He didn't say anything. And I guess in my heart I'd known it all along. I just didn't want to admit it.
"Come on, Tobias," I said again. "Morph back." <Jake… >
"Just come on, back to human now, dude. No more flying tonight."
<I hid in the cavern for a while,> he said. <They didn't see me. But I had to stay out of sight till I could get out. Jake… it took too long. Too long. More than two hours.>
I just stared at him. At his laser-focus eyes, at his wicked beak and sharp talons. And at his wings. At the broad, powerful wings that let him fly.
<I guess this is me from now on,> Tobias said.
I knew there were tears falling down my cheeks, but I didn't care anymore. <It's okay, Jake. Like you said, we're alive.>
I went to the window and looked up at the stars. Somewhere up there, around one of those cold, twinkling stars, was the Andalite home world. Somewhere up there was… hope.
<They'll come,> Tobias said. <The Andalites will come. And until then… >
I nodded and wiped away my tears. "Yeah," I said. "Until then, we fight."