Blinking rapidly, Merlin shook off the chilling effects of the wormhole travel. Sunlight flooded the hilltop clearing around the Gate. Immediately, his senses came alive, feeling the old magic that he had once associated with the druids, mingling around him. The forest surrounding the clearing called to him. It was intoxicating, the magic of this world. It resonated with something deep inside his soul.

"You okay there?" Gwaine asked, raising an eyebrow toward his friend.

Merlin shook his head, but answered that he was fine. He was, too. It was amazing, and he was unable to find the words to describe it. Instead, he motioned for Colonel Reynolds and the rest of SG-3 to lead on. He was anxious to meet the Nox.

For the past few months, he had spent countless hours going through the pages of data stored in the alien file, and sifting through the old vaults that were hidden deep below the manor. Arthur had accompanied him down into the depths and had questioned the extra stuff he found there. Merlin had to take a step back, and he looked at the vast caverns through his friend's eyes. He finally admitted that he hadn't realized how much stuff he had found, and stored over the years.

Unfortunately, with more stuff, came less organization...and watching as Merlin attempted to remember where he had put some certain item, or other...like the Sidhe staff...amused Arthur to no end. After many fruitless searches, Merlin had to concede that he couldn't remember what had happened to it. He had hoped to use it to help contact the Sidhe, as his previous efforts to contact the faery race went unnoticed. Whether that was due to the little buggers ignoring him, or if they had truly disappeared over the centuries, Merlin was unable to say.

Aside from the vaults, Arthur assisted Merlin whenever he was able...when he wasn't badgering Merlin to train him in the martial arts. For the most part, however, the former king was relishing in a well-deserved break from his previous duties of running a kingdom. He spent a lot of time in the stables, or out in the woods, riding for hours.

At other times, Arthur accompanied Leon, and Percival...who admitted without hesitation, that he much preferred Leon's spaceship to Merlin's aircraft...out amongst the stars, but Arthur was never able to stay away for long from the family he had almost lost.

Guinevere's anxiety had eased, when Martha began tutoring her in various aspects of the modern world. Not having anything substantial to do with herself...such as running a kingdom...she had begun mothering over Arthur to the point of annoyance. Once redirected, the former queen was immersing herself in on-line courses that she needed, in order to eventually attend university. General Landry's words, that she 'would make one hell of lawyer,' were proving to be almost prophetic. On top of all that, Guinevere was also pregnant.

Mickey was...Mickey. Computers. Weapons. Torchwood. At times, he would say something that sounded more like Elyan, than himself. They were just brief glimmers into a past life that he never clearly remembered, but it was enough for Guinevere to bring him into her life and heart. Not having had any siblings of his own, or any family to speak of, he quickly warmed to the idea of being an adopted uncle and brother. Arthur had even started training him in the use of swords, and other medieval weaponry. The young man spent more time at New Camelot, as Arthur had dubbed it, than in Cardiff with Torchwood.

Percival was rarely around. He had chosen to accompany Leon, who no longer had to worry about the sword, through the galaxy. The large knight adapted as easily as he had to everything else, once the initial shock wore off. Their mission, as ordered by Arthur: to find out anything they could about the Ori. Based mostly on Merlin's intuition, it gave them all something to focus on.

Losing Gwaine's grandfather, as a result of the Virus, was an affront to them all.

Gwaine was still working with the SGC, having become a member of SG-3, and really appeared to enjoy the new team. He rambled on about how Mooney had just recently recovered from some addictive corn, that the Lucian Alliance had begun growing to build their profits.

Merlin was saddened to hear that the Priors had struck a disheartening blow to the SGC. They had given to one of the worlds that decided to bow down to them, blueprints to a satellite weapon platform. When the SGC found out, Prometheus was sent to investigate, and attempted to take it out. Unfortunately, the satellite was brought on-line, and it managed to take the great battle cruiser out of the atmosphere, above a planet called Tegalus. Thirty-nine of the ship's one hundred and fifteen member crew, had perished.

It was Gwaine's idea to drag Merlin through the Gate to the Nox homeworld. After Leon had described to them all, more about the races of the galaxy, and how he was under the impression that the Nox had helped train the druids, it didn't take much to convince Merlin to go.

He had wanted to take the trip in Leon's ship. The idea of flying through the stars appealed to Merlin's sense of adventure. Gwaine wouldn't hear of it. The Stargate was a highly regulated device, and this was the Marine's first shot at actually getting permission to drag one of his friends through...aside from Percival, who wasn't about to go near that thing again.

Although, not afraid of new things, Merlin wasn't certain how to handle the idea of wormhole transport. After this one trip, however, he was able to see why it was such a draw for his friend.

"Are you coming?" Gwaine hollered from the edge of the forest.

Merlin grinned and readjusted his pack, before following.

(*~*~*~*)

"I think something is going on with them, Merlin."

The warlock laughed, "So, what? It's not like they're hurting anyone."

Gwaine rolled his eyes in response. "I just don't like her lying to me." They trudged on a bit more. "How goes the quest for the family?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Gwen and Arthur are expecting."

"That's great!...But, also...not the family I was asking about."

Merlin shrugged, "No luck, yet." The flatness in his voice signaled to Gwaine that he wanted the subject dropped. Although he was ecstatic for Gwen and Arthur, he was a bit disappointed to not yet be expecting a child of his own.

"These are the coordinates Dr. Jackson gave us," said Lieutenant Mooney, from up ahead in a small clearing.

"Any sign of the Nox?" Colonel Reynolds asked.

Mooney shook his head.

"You and Walters do a perimeter check." His voice sounded slightly concerned. "Usually, one of Nox meet us here when we come through, if not at the Gate itself."

Daniel had told Merlin a little bit about the Nox, before Merlin departed with SG-3 through the Gate. They were a very peaceful race of people, who had almost a symbiotic connection with their planet, which they called Gaia. There should have been a small hut and garden where they were standing, according to the reports. Although, Daniel had also informed him that the Nox had the ability to hide things.

Merlin sent out feelers with his magic, trying to detect anything out of the ordinary.

Emrys...

Merlin almost stumbled, as the voice entered his mind. Gwaine was beside him, his P-90 pushed around to his back, out of the way so he could catch his friend. "What is it?"

Shaking off the surprise sensation of the druidic-style telepathy, something he hadn't experienced for centuries, Merlin suddenly perked up and smiled, "This way!" He called out cheerily, and began darting quickly through the forest.

(~*~)

The trees and ferns thickened, but he kept moving forward, as if the path was clear. His excitement at having heard the voice call to him, as the druids once had, was palpable. He skidded to a halt, when a cave loomed up before him.

A tiny woman...her hair looked like a wild growth of moss and flowers, and her dress was much the same fashion...sat on a boulder beside the entrance. "Our kind has waited a long time to see one of yours again."

"Who are you?" He asked, automatically slipping into the mental conversation. It had been during the years following Camelot's downfall, that he had taken the time to actually get to know the druids. King Rodor, and later his son, had strived to maintain peace between their people and the nomads; part of which had involved Merlin learning some of their ways.

"I am called Lya, and I have become a sort of emissary for my people."

"The Nox?" He asked.

"Yes...and you are the last of yours."

His eyebrows rose in curiosity.

"You are the last of the Furlings. We were afraid you had been destroyed, even after the protection my people and the Ancients had provided."

"What do you mean?" His brow furrowed. The files he read, had jumped between almost textbook-style, dry reading on the procreation of dragons, and an oddly prophetic diary of sorts. He hadn't been able to learn as much as he had hoped, of what he thought was the Furling species.

"What does what mean? You've done nothing but stand there, looking at each other." Mooney's voice asked, but was immediately shushed by Gwaine.

Merlin had almost forgotten the others were there. He winced and turned around with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Lya and I were speaking."

The Nox stood up and smiled at the others. "Welcome to Gaia." She said. Her hand swept outward in an arc, and nearby, a bounty of fresh fruits appeared. "Please...feel free to enjoy these gifts, while Emrys and I speak."

She raised her hands and a city appeared in the air above them. The men from the Stargate stared upwards. Crystal blue, glass-like towers rose up from what looked like a piece of a tall mountain, but there was only blue sky between it and the ground. There was something natural and organic about the way the buildings curved and blended with the trees on it.

Words could not have described the feeling it elicited from Merlin. Through the air around it, he saw creatures flying. At first, he thought they were wyvren, cousins of the dragons he once called kin. As one came closer, he saw they resembled insects...almost like a delicate, lighter-colored serket. Instead of the large pincers, it had wings...like a dragonfly's...translucent and shimmering with the glow of magic. They must have spanned nearly eight feet by his reckoning.

He laughed out loud in wonderment. Gwaine whistled appreciatively beside him. "I heard about these. Before the flare threw me back in time, SG-1 had come here to try and capture one of those. They were told the creatures had the ability to turn invisible."

"Do they?" He asked first of his friend, before turning to Lya.

She shook her head and chuckled, "No. It is the Nox who protect them, like we do our home." Holding out her hand, her thoughts indicated it was time for Merlin to join her.

Merlin smiled at his friend. He sensed that Gwaine was reluctant to stay behind. "Don't worry! I'll tell you all about it, later."

"I'll hold you to that." He slapped Merlin on the shoulder, before rejoining the other members of his team.

Turning back to Lya, Merlin nodded and took her hand. He felt her power wrap around him, submerging him in a cascade of warm energy. It felt so much like magic as he remembered it.

"Is it magic?" He tentatively asked, while gazing out of one of the windows. The floating city was even more beautiful up close. The glass he had thought some of the towers were made with, was actually crystal, and it resonated with a natural power.

"You can call it that, if you like." She giggled out loud.

"Well, it seems real magic is a rare thing these days, especially on Earth. There were once people, called druids, who were attuned with nature, as you seem to be."

"Yes, our history says we were the one who began their teachings. There were some, children of the Furlings, who did not possess the ability to create the bond they needed. Many of them still had talent for accessing the powers of the mind to do 'magic.'"

Merlin nodded in agreement, although he didn't quite understand. It had been a long time, since he had to decipher riddles given to him by magical beings. Although, he wasn't quite certain where the Nox fell in the grand scheme of things. "What is this bond? I have only heard the name Furlings recently...and I thought it referred to the beings I called dragons. My father's voice came to me after he had died, and said something about sharing a soul with the dragon. I never knew what he meant though."

"They are the Furlings, as much as you are. You are much older than I...older by three times than many of our elders...and yet you do not know of this?" Lya appeared deeply troubled by this thought.

"No...I guess I don't. I am the last Dragon Lord, as was my father before me. I did not inherit my gift until he was killed."

Lya stopped, placing a hand on his forearm. "Truly?"

Merlin felt like a child before her, even though she had admitted he was older than her.

"We have many things we can teach you. Tell me, where is your dragon? I expected he would have come with you."

"...I don't have a dragon."

"Then...how is it you still live? Your kind is a symbiotic race. One cannot exist without the other."

Merlin sighed. The only dragon he knew of, was the one who had wanted nothing to do with him. "...I don't know where Aithusa is. I haven't for many centuries."

"That explains the darkness that eats inside your soul." Even her mental voice was soft and matronly.

He paused, wondering how she was so perceptive.

"Come, you have much to learn, and very little time, if the prophecies of your people are to be believed."

(~*~)

The tapestry was spread around him, in all directions. Lya had indicated that he should stand in the center of the room. The moment his feet landed in a faint circle in the middle, the floor around him began to glow. Colorful threads wove out from him into the air. The web of life...the same thing he had only seen in his mind that one time...sprang up before him.

It nearly overwhelmed him, as he tried to take it all in. His head began to spin, and a wave of nausea threatened to overtake him.

Lya's voice came to his mind. "You cannot control the destiny of others, only your own."

"So, is that where I failed Morgana...trying to change the path I saw for her?"

He felt her smile sadly, in response. "I don't know who she is, or was, but it is likely."

Merlin took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and began to filter through his own, tumultuous thoughts. Drawing on his Eastern training, he willed his mind to quiet.

"Find your beginning, and allow it to lead you to what you need to see."

He found the line of his own fate...a purple color, like the flower Gwen had once given him. "It suits you." Gwen had said. He smiled at the memory. She was so shy back then, and he was completely oblivious to her advances.

It seemed so dauntingly long, but the moment he willed himself to the beginning, he was there. Merlin was able to find the exact moment he came into being. On a whim, he found the threads of his parents' lives. Their joining was a such a tiny knot in the fabric.

Hunith's was a peaceful, azure blue...the color of the sky...and the other was a strong bronze that could only have been Balinor. It was almost the same color as Kilgharrah's scales. Woven in with Balinor's, was a line that was the exact hue of the dragon. Merlin followed the string back, and was shocked by how far it stretched into the past. It became more difficult for him to stay with, the further it went. If his own line was anything to go by...Balinor had lived almost as long as Kilgharrah. The revelation shocked and intrigued him.

He moved forward again. Still tracking Balinor's life-thread, he saw the moment it ceased. The connection was nearly lost, when Merlin realized with a surprise, that the dragon's line had jumped to Merlin's own. Although, not as heavily braided into it, he was still able to tell, that singular moment, when he became a Dragon Lord.

A little further along, was another knot. It was so bright, that it almost blinded him.

"Aithusa..." The name escaped his lips, just as it had done the moment he had first called to the dragon.

For a few years, Merlin's line was linked with both dragons, but he began to notice Kilgharrah's was starting to fray. He now knew, the cloud-like wisp he had seen before, was the little, white dragon. Merlin saw as it began to take over the place Kilgharrah's line had been.

His heart began to feel the ache, as if the wound was fresh again, when the elder dragon separated and started to fade.

Camlann.

He didn't even have to think about it to know. The whole tapestry was a jumbled mess at that point. Gwaine and Percival's lines jumped to the future. Arthur's turned nearly invisible. Kilgharrah's ceased entirely, as did many others closely associated with his own.

Aurie appeared not long afterwards, as a deep indigo-blue. He had brought such a calm and passionate influence with him, in his tiny body. Merlin remembered the day he was born with fondness. The entire kingdom had rejoiced.

Then, Gwen and her son's had all but ended, as well. With Merlin's new-found knowledge of the alien technology, he was able tell where they joined Arthur...neatly hidden away from the rest of existence.

Leon's line was strong. Merlin now saw where the two of them had separated. Each took a different path to their destiny. There were others he distinguished...Lancelot's for one. He felt overwhelmed. A dizzying sensation filled his head. It was too much.

Merlin felt Lya's presence overcome the confusion, like a gentle, motherly hand, pulling him back to himself. "There is only one race of people who has been able to see the entire vortex, and they are all but gone. Stay with your own, and you will be safe."*

Drawing a deep breath, he found his way back to where he and the white dragon had last seen each other. Aithusa's line dimmed. It was still connected to Merlin's, but they drifted further apart, as if struggling to break free of each other. Strands, thin as a spider's web, continued to link them...but just barely.

Merlin's mind skated along between the lines. He noticed each time he had felt stronger, so to had Aithusa's brightened. Likewise, when one or the other darkened, they both did. He realized now what Lya had meant about the bond. Merlin's heart was heavy with guilt about his ignorance.

He came to the present area of threads and knots. It was intertwined with so many others...Arthur, Gwen and the knights. Martha's was so close to his, it may has well have been braided to his own. Merlin smiled at that. He noticed the edges of his own reality beginning to fray.

Wandering back along Aithusa's path, he saw areas where he had almost given up hope, and her lifeline had dimmed. During World War II when, had he been mortal, he would have died in the plane crash, Aithusa's nearly ceased as well.

Places where his brightened, like when he had met Ning, or had seen Martha at the Globe Theatre...Aithusa's had glowed, as well. They were connected in moods and life...where the spider silk fibers attached the two of them. They mirrored each other.

Merlin spied little holes...tears in the fabric that were becoming unravelled...and he knew without a doubt now, where the hole inside himself had come from.

The dragon was so far away from him now, there was barely a connection left. It was only in the recent months that Aithusa's line, torn and tattered, was weakening even more, and had to draw on his own just to stay alive.

A part of him wanted to continue on forward, into a darkness he was unable to see through. His instincts pulled him back to the present. He allowed his consciousness to drift lazily for a while, before he willed his eyes to open.

Lya beckoned to him, and they left the room together in silence. There was still a lot left for him to learn.

*Doctor Who fans will understand this :)

AN: I'm BACK! No, this section is not completely finished, but I'm a few chapters in and feeling...somewhat confident about where I'm going with it. :) Thanks AWanderersHaven, Cindar, Rasei, Nance, and IcarusLSU for the reviews! Also to Matthew72 over at HoC for his faithful reviews as well.

Thanks as always to my amazing Proofreading Puffin Pnance! And also to IcarusLSU for flow reading and idea bouncing.

Please review if you would be so kind! My muse is constantly starved for attention :)

*air kisses*