Shrug. :Maybe all it is, is that he thought Leareth's people could fight him and win. I don't really understand him: 

<I don't like it. I guess it doesn't matter, now.>

Melody's eyes narrow slightly. :I'll pass on your concerns to Vanyel and Nerefir, though: Melody is aware that Alloran is far from unbiased about Mhalir, but she always passes on his concerns anyway. :And I'll see you next week: 

<Goodbye,>

She smiles at him, only a little bit wearily, and heads out. 

It takes them another three weeks after the war is officially over to actually make it back to Earth, mostly spent on the Andalite homeworld. Politics is in some ways even more draining than war, but Leareth is being very careful to pace himself, has been ever since Leera, and he's not exhausted at the end of it. Just very, very eager to be back on Earth, which isn't exactly home but is still more home-like than here.

He does two Gates to bring the replacement Dome ship across, this time, with a six-hour rest in the middle. It's emptier than it was when they left. Some of both his and Matirin's people aren't making it back with them.

And then they're in orbit around Saturn. He's figured out how to take the giant Gates down in a way that lets him store a lot of the energies in a giant magical-capacitor device which he can drain slowly over the next hour or two so he gets more back.

He morphs Andalite and paces, waiting for the transit to Earth. Wondering how Matirin feels about all of this. 

Ordinarily politics are his favorite thing in the world. He's kind of too tired, and too sad, to appreciate them, but they're still better than the moments that don't have politics in them.

It's all too late. 

It's not all too late. It's just - a lot of it is too late.

He misses Finleran. He is eager to get back to Earth. Earth had a whole exasperating array of problems but it felt like it was moving forwards, at least. 

<I wonder if Cayaldwin has made progress> he says to Leareth.

<I am sure he has made some. It has been almost five months. I am excited to find out what, but I expect it will take weeks to catch up.> Right now that feels kind of daunting. He misses magic research a lot, but the fact that he can't muster actual enthusiasm for the catch-up work probably indicates that he's still tired and needs a break. 

<Probably.

I - know how hard you have been working yourself. I recommend you rest some.>

Actually he's been working very reasonable-length days and taking reasonable breaks lately, thank you. <I am not going to ignore Nayoki.> Glance over at Matirin. <Are you going to rest some?>

<I don't know. I don't think I am overworked. I am going to go see Finleran right away, that has lots in common with resting.>

<Good.> Leareth isn't sure whether or not to believe Matirin about not being overworked. He certainly seems tired. Maybe not the kind of tired that actually has to do with recent work habits.

He paces. The planet approaches. 

<Thank you.>

<You are welcome. And I owe you thanks as well, for - helping hold this alliance together.> That doesn't capture everything or even most of what he means but he's not sure how to put it. <I could not have done this otherwise, I think.> 

<I will be forever grateful that we found you and that you chose to - try to trust us with this.>

Leareth isn't sure what to say to that, so he just waves his tail in acknowledgement. 

They get to Earth. They get a briefing that he is abruptly too tired to read. He keeps an eye on everybody to make sure they seem all right and among friends. 

Leareth, first thing, looks for Vanyel. 

Vanyel has been flying around in bird morph for the last hour and a half while they waited for the ship to make it to orbit and the shuttle to come down and land. He's there the moment Leareth gets out, and almost without thinking about it he runs over and hugs him. 

:I'm so glad. You did so great out there: 

...Huh. 

After a few seconds of being startled, Leareth hugs him in return. :It is very good to be back. How are you? You seem well: Vanyel seems to have put on some badly needed weight, he moves more lightly and looks like he's sleeping better and just seems indefinably less sad. 

:I am! I think I figured out my stupid Gate problem! It's really embarrassing, honestly, the doctors I saw concluded it was some dumb trauma reaction thing that makes my mage-channels fucky, and now I'm doing this absurdly slow exposure therapy thing to get less sensitive to it. But I think it'll get fixed: He pauses. :You seem tired: 

:Yes: 

:Well, you're back now. Things are going - really well, here, honestly. Although now some goddamned Earth musicians also wrote songs about me. I don't know why this keeps happening: 

:I assume because you are constantly doing impressive things: 

They talk for a while longer; Vanyel eventually nudges Leareth to follow him into the base. 

Nayoki runs around and greets everyone she's missed, and then morphs a bird and flies around just for the hell of it, and lands in a field to demorph and go buy herself ice cream.