Heya! Sorry there's been a wait - I got caught up with stuff. Here it is - the official ending to The World Can Wait. It has been such a pleasure to write this - I hope you enjoyed the ride! Thank you so much for all of you who reviewed it so faithfully - I couldn't have done it without your support :)
Epilogue
The voyage home took the equivalent of six and a half Earth weeks, and was remarkably free of incident. For a universe 'riven by war', as the High Command put it, the reaches of space were remarkably quiet and lonely. There was one exciting incident when we came across a small squadron of five Bug Fighters, and I allowed the Arisths to chase them and pick them off for amusement. Kipsing got the first decisive shot in, crippling the lead fighter, and then graciously stepped aside from the controls to allow Tirdellan to finish him off. Arbat and I watched, amused, and I felt for a moment as if our family was complete and happy again.
Aside from the chase of the fighters we drifted in solitude through the whiteness of Zero space and the spangled darkness of normal space. Beautiful nebulas dazzled us, asteroids chased us and planets glimmered beguilingly. On about the third week we passed a planet which gave off interesting readings indicating an atmosphere that would actually have been suitable to sustain Andalite life, with the surface of the planet itself swathed in great grassy plains so that it shone a swirling green colour below us. Our life readings indicated that it supported small herbivorous quadrupeds, of little threat to us, and we stayed there for two full days, enjoying the feeling of stretching our legs and galloping in the fresh air again. Perhaps it was just fancy, but something whispered to me as we were there that this was the paradise Crayak would have led Alloran and me to had I fulfilled his plans. It saddened me to stand on a ridge with the wind in my face and the whirling of the grass in my ears to think of Alloran, cramped on the Blade ship and folded back into a box in his head. I stretched luxuriously and felt guilty enough to cry.
Arbat was attentive, kind and ever present. The Arisths kept to themselves and Tirdellan and Kipsing could have been alone on the ship as far as they were concerned. The ability to be private again, to not have to worry about where everyone was and what they were doing all the time, was absolute bliss.
And then, glinting on our viewing screen, our planet hove into view, and an indescribable joy filled me. It was so beautiful, so pure, so peaceful. It was home.
With Arbat's help we were able to evade the patrol ships regulating the atmospheres, and he landed us gently down on his lands. We stayed on them that evening, galloping under the familiar stars, whilst he went to explain our absence to the People's Command. As far as I am aware he told them a day trip to a nearby asteroid belt had turned horribly wrong when we had been ambushed by a wandering pair of Skrit Na ships. A series of invented and not too exciting adventures followed, culminating in our safe return. The People's Council barely listened to the end of his speech. What did they care about us when they had a war on their hands?
And with remarkable ease we settled back into our old lives, as if we'd never left. My lands had been annexed by a covetous neighbour in our absence, but I contested the annexation in a property court, and once I had provided proof of identity and ownership the court was swift to return them to me. The neighbour was fined heavily for their keenness – unfair perhaps as I had been absent for long enough that it really had been fair to assume I was not returning. To assuage a bit of my guilt at accepting the fine I gave the lands it entailed to Kipsing and Tirdellan jointly as a wedding gift. Perhaps that was unwise of me – Kipsing now owned his family lands as male head of the household, although he allowed Kalladin to have them as her own, and the lands on my borders. Between his two properties lay the lands of at least four families, whom I felt very sorry for, for it would not be long before his hungry eye fell on their fields and his quick mind turned to ways of closing the gap. Indeed he gave up the assassin trade publicly before our little party, swearing instead to devote himself to Tirdellan, and to amassing land for her and himself.
Farling stayed at home with me still, although he visited Lortif fairly frequently, and shortly after our return to the Andalite homeworld we acquired a lodger in the form of Medrar, who had found his family to be not so much pleased to see him return as disappointed that he had not managed to lose himself in the infinite reaches of space. He lived on our land, in a small scoop of his own on the hilly meadows I used to gallop along with Alloran, admiring the sunlight on the ridges.
Fairly frequently I found our group rejoined in my fields, as if our experiences on Earth had bound us together in a way that prevented others from coming too close. Arbat restarted his scientific work at the university, so he was my least frequent visitor, but Lortif came regularly, and Tirdellan and Kipsing were only a gallop away. After all these long years I was reunited again with Kalladin, my old friend, and I spent many days on her lands, remembering how I had brought the children here when we were all younger. She had not aged as much as I had, I think, although she was always flightier than me anyway, and her vivacity helped me to reach tentatively out of my shell towards the world. She took me to art exhibitions, to dance shows where professional morphers contorted themselves into the most beautiful forms, and I found myself enjoying life as I never had before when I hid on my lands, alone with my grief for Alloran. I took Tirdellan to one of the dance shows, and she enlisted at the end for the auditions for the training course. I was very proud when she told me she'd been accepted, and would be trained as a dancer.
And then, perhaps a year after we returned to the homeworld, when I had grown complacent and set in my routine, Arbat came to my fields to say goodbye. I was alone that day, as the Arisths had gone to watch a fighting demonstration and Tirdellan and Kipsing were busy, so that I had no one to alert me to Arbat's arrival. When I returned from my morning gallop I found him lounging outside my scoop, the soft early sunlight outlining him in a furry blue halo, The Starwave gleaming in the field.
Hak Bajeesh, he said, giving me a small bow. I laughed, amused.
You haven't called me that for nearly a year, Arbat! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company? I was not aware you were going to visit.
That is because this is an impromptu visit, snatched because I must see you, Arbat said, and now that I was closer I could see he did not look as amused as I did. My hearts thundered hard in my chest, my thoughts flicking as always to Alloran.
Why are you here? I asked.
I have been commissioned to return to Earth, Arbat said quietly. I can not tell you the details Jahar. I only came to explain my absence to you. Earth. My breathing halted and for a second I was back there, dancing with Visser Three on the beach, his iron grip holding my wrists, or stumbling in the Yeerk pool in my chains whilst the Yeerks jeered.
Earth.
Yes, Jahar. He shifted uncomfortably. Jahar, I can keep an eye out for Alloran if you wish it.
For the Visser, I said stonily.
Yes. Arbat said softly. He reached out very gently to touch my face. And Jahar... I wanted to say something.
Yes? I was harsher and brusquer than I intended. His fingertips slid along my cheek.
No matter what you hear of my mission, know that I will do everything in my power to keep Alloran safe, Arbat whispered. I will not allow the Andalites I am going to Earth with to harm him. I swear it, Jahar. For you. I lifted my hand to his, raised it gently from my face.
Thank you, Arbat. Have a safe journey. He snorted gently.
Perhaps. Ah! He was looking at something behind me, so I turned my eye stalks back and saw a small Andalite descend from inside The Starwave. He, no she (a female!), was clearly of Aristh age, although I couldn't imagine what Arbat would be doing with such a young female. Arbat held out a hand to her. I told you to stay in the ship, he said, his tone gently reproving.
I wanted to stretch my legs, the female replied. I was surprised by her nerve in disobeying Arbat's orders, but perhaps I was growing old and out of touch. Arbat introduced her with a small bow.
Jahar, may I introduce one of my companions for the voyage – Estrid-Corill-Darrath. Estrid shuffled nervously.
We're not meant to tell anyone we're going, she said hesitantly. Arbat smiled indulgently, like a kindly uncle.
In the case of Jahar, Estrid, exceptions must always be made. Her eyes flickered to me, and for a second I caught a glimpse of something which made me shiver. I bowed to her.
Estrid. You must be excited to be making such a long journey.
I am more excited to achieve our goal when we arrive on Earth, Estrid replied. I didn't press her for details. Arbat had already said I wasn't to know. He now turned to me and kissed my cheek again.
I do not know when or even if I will return, Jahar. On an impulse I suddenly reached forwards, clasping his face in a passionate and very un-sisterly kiss. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Estrid's cheeks flame, whilst Arbat's eyes flew open in an unguarded expression of ecstasy. I released him fairly swiftly, ending with a demure touch by sweeping my finger tips over his cheekbones.
Goodbye Arbat. I wish you luck.
Go back to the ship, Arbat choked out to Estrid, his eyes dark and focussed only on me. She glowered crossly, but turned and obeyed him. He leaned forwards, his very being humming with tension. Jahar...
A final goodbye kiss, to compensate for the fact that I will not touch you for a long time, I whispered gently. I reached down and caught his arm. But be warned, Arbat. I saw Estrid's face, just now, and I am afraid she is very much in love with you.
Oh I highly doubt that, Arbat scoffed, still intent on me.
Be careful, I warned. She's very young. As we were once. I had deliberately brought up the past to stop him from leaning towards me with quite such a yearning expression, and now his gaze darkened.
I remember it well, he murmured. And I shall remember the lessons I learnt. Goodbye Jahar. he shuddered a second and one hand shot up and caught me very briefly on the cheek in a brutal bruising grip. Then it dropped again and he turned and trotted to The Starwave. Goodbye, he called back again, his stalk eyes on me, and then he was in the ship and it lifted off swiftly. I suspected Estrid was at the controls, ripping Arbat away from me as quickly as she could. I waved as they flew up, Estrid taking them thoughtlessly into the direct sun, so that I had to turn my eyes away, and then when I looked again The Starwave was gone.
And I never saw Arbat again.
But a year and a half after that, I heard the news which made my hearts tremble and sigh and I galloped madly all the way to Tirdellan and Farling's scoop to tell them, shaking with joy and almost unable to control myself.
And two months after that a small transport ship flew over my fields and landed in the Eastern corner of the Gerdan grass meadow. I ran all the way out to greet it, as if I was young again, as young as I had been the first time we raced to each other, and as I closed the distance between us the door slid open in its side and a blue figure stepped out of the ship and down the ramp. For the first time in seventeen years he stood on our lands again, and I ran my eyes over him checking from a distance that he was whole and complete, and he was perfect as always, and I raced to his side screaming, Alloran, Alloran! and he ran to me shouting Jahar! and we collided and I held him for real in my arms again, with the sun smiling down on us and the blossom tickling my nose.