Whipstaff reclined on his cushioned chair, thinking of nothing else except to sleep peacefully. He opened his eyes, looking around the base with candor. It had been too long since he'd known peace. All those years of scholarly work, of not knowing his mother's fate, and suffering his father's death, were nothing compared to this journey, a journey that was now complete.

He was not afraid. No, if anything he would return to Earth. But for now, he knew, even after the days since he signed the paperwork, deeming his name be part of the McFadden Manor's name, he would never be the same again.

.

Three days passed, since Whipstaff signed those papers. He looked on at the construction site, where Whipstaff Manor was being built, wondering how the basement was being built, as well as the manor above the basement. In fact, the basement was the first to be built, which was starting to look more like a laboratory for scientists. He took a peek at the large hole in the ground, wondering what sort of magic was being used here, during the basement's construction.

He walked away from the hole in the ground, heading back to Avanna, his human mother, Aslan, Revan, and Carth. Aslan? He jumped back at seeing the golden-brown Lion standing in front of them. What did the Great Lion want?

"Aslan, what are you doing here?" Whipstaff asked the Great Lion in confusion.

"I was about to ask you the same, but I see that you have completed your deed I set out for you to accomplish," Aslan said, facing the four, "Well done indeed, all of you. Your mission here is now complete, and now a choice must be made." He faced Whipstaff, saying, "I know that some of you have already made up your minds where your journey will take you next. It is up to you where you go from here."

Whipstaff looked at Aslan with great concern in his eyes. Aslan was really offering him a choice? Well, Whipstaff looked at the Great Lion and the others, hardly knowing what else to say or do. He had a choice. That was all that mattered. But which world would he choose? Where did his home world lay?

He looked at his pale-skinned hands, covered in dirt. He looked up at Aslan, his choice made up, "I'm going to the Land of Unicorns, but then I'm returning to Earth. I'm staying here, but I know my job isn't over, not until the Land of Unicorns is freed from its barrier."

Aslan nodded. "Then I will see to it you finish your task in the Land of Unicorns. You will be more than welcome to come back to your homeland whenever you wish. Just know that if you choose Earth, you will be human. But you need not fear. I shall always be with you."

Whipstaff nodded back, smiling at the Great Lion in turn, "Thank you, Aslan. For everything."

"Don't thank me yet," Aslan said, nodding to him, "Thank me when you get back to the Land of Unicorns. It is time to open the barrier and let the unicorns be free to walk about the worlds and Universes."

"Yes, it is indeed," Whipstaff said, watching Aslan follow Revan and Carth back down the street. He didn't understand why Aslan didn't want his thanks for his efforts. Whipstaff knew the Great Lion meant a great deal to the peoples, creatures, and animals in their Universe. So, why wasn't he accepting thanks for this task or any task to come? Maybe he didn't need to, but it was always nice to say 'thank you' to people he just met and knew.

He looked back at his mother, still in her human form, as she approached him. The way Avanna looked at him, made Whipstaff feel proud to be her son. It was all they had left. Now, he just hoped he could survive in the days to come.

"I know I can't be with you for this part of your journey," Avanna said with a sigh. She looked at him, telling him, "Good luck. May you find joy where you're going."

"I will," Whipstaff said, embracing his mother. The last thing he wanted was to let her go, but minutes passed before he released her. He added, calmly and with reason, "I'll see you soon. When I get back, we'll be a family again."

"Then I'll be waiting for that moment, my son," Avanna said, watching Whipstaff leave her with a wave and a goodbye, as he followed Aslan back down the streets with Revan and Carth. Avanna told Whipstaff, as he journeyed further away from her, "Good luck. May Aslan guide you home."

.

Whipstaff stayed on the cushioned chair, his mind ready to fall asleep again. Yes, he remembered the day when he said his farewells to his human mother Avanna. Now, that time was passed and he was stuck in the present, in which nothing much happened to him and the others. He looked up, realizing that Revan and Carth re-entered the base's main room, wearing their combat suits—Revan in his green Echani Fiber Armor suit and Carth in his orange-and-blue combat suit—that they wore back in their time.

Revan and Carth were the unlikely duo that seemed to get along quite well, or so Whipstaff thought as he looked them over.

Maybe things were meant to be, but even Whipstaff could not determine the days ahead or what would become of them next. All he knew was that when he saw Aslan enter the base with full confidence in his smile, he sat up as the Great Lion approached him, keen on speaking to him again.

"It is time," Aslan said, allowing Whipstaff to stand up. Whipstaff did, finding it was time to go back to his home world. At least, the Land of Unicorns was his home world, for now. Aslan looked at Revan and Carth, telling them, "I wish you luck on your journey back to your time and to your home galaxy. The Galaxy Far, Far Away, as it is called."

Revan looked up at Whipstaff, asking him, "Are you sure you won't come with us? You'd make a great ally."

Whipstaff raised his hand, in an apologetic gesture, "No. I'm good." He smiled at him. "Besides, someone needs to check up on the Land of Unicorns, the second Seven Realms."

"Well," Revan extended his hand to him, "I wish you luck on your journey."

Whipstaff took his hand, smiling back at him, "And I you." He embraced Revan, hoping that the soldier would do well on his own journey home, too. "Don't forget about me and the Unicorns. We may need them later." He released Revan, watching the soldier smile back.

"Don't worry. I won't forget," Revan said, calmly.

"Eh… let's go. We've had enough idle chatter for one day. I'd like to get going," Carth said, drawing their attention back to reality.

"Yes, we should do that!" Whipstaff said, watching Revan approach Carth and Aslan, even as Aslan blew on the two soldiers, causing a green-rimmed portal to open up before them, in the centermost part of the base. "Wait! I just want to say something to Carth." He approached Carth, shaking his hand, until he finally embraced him. "Good luck. You are always welcome in the Land of Unicorns, whenever you wish."

"Uh… thanks," Carth said, waiting until Whipstaff released him, before they embraced again. "Good luck, Whipstaff." He released him, heading through the portal this time, with Revan following him.

"Don't be a stranger in the Galaxy Far, Far Away," Revan stated to Whipstaff, happily. He added, giving one final statement to his short, ruffled brown-haired friend, "Those living in the second Seven Realms are always welcome to my home galaxy, anytime they wish."

"Thank you. Now please, go," Whipstaff said, gesturing for Revan to enter the portal and return to his home galaxy.

"We'll see you later," Revan said, referring to himself and Carth, even as he crossed the portal, leaving the base for the Jedi Academy on Dantooine, with its smooth roads and tall yellow grass.

Whipstaff gazed at the portal's moving images, seconds before the portal vanished. He was now alone with Aslan, who looked at him fondly. Whipstaff looked at the Great Lion, asking him, "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, what would you like to do?" Aslan asked, curiously.

"Well, I would like to go home, and then return to this world called Earth," Whipstaff narrowed his eyes, telling the Great Lion, kindly, "I just want to go back to the Land of Unicorns, to see the barrier lifted, to see the unicorns are free to move about the second Seven Realms and any world they wish." He shook his head in vain, for he knew that any words he said would have an effect upon the future of his home world and the Land of Unicorns, "That's all that I ask of you and of me, too. I just want to go home and see this through. That's all that I want."

Aslan nodded. "Then, by all means, we ought to go." He blew on Whipstaff, turning to the centermost part of the barrier as a red-rimmed portal opened up before them, revealing a lush, green grassy field with a white stone, a large boulder, jutted out in the centermost part of the field, next to a couple of pavilions standing out in the centermost part of the field. Massive deciduous and mallorn trees were spread out in the area, making it clear that this was a grove. It was the Grove. Whipstaff knew he was returning to his homeland, the Land of Unicorns.

Whipstaff looked at Aslan for guidance, wondering what to do next. Aslan simply told him, "Go. I will join you."

"Right," Whipstaff said, rushing towards the portal and making it through the other side, just as the portal vanished behind him, leaving him in the sight of silver-coated High Unicorns and green-coated Forest Unicorns. He said, with a tilt of his head, "Welcome home, Whipstaff. Welcome home."

*.*.*

References:

The Jedi Academy on Dantooine comes from LucasArts and Bioware's video game, "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic".