But where to start looking, that was the question. Where would Loren be? Under one of the patches of Earth sky, of that Elfangor was almost certain. But which one?

The waterfall was still visible from where Elfangor stood, although just barely. If he were Loren and he wanted to be found, that was where he would stay. His decision made, Elfangor set off back to the falls at a fast trot.

It felt good to feed, even if the grasses were not truly those of his homeworld. Leaping the stream like he'd done the last time, Elfangor crested the rise in front of the empty scoop – he didn't want to think of it as his own – and kept going.

Switching from a trot to a full-out run, Elfangor pushed everything but Loren out of his thoughts. It was easy to do, since he was already eager to see her. As the waterfall rose ever higher in front of him, Elfangor looked for any sign of Loren. Coming upon a large lake at the base of the falls, Elfangor could now see more clearly that the landscape around him was divided into three different sections.

Only two were familiar to him: he could, of course, clearly recognize the grass and trees of his own homeworld. Those of the Yeerk world were also familiar, more so than Elfangor wanted them to be. But there was also the third, one that bore more than a passing resemblance to those of his world.

Looking to the sky, Elfangor saw that it was in quite the same condition as the land around him. Patches of Andalite, Yeerkish and Earth sky all swirled together in a strange nonpattern.

Digging his hooves into the grass, Visser Thirty-two found it to have almost the same quality as the species of grass that Alloran preferred to eat back on the Andalite homeworld. By now, Visser Thirty-two had come to the end of the Earthen forest, he now stood on the border of a wide band of Yeerk land. Very familiar Yeerk land.

Stepping out of the forest, Visser Thirty-two realized what it was that he found so familiar about this particular place. It was somewhere that had been described to him in great detail more than once. The large pool that he now stood in front of was undoubtedly Sulp Niar. It was at that moment that Visser Thirty-two had his second shock of the day.

Jarex and Larex, his two pet Mortrons which he had thought long dead by now, were skirting the bank of the large Yeerk pool on whose western edge the Visser now stood. And, just to make things that much more complicated, there stood his former host, arms folded behind his back as he stared out over the placid surface of the pool.

Without a look around, the Navari turned away and strode off into the distance. Not caring at the moment about the other, Visser Thirty-two turned to the two Mortrons. Now he knew beyond any doubt that this could not be his homeworld, since he would have had to pass through an Andalite blockade undetected to transport them there.

And the chances of that happening were quite slim, indeed.

They are about the same as the chances that you could convince your precious 'Navari' to rejoin you. So, they are a bit more than slim you filthy Yeerk, Alloran said this without any particular malice, even the customary insult was delivered in the tone of one who was merely conveying information.

That only enraged Visser Thirty-two further, the mere thought that Alloran would speak to him as if they were equals. Evidently the Andalite did not yet understand who was the master and who the slave, shielding his thoughts from Alloran the Visser made a silent vow that – somehow or other – he would teach the impudent former War-Prince that lesson.

For now, though, he was preoccupied, and so ignored the attempt to distract him. But at the same time making sure not to forget the offense, he would punish Alloran for it later. That much was certain.

Elfangor had reached the lake. It was a beautiful thing, crystal clear with a tower of crashing spray generated by the waterfall. As Elfangor walked closer, his stalk-eyes continued to scan the landscape around him, he noted that while the lake itself was intact and untouched by the three-way split which seemed to dominate the rest of the land, it's borders were not. There was the now familiar Earth and Andalite landscapes, as well as the dark and depressing Yeerk terrain.

"Elfangor!"

Startled, Elfangor jumped, scattering the few droplets of water he had managed to catch. Turning his stalk-eyes toward the voice that he had recognized as Loren's, Elfangor felt relief flood him.

Loren, you're here! You're alive!

"Well, that's right on both counts. Though I'm still not sure exactly where it is we've ended up. Otherwise I'm fine," Loren said, grinning. "How are you?"

I am also quite well, Elfangor replied, smiling with his eyes. Better now that you're here. He kept that thought to himself, though. Wait there, I'll come to you.

Suiting actions to words, Elfangor galloped through a cluster of bushes and wove through the sparse trees, leaping to clear the rest of the distance between himself and Loren. Her grin melting into a smile of pure pleasure, Loren also ran, intending to meet Elfangor in the middle. Just like in one of those cheesy old romance films.

They ran into each other, both wrapping their arms around the other, and Loren had to laugh. Admitting to herself that her current situation wasn't exactly like one of those cheesy old romance movies. Right, it's a whole lot better, Loren smiled to herself.

"I thought I was the only one who made it," she said, smiling. "Sometimes it feels good to be proven wrong, though."

Yes, sometimes it does.

"In some of these places, you'd swear you were on Earth. But this can't be Earth, there's something really wrong about the sky. I've never seen a sky in patches like that, and I've had some pretty weird dreams."

Have you taken a look around?

"Not yet. I came to somewhere over there, about a hundred feet back" she said, pointing to a forest off to the west. "It's not too far from my house. It looks just like a park where I play softball."

Yes, that would be something that you remember. And there will most likely be other things here that are familiar to you. I suspect that this place is not exactly real.

"What do you mean by that?"

I mean that this place would not exist if not for our having made contact with the Time Matrix. You see how this landscape incorporates elements from three distinct worlds?

"Yes, I do. But what does that mean?"

There were three of us who made contact with the Time Matrix. You, myself, and Visser Thirty-two. I think that when we all fought for control we somehow made this place.

"That's why it's in patches! I know the blue sky is from me. And, maybe this will sound a bit strange, but I have a feeling that you had something to do with the gold and red sky."

Yes. That is the sky from my homeworld.

Loren smiled, then her eyes narrowed.

"That green sky gives me the creeps. It's from him, isn't it? Visser Thirty-two made that sky."

Yes. And he is also responsible for that, Elfangor said, directing Loren's attention to the twisted "plants" that made up about one sixth of the surrounding landscape.

"What a place to live," Loren said with distaste.