A/N ~ Finally, my next chapter! An important note to all who read the first chapter before I put this up: I changed one small thing, so just so you don't get confused, at the end of chapter one, Tobias demorphed to hawk before starting the journey home.
Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Animorphs or any of the characters, I also do not own the song Dare You to Move, it is the property of Switchfoot.
I don't know how long it was before I finally saw Earth again. It could have been years, or maybe only a few hours. I don't know. I was barely aware of the time passing.
I only know that when I saw that small blue and green sphere come into view, it felt unreal. Almost like I hadn't believed until that moment that it was actually real. That I was really here. Really alive.
Welcome to the planet.
Welcome to existence.
I finally reached Earth and circled the planet, like I knew my father had all those years ago. Searching for the same thing. I landed in the construction site where it had all started.
It was now a historical landmark, preserved just the way it had been, as some weird sort of memorial. Unfortunately, this meant there were security cameras and someone watching constantly. So, as I landed, a security guard opened communication and asked me to reveal who I was and why I was here.
I morphed human again, and opened the two-way visual communication and the guard's face showed up on the screen. I told him my name, and his eyes widened in recognition. His expression became one of awe and respect.
Everyone's here,
Everyone's here.
Everybody's watching you now.
Everybody waits for you now.
I asked him if he would mind if I just had a few minutes alone in the construction site without any cameras. He was hesitant, but eventually my position as a celebrity won over, and he agreed.
I thanked him and turned off the communication. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, preparing myself for what I was about to do.
What happens next?
What happens next?
I dare you to move.
I dare you to move.
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
I looked out through the ships small windows and tried to figure out where exactly I was in relation to the forest this area had once been. When I finally had an idea of where to aim for, I took control of the main shredder, and started to burn a hole in the ground.
Eventually, I began to see the start of something becoming exposed. A large, shimmering white sphere. The Time Matrix. I turned off the shredder and stopped the engines. Well, I thought, this is it. I opened the doors and stepped out into the cool evening air.
Memories seemed to float around me, startlingly clear, as if they were tangible things. I felt as if I were right back on that day, when Elfangor had stepped out of his ship, just as I stepped out of mine, now.
A shiver ran up my spine, and I hurried over to where the Time Matrix had been revealed.
I dare you to move.
I dare you move, like
Today never happened,
Today never happened before.
I knelt down, and thought carefully about the day I wanted to go back to, the day Rachel died. I wanted to be there when Jake sent her away. I wanted to be with her; to fight with her. I wanted that day back.
Welcome to the fallout.
Welcome to resistance.
But there were so many risks. I didn't really know how time travel worked, despite my previous experiences with it.
What would happen if and when I met my younger self? And when I started to change the timeline, what would happen to me? Would I fade away? Cease to exist? If so, how soon? How much time did I really have?
The tension is here.
The tension is here.
Between who you are,
And who you could be.
Between how it is,
And how it should be.
But suddenly, I was hit with a shock of inspiration, and a plan started to formulate in my mind. Maybe, just maybe, I could save two lives tonight. Three, counting Ax. Eight, if you counted everyone else on-board the Rachel.
Excitement grew in me as I reached over to touch the Time Matrix and thought hard about my destination.
I dare you to move.
I dare you to move.
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
I found myself kneeling on the hard floor of an Andalite fighter, with the Time Matrix in front of me, blocking my view. I stood up, and there he was. War-Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul.
He saw me first with his stalk eyes, and then he turned to face me, and stared with his main eyes. I could see the spark of recognition in his eyes, different somehow from the look of identification the guard had given me, yet very much the same. For a few minutes we just stared at each other, then he spoke.
What's your name, he asked, softly.
I smiled and answered, "Tobias."
Hello, Tobias.
"Hello, Elfangor. Dad."
I dare you to move.
I dare you to move, like
Today never happened,
Today never happened.
He nodded, and I was glad. Because now I knew that he had known who I was that night. I had known, before he died that he was passing on the morphing power to his son.
I stepped around the shimmering white sphere. "Look," I said, "we don't have much time, but I have a lot I need to tell you. There's something I need you to do."
He was severely injured, and in great pain, but he said, suspiciously, I'm sorry, but how do I know I can trust you?
I nodded. I was ready for that question. "If I was a Controller, and I had this," I nodded toward the Time Matrix, "why would I go to all this trouble, when I could just go back and keep your entire race from ever evolving?"
That seemed to satisfy him. How did you learn about the Yeerks?
I smiled sadly. "You told me."
He looked surprised, and then a look of realization crossed his face. When?
I looked out the window. "In about ten, fifteen minutes. But before that happens, I need to explain."
He nodded. What is it you want me to do?
So I carefully explained my plan to him.
And maybe redemption
Has stories to tell.
And maybe forgiveness
Is right where you fell.
When I was done, Elfangor was silent for a moment. Then, Humans who can morph. My doing as well? I nodded. And why is it that you need me to do this?
"Because there are too many risks if I do it, and this way, well," I shrugged, "your life can be saved as well." He looked surprised, so I continued, "If you stay here and continue the way things went the first time, for me, then you've only maybe ten minutes to live."
He nodded slowly, understanding. So, how are you and your friends going to get your morphing power?
I took a deep breath. "I'm going to give it to them. With your permission, I'll morph you, and reenact exactly how it was when you told us."
He suddenly understood what I meant. No. I can't let you sacrifice yourself for me.
"It's the only way!" I protested. "Besides, when the timeline is changed, this me will cease to exist, anyway."
We were both silent for a moment. Then Elfangor said, quietly, "Why do you want the timeline changed?"
Where can you run
To escape from yourself?
Where're you gonna go?
Where're you gonna go?
Salvation is here.
"Because my life basically sucks, okay?!" I was somewhere between screaming and crying. "I have nothing, and no one. I've never had a father, my mother doesn't remember me, she doesn't remember anything. And now I've lost my uncle, and best friend," I gestured wildly toward the three-dimensional picture of Elfangor and his family, "as well as Jake and Marco, and most importantly, I lost Rachel."
I sank down onto the ground, my head in my hands. "She was all I had, really. She was everything, and now she's gone." Tears flowed freely down my face now, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I looked up, and saw a human man sitting beside me. He looked like a complete stranger, except for something in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said. He put his arm around me and I buried my face in his shoulder. And I thought, so this is what it's like to have a father.
After a minute, I got up and said, "We'd better get ready. We're about to land." He stood and demorphed, fully healed of his wounds now.
We'd better hurry then, he said. Acquire me. I nodded and put my hand on his back, and concentrated. He went into the acquiring daze, and I took my hand away. I started to morph.
By the time he came out of the trance, blue fur covered my body, I had two stalk eyes in addition to my own eyes which were becoming more almond shaped, and my mouth was melting into my face. Elfangor went back to his human morph, and I finished morphing him. While he was morphing, he turned and carefully landed the ship in the construction site.
He turned to me and smiled. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."
Yes, I said. Wait. There's one thing wrong. He waited. I – I'm not injured at all.
His face went white. "You can't ask me to-"
No, no. I'll do it. I braced myself, and Elfangor closed his eyes. I closed mine too, and made a quick stroke with my tail. Aaaarrrgh! I cried, as the blade sliced through my side.
A familiar voice came from outside. "It's safe," I heard my younger self say. "We won't hurt you."
"I'm going to stay nearby," said Elfangor. "I'll still be here if you need me."
Thanks, I said.
Young Tobias spoke again. "Please, come out. We won't hurt you."
This time I responded, accurate to my clear memory of that night. I know.
Elfangor smiled at me. "Goodbye, my son."
Goodbye, dad.
Younger me got over the shock of hearing a voice inside his head. "Can you come out?"
I dare you to move.
I dare you to move.
I dare you lift yourself up off the floor.
I took a deep breath, and responded, Yes. Do not be frightened.
"We won't be frightened." I almost laughed at the absurdity of that statement. Elfangor disappeared, his hand on the Time Matrix.
I opened the doorway, and stepped out, for the second time, into the evening air of that construction site.
I dare you to move.
I dare you to move, like
Today never happened,
Today never happened,
Today never happened,
Today never happened before.
A/N ~ Wow. That was very exciting to write. It was going to go very differently, "But suddenly, I was hit with a shock of inspiration." I hope this satisfies all you Elfangor fans out there. More soon. Please review! The song is Dare You to Move by Switchfoot.
