Private deWinter is coming (Fallon)

[Merlin deWinter]

The day was warm and he watched the padawans practising as he sat down near the entrance of the conclave. Their planet was a watery one, more water than land, but enough for the Jedi headquarters. He loved the sound of the water lapping near to where he sat knowing Marc would be out in a moment. They were going on some kind of surprise thing. That's all he knew and honestly, he didn't mind as long as he could spend time with the man. Looking at the waves they got choppy, turning green with a slight glow and the air grew cold. Turning around to see the padawans he could now see they were gone. The building was barren and there was no noise around. Like everyone had just vanished.

Sucking in a breath he felt his mind begin to spin and he started yelling names. Of the friends he knew, of Marc, of his apprentices. He called for his sister and nephew. He was about to run into the enclosure where they had been practicing like he had so many times before, the dream on repeat night after night, and the scenery changed. He turned and the world shifted like he was looking into a screen than physically there. Like there had been an interruption in the main broadcast and he was looking at a planet. A planet that kept turning with co-ordinates speaking to him through the fabric of the galaxy. It wasn't a voice he recognized and it sounded garbled until the fourth time, then on the fifth it was clear. The planet seemed to zoom in, and if he were awake he would have felt the world actually spin at the force of the dream movement. There was his sister looking at him. Fallon. She opened her mouth to speak and he jolted awake.

Glowing green eyes opened, fading back to the dull glow of normal which was barely visible unless it was dark. It was visible now since it was dark but for a moment and the ship sensing movement brought the lights back on. He groaned and sat up, the co-ordinated in his head still echoing. Merlin knew enough to know that was Fallon sending a message, which meant that she too had been sent 800 years into the future via involuntary slumber. How many of them had been?
He understood why, one of their own trying to ensure the survival of the family line as it were, not that their family line had done much but bring pain and devastation to the galaxy. Obviously they weren't picking who's side the person was on either since he and Brumhilda had also been saved from the darkness.

Taking the moment to groggily write down the co-ordinates Merlin grudgingly accepted he wasn't about to get much more sleep and pushed himself out of bed and hopped into the shower to wake himself up. Moving back to his quarters he pulled on a shirt and pants and threw on a grey-blue jacket before moving towards the replicator to request a hot coffee with an extra kick.
Sliding into the captain's chair on the main bridge he rubbed his eyes as the caffeine hit his brain and Merlin punched in the coordinates. He took a moment to commit them to memory, deleted the coordinates from his datapad, and then pulled the lever - he also knew Fallon well enough that she was as secretive as they came and this wasn't likely to be common knowledge.
Merlin was a Jedi, but he was also a deWinter, and as long as they weren't facing each other in battle and he didn't have to choose between them and saving an innocent at a direct moment... there were things both of them could put aside to be family.

 

[Fallon deWinter]

She had once lived on a busy world as Coruscant had been, twice; Fallon would often correct herself - she had lived on Coruscant twice; and twice she had been raised very similarly. Except for one big exception, Jezabel Weaver and Raenna Dyarron were two very different women. It mattered not, a lifetime had been lost in shallow physical pleasures and no desire to find purpose in her life. Fallon now knew something important about her, something she had never grasped, never comprehended. She had lived before, many times. She had lived, sometimes where she belonged and where her destiny could be fulfilled and others where she had no aspiration to excel. This life, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was the latter.​

On Endelaan, Fallon could live and progress. This world had felt more like home than anything else had. More home even than John had felt in her past life.​

That was another story to tell though. For now, Fallon jolted awake one night before dawn, eyelids fluttering open and the emerald green of her irises shining brightly in the darkness. Just like so long ago when Nessarose had awoken with a scream through the Force, this time she had felt another presence so close to her. "Merlin," she whispered in the darkness, the cold air of the open-air causing cold air to exit her lips the next moment. The Sorceress did not care, a small smile spreading across her lips. The Jedi and the Sith, brother, and sister. She had never cared for such titles between them; Merlin was always her family. In a family where they were regarded as mud-baby by a number of people, it was good to have those that didn't care about any of that.​

With another cold breath exhaled, she rose her head to spot the open window, a quick summon of the Force and a wave of her hand before she would have it closed.​

Days later​

It would be the next few days as she reached out to Eve, telling her bits and pieces of Merlin and connecting with her through the Force so the Seer could find him and send him a message. If Merlin lived, then the two siblings would have plenty to catch up on. Merlin may have been a Jedi, and he was about to arrive on a Darkside world but Fallon had been wise to have Eve send only a specific message - the coordinates and her own image. Jedi or not, he was a deWinter. Blood of the Royal Family still ran through his veins, the same as hers. He would not be shunned here, not with the sight of his green eyes. Such was sure.​

Come nightfall, Eve would comply, joining hands with Fallon, using her own powers to reach out to the man, tap into his consciousness as he had slept to send the message. He would find Endelaan, even when no maps would show its existence. He would find Fallon there.​

Wearing this | Merlin deWinter​

"He's coming?" The Sorceress spoke to her companion. "How can you be sure?" The Seer wondered curiously. Eve had proven a worthy ally on this planet since the very beginning. She protected the Royal Family just as Fallon had done since her arrival. She had taught Fallon much of its history, helped her discover her true self, to see through the past lives before. Her power was formidable and as such as she had earned Fallon's trust. The two had an understanding early on, both with a common mission - to protect Nessarose's legacy and bloodline. Though the brunette herself hailed of the same blood, she did not consider herself entitled to the throne, she had however given herself a very different task - that of ensuring no harm would come to the legacy, or the remaining children stored away. Endelaan finally knew peace, enough of peace without their Queen and King. Fallon had ensured that in her role. "I know my brother, Eve. He's coming. He won't be long."​

 

[Merlin deWinter]

Merlin took the time upon the days-long voyage to first send Brumhilda a message saying he was going to be non-contactable for a few days but he'd be back. He also spent the time doing further research on the planets, the galaxy powers including force factions, the powerful families, and different Jedi factions around.
When you didn't have much to do but sit and wait until the ship was done with its voyage and a lot of thinking room there was a great deal you could learn. It also distracted him from his heavy heart which was only starting to feel the loss of those he had loved who were now gone. Learning all the recon he could about the state of this galaxy, in bars and other places, while he wrapped his head around the situation and made a decision on what he would do next was all he could do to keep from letting the heart get too heavy. Feel the weight too soon and it would allow the whole situation to overwhelm him.

Moving closer to the destination he wondered what kind of planet he would find. Being that Fallow was on it he gathered it unlikely to be a Jedi planet. If anything it would be independent, a planet who didn't care to interfere in sith activity or a sith planet so he when the day finally came where his ship reached its destination he made sure to wear civilian clothing over any kind of robes.


The day of arrival.

The ship entered Endelaan space and he felt it. The planet was most definitely not a jedi planet. He did not have his lightsaber anymore as when he was knocked out he must have dropped it. That would be remedied, needed to be remedied, but right now he wished he had already made a new saber ahead of time. He trusted Fallon but who knew who else was on that planet and he had no idea that his unnatural glowing green eyes would aide in not getting attacked.

Merlin threw on some dark grey pants, a white linen shirt and his boots, and then pulled on a dark grey-green coat that he'd picked up just before he left. It had been quite the task, finding a way to his old reserves, buying a ship with less than reputable people due to his lack of identification, getting some clothes and other basic required belongings. How those of his family who'd literally had nothing had survived in a galaxy that cared little should you be on the wrong planet he didn't know. He'd only had to hide on a transport ship 2 times to get to his cache he'd kept for emergencies on Naboo but he knew not everyone would have been so fortunate.

Breathing in his hand pushed the open button and the platform of the ship went down slowly to reveal whoever was waiting for him. He hoped this would go smoothly because there was an immense darkside presence here and while he would normally have hid his force signature he wanted Fallon to find him.

 

[Fallon deWinter]

Wearing this | Merlin deWinter​

As the ship began its descent, the Seer retreated. Despite her gift, she had not tapped into the tendrils of Force to see. Fallon had been so convinced, she had chosen to accept this and wander away, allowing for the reunion of the two siblings. Others would wander closer though, curious to know who was arriving at their world. Endelaan had very few visitors anymore, only legends remained. The last foreigner to arrive at these shores had been Fallon herself, and she had been here now for several years, enough to get customed to their ways, her green eyes allowing her respect of other members of her family. She belonged to the Family of Darkness, there had been no doubt about that. Yet, she had not made claim to the throne her family occupied. Her purpose in this world had been far different.

The arrival though caused wonder, the darksider was well aware as she had waited for the hangar doors to open finally - to lay eyes on the brother she remembered from her past life. When she awoke that night she had known Merlin had survived much as Nessarose had. She had felt his return, his awakening. It had been a tell. She wondered though, though she saw the same face in the mirror as, it seemed, she always had; would Merlin truly recognize her. She had lived another life, the mother in this life had named her Anya even though she herself had spoken the last name she knew - Fall-on. She had not always bore this name, she had now always been Fallon deWinter but it was the last deWinter name she held, a life unfulfilled and as such, she had chosen to bear it again, to complete her destiny as she had many times before, under many names.

In truth, Fallon was called mud-baby by the deWinter-Dessel children many times over; the child of Jonathan deWinter. Like in the past life, so in this one yet she had lived many times before - she was the blood of the Family of Darkness, the life of Family of Darkness. It had been rare, Eve had told her as she had helped her in her journey of discovery yet not impossible - Fallon was always reborn in the same family. Her soul was not of mud-baby origins at all. This mattered not though, not at the moment. Merlin was her brother. Jonathan deWinter had been their ancestor, in the last life and this one.

The ramp came down and before her in the distance, she saw the familiar face and walked forward towards him, a smile spreading across her face. Curious members of different tribes observed the foreigner as Fallon approached, they were curious about what they were seeing, knowing full well a member of Family of Darkness approached. They would not attack him, they would soon see the undeniable glow of his green gaze. No matter the path he had chosen, he was kin to the royal family, he was descendant of the same family. "Merlin," Fallon had spoken up once she had been in ear-shot, moving closer still; completely familiar to her older brother. He seemed hardly any older than she had been in the past life when she had seen him and yet, she knew that now, she had aged further on than he was. There was no doubt of that. It mattered not, their age decreased and slowed in time; they were ageless in their youth in time, each of them would discover when the time had come...

"Brother dearest, I have missed you," Fallon had continued, moving closer still, eager to give Merlin a hug, arms out-stretching as she drew closer still. Hopefully, not too much time had passed; hopefully he still truly her brother in blood and feeling.

 

[Merlin deWinter]

The last time he had seen her she had been pregnant. Now she wasn't which meant time had passed either before or after the 800 year slumber. Looking into her eyes he could see that while she looked look beautiful and youthful her eyes were older than he remembered. Much older. How much time had he lost with those he cared about? Far more time than he had with Brumhilda it seemed. It was good to see her though, and his heart felt a little lighter now both his favorite sisters were still there. He didn't have a close connection with any of his other siblings apart from those two. He did notice the others around, looking more curious than hostile and relaxed a little.

He smiled as she said his name and went over to give her a big hug. There was that familiarity and no matter what time passed by she was his sister - despite their differences and time that had passed by that was what mattered the most. The hug was sincere and warm and pleasant. Like setting your foot on earth you recognised and understood after trying to walk through unknown territory. He hadn't completely lost everyone - and there were so many questions. "It is good to see you." He meant that more than he could ever express.

 

[Fallon deWinter]

Wearing this | Merlin deWinter​

It had been hundreds of years since the two had last seen each other, her own memory of it had been somewhat vague yet with the help of the Seer, it had felt like just a few decades of her, memories of this life following the memories of the last. The gaps of his slumber had not happened to her, she had been in the beyond, her soul waiting once more. Perhaps she shouldn't have even been waiting for Jonathan to impregnate another woman but fate would have it that as Fallon, she had unfinished business and would as such walk once more.​

And here they were. Brother and sister, face to face after so long.​

Merlin didn't deny her the hug requested, her arms wrapping tightly on his back. She didn't know how long she had missed him until she had felt his brotherly embrace. It was something she did not have in this life at all. No siblings. Parents, a daughter; Fallon hadn't been able to truly connect to any of them, not truly. The Sorceress heard those words, a small smile spread across her face, she was glad to be reunited with him.​

After a few moments, Fallon would pull back and release her hold on him. There was much to discuss, there would be time for more hugs later. "I would like to welcome to, brother, to Endelaan." Fallon had offered, an even wider smile on her face before she would reveal the truth of the name. "This planet is where we come from. The family of Darkness, the deWinters. Many millennia ago, we began here before we were spread out through the galaxy, both deWinter, and Centurion." She wondered just how much Merlin had learned of their family history. Fallon herself had no knowledge of it in her past life even though this planet had been home many times over before she was Fallon deWinter. Nessarose had gone here, she had become Queen, something of this had vaguely reached her knowledge yet nothing more, her life had been crumbling as it was.​

Revealing an important piece of legacy, Fallon stopped, curious to see what the would think of this knowledge; what he would ask of it.​