turn to get up, but I went instead. I walked past the door where my two other children slept, and entered Eleanor's bedroom. She twisted and turned in her sleep. Pulling a chair over, I sat by her bed and calmed her down, stroking her hair and face. Then, at a thought, I began to speak to her as she slumbered.

"Once upon a time, on the faraway homeworld of the Andalites, there lived a boy with his parents. He was a normal child, happy in his life, who would grow up to be a great hero, a savior of worlds. He would fight and endure pain, and loss, but he would know happiness too. He was known to the peoples of the two worlds he'd saved, so different yet so the same. And his name was Elfangor."

A/N: This is it guys, the end. I've finally reached the end of my storytelling. As you can see, we've come full circle and it's time to say goodbye to my favorite father and son. I hope you enjoyed reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Never stop reading and if you ever want to see something happen between two people, just write it yourself. Happy travels, Sharklist.