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The horses suddenly got spooked, “Whoa whoa whoa whoa!” Merlin screamed at them hoping to calm them down and be ready to move again soon. Have to get Arthur to Avalon he thought to himself.

“Hello Emrys.” An all too familiar voice called out from behind him. Merlin turned to look at Morgana as he began flying through the air.

“What a joy it is to see you Arthur,” he heard Morgana saying. “Not so tall and mighty now. You may have won the battle but you’ve lost the war.You’re going to die by Mordred’s hand.Oh don’t worry dear brother I won’t let you die alone.” Merlin approached silently from behind, drawing Excalibur from its sheath. “I will stay and watch over you, until the wolves gorge on your carcass and bathe in your blood.”

“No, the time for all this bloodshed is over. I blame myself for what you’ve become.” Merlin knew what he needed to do, just one stab in the gut and Morgana would be dead, he could move on with trying to save Arthur.

“No!” Morgana screamed and flung her hands out in front of her. Merlin barely reacted in time to shield himself from the spell and not be thrown back. “I will not let you take credit for my power, Emrys. You will never be the reason I became what I am, I made my own choices and I know what is mine by right of birth. Now I shall have it and not even you can stop me!” She glared at Merlin as if daring him to challenge her. “All other things aside,” she smirked, an expression he had seen many times after she returned to court a year after… What he had done, “I am a High Priestess of the Old Religion. No mortal blade can kill me.”

He grinned at that. “Well good thing about this then, it is no mortal blade. This is Excalibur,” he grinned at Morgana, “this blade was forged in the breath of a dragon Morgana.” He raised Excalibur to stab her through the heart.

Morgana stumbled backwards, staring at the blade as she fell. “Astrice!” She yelled, throwing her hand out. Merlin went flying backwards, Excalibur flying free from his grip and into the forest. “Ascinde!” She yelled as Merlin flew through the air. Death was the spell, she’d never tried to use it before now. She suddenly felt weak, weaker than she ever had before. Until something connected to her magic. A presence, vast and amazing in all of it’s true glory. A power that she had only ever felt in minute amounts. She looked to the sky and she smiled, “My Goddess! Come to give me her favor and allow me to bring magic into the world once more!”

Merlin stood up, having barely been able to react midair to block the spell with a shield of his own. She had genuinely tried to kill him, she had casted a spell of death at him as he had flown through the air. What was she talking about now, the woman was rambling, he thought. Until he looked to the skies and saw her. The Mother, come into a physical form. He immediately bowed his head, thinking about everything he had done wrong since he had come to Camelot so long ago.
“Do not despair, my child.” The Goddess, Merlin realized now, looked at him. “You may have made some mistakes but you will have the opportunities to fix those mistakes. Trust in yourself, trust in what your heart tells you is right.” Then she turned to Arthur, wordlessly she put her hand over his chest where the shard of Mordred’s blade was ever growing closer to killing him. “Oh King,” she whispered, “you will still face so many trials before you are truly who you were meant to be. It was never supposed to happen this way but your guide failed you and the catalyst was changed because of it.” The Goddess’ hand began to glow and then burned brightly for but a moment before color began returning to Arthur. The Goddess again turned to Merlin, “Emrys, things will not be easy from here but I trust you will not let the fear of losing him ruin your ability to guide him in the future. You are The Guide not The Guardian, and while sometimes you will be needed for both roles you must not become too personally involved in either one.” Just like that she disappeared and Merlin felt the world become more dull and empty immediately.

“She…” Merlin looked to see Morgana crying, “She wasn’t here for me. My Goddess, she wasn’t even here for me after everything I’ve done in her name.” Morgana looked to Merlin, “Emrys you ruin everything!” She held her hands up to begin another spell

Merlin could only think of one thing that might change the outcome of this, a shared bond between himself and Morgana that still withstood the trials of what had happened these last years. “"O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!" He called to Aithusa. Morgana stared at him and he saw quickly flying towards them from behind her, Aithusa was approaching.

Aithusa finally landed, right behind Morgana who turned to the young dragon and began to cry, “Oh Goddess above, Aithusa I thought, I thought I would never see you again! After everything we went through together, I didn’t understand at first why you abandoned me at Camlann but now I know.” She released her hold on the dragon and turned to Merlin. “Now Emrys, we will destroy you.” She began the spell to throw Merlin back but Aithusa nudged her hand downwards before she could actually do it. Morgana again stared at Merlin in astonishment, finally something other than hatred behind her eyes.

“I’m sorry Morgana.” Merlin heard Arthur’s voice before he could see him. Then there was a blade piecing Morgana through the side of her chest to the other side.

“I’m sorry too Merlin, please forgive me for my crimes.” She breathed out barely audible at the last second of her life.

Merlin screamed out in anguish and felt his magic explode outwards, then everything went still. Aithusa’s head was reared up to breathe flames straight onto Arthur, Excalibur was still lodged halfway through Morgana. Merlin stared in horror at the scene before him and then he had an idea.

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One second Arthur had stabbed Morgana through the side, guaranteeing the end of this war, finally. He heard he plea to Merlin of all people for forgiveness and then Merlin screamed, though Arthur had just heard Merlin command a dragon this scream felt powerful. Powerful in a way Arthur couldn’t describe, then he looked up to realize that he was no longer pulling Excalibur free from Morgana, as a matter of fact neither his sister nor his sword were even near him. Arthur looked up to see Merlin standing on the shore of Avalon, holding Morgana in his arms with tears in his eyes. “What are you doing Merlin?” Arthur called, assuming to hear his oldest friend say he was paying respects to the woman Morgana had been before the bloodshed.

“Fixing my own mistakes, finally.” Merlin whispered back though somehow Arthur still heard it. “I’m not going to let her die without another chance Arthur! I’m going to fix all of it!” Merlin was yelling now.

Arthur moved, then hesitated. Could he really stop Merlin from saving Morgana? Could he really let his sister die by his own hand? He stared down at his hand that he had used to run her through and suddenly felt disgusted. Yes Morgana had done horrible things, if it had just been because she felt outcasted due to having magic then Arthur would understand. She did many of those horrible things because she wanted the throne of Camelot, she wanted to subjugate non magical people the same way magical people had been subjugated under their father's rule.

Arthur began to move towards them to attempt to stop Merlin when he heard a familiar voice behind him. “Sire! Have you seen-” Percival cut off when he saw Merlin holding Morgana on the shoreline. “Sire what is Merlin doing? Has he been enchanted?”

Arthur sighed having made his choice, “Ser Percival, it is good to see you. Merlin is saving my sister's life, he also has magic. Always has apparently, explains a lot about the man.”

Percival gaped and said nothing as Merlin began chatting something inaudible, then yelled out, “A life for a life! I trade my life for that of Morgana Pendragon! My life, nobody else's! Take me to balance her!”

Arthur felt some kind of pressure building in the air, then looked up to see something glorious. Merlin had something flowing from him, Arthur could only assume it was his magic. It was flowing from Merlin and leaking into the land, which was becoming more vibrant by the second as Merlin’s magic flowed into the Earth. “Wow.” Arthur and Percival said at the same time.

The small white dragon approached from behind Merlin and nudged his shoulder, when Merlin turned around Arthur saw something and wondered how many times he had missed it. His old friends eyes were of a golden hue, very contrary to their usual striking blue. Merlin whispered something and the dragon pressed it's nose into Morgana’s chest then Arthur saw her begin gasping for air. Then before Arthur or Percival could react there was a blur of motion on the shoreline. “Merlin!” Percival’s voice broke through the silence, through the shock Arthur realized shortly too late what had happened. Merlin was laid on his back on the ground, Morgana standing over him grinning now.

“Merlin, Merlin, Merlin,” she taunted the man on the ground, “whatever shall I do with you now that I have you here Merlin?” She raised Excalibur above the man.

Merlin stared up at her, “Wait why am I alive?” He stumbled away from Morgana and began wildly looking around the area. “I offered my life for yours!” He looked to Morgana, “I should be dead for you to be alive.” He looked to the sky next, “What did you take this time?” He was nearly pleading now. His magic was still flowing through the air, his eyes glowing a brilliant gold. “Morgana, take my hand,” he stared into her eyes, “trust me please. I think, I think we can fix things. I think we can truly bring magic and balance back to Albion.”

“Why would I ever trust you Merlin?” Morgana sneered at the man. “The last time I trusted you I got poisoned!” Morgana looked as though she would begin sobbing any second having this conversation, was she implying that Merlin had poisoned her at some point? So many secrets the man kept from Arthur even though Arthur had shown every piece of himself to his friend.

“Morgana please, I think we can fix Uther’s crimes. I don't know if there will ever be another chance like this!” Merlin screamed as the air began to shimmer around him.

“Sire, we've never seen sorcery to this degree! Imagine the situations Merlin could have stopped with this power if he had felt free to use it among us!” Arthur looked to see Percival staring in wonder at the sight in front of them.

Merlin's skin was beginning to crack and golden energy was ripping it open though, and finally after what felt like an entity Morgana grabbed his hand. Arthur saw a woman appear out of the water next to the two sorcerers, “I can allow this my children. There will be a price to pay though. Can you accept this?” The voice seemed to be ever-changing to Arthur's mind. Both Merlin and Morgana nodded to the woman at that and she wanted her hand through the air. Arthur felt a storm coming then, something terrified him about this storm though. He hoped he wouldn't ever have to face this storm directly. “Young king you shall pay the price, you will be tested from now until you pass or fail after what happens here today but the price will be that you cannot know or remember your newfound knowledge of your guide. You will pass or fail on your own merit, The Guide and The Catalyst must go on a separate journey for a time. I apologize for what is to come Arthur.” The woman touched her hand to his forehead, then everything went black.

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Arthur awakened, the last thing he remembered was Mordred engaging him on the battlefield. He… He had died hadn’t he? Or no, that wasn’t right. How long had he been out? Arthur looked around his room, and noticed that it was midday. Gwen was no longer in the room, so Arthur stood to attempt to dress himself since Merlin wasn’t here to help. His best friend had left him, before the most tumultuous endeavor Arthur had ever taken. That hurt more than Arthur could fully comprehend at the moment, emotions had never truly been his strong suit. As Arthur got out of bed he immediately found himself stumbling and falling. His legs felt weak, like he’d been bedridden for weeks possibly.

“Sire!” Gaius came rushing into his chambers. “Are you alright sire? You’ve been asleep a while now, hardly taking food. What do you remember?”

“I remember Mordred, is he alive? What happened? Where is Merlin?” Arthur was seated next to his bed now in his chair.

“Why I haven’t seen Merlin since before the battle sire. I sent him out to gather some very rare herbs. He dropped them off at my chambers but I never saw them, he saved many lives with those herbs. I myself have grown too old to gather them alone. Especially with the Saxons all around killing any who they choose.” Gaius looked thoughtful as he spoke. “ Sire, are you sure you don’t remember anything past your encounter with Mordred on the battlefield at Camlann? Something miraculous has happened since the battle.”

Oh good, Arthur thought. “What exactly has happened Gaius? Don’t talk around it, I don’t have the mental fortitude for that right now. I feel like I’ve been incapacitated for weeks now.”

“Well sire, Ser Percival and Ser Gwaine brought you back to Camelot unconscious. They found you away from the battlefield. Close to the Isle of the Blessed, they say they had been tracking Morgana and found you there instead. Nearly dead they said you were, and fever ridden.” Gaius looked at Arthur now, “Sire, there are many new faces in Camelot. Sorcery is everywhere now. The people have currently agreed to not use it unless necessary, but those who died in the purge have begun to return.”

Arthur was stunned, “You mean that sorcerers are returning to life? What is the council of nobles doing about this?” Arthur stood, a bit wobbly but feeling more able than before, “What actions have been taken? How is everyone being fed and housed?”

At that moment someone else walked into the room, it was Gwaine. “Hello Gaius, how is the princess today?” Gwaine turned to look towards Arthur only to realize he was awake. “The princess awakens!” Gwaine patted Arthur on the shoulder. “Let’s get you all dressed up and down to court, the people need their king now more than ever.”

Arthur again found himself dumbfounded, Gwaine did not like the nobles one bit and respected Merlin more than Arthur normally. Things must be very serious for him to demand Arthur’s presence among the nobles this hastily. “Yes, let's.” Arthur stood and Gaius helped him to dress.

As Arthur traveled through the castle proper he noticed a tenseness to the air around him. It felt again like it had during his fathers time as king, like everyone was on eggshells. The people did not know how Arthur would react to the return of so many sorcerers. They had feared his father for how he had treated those who wielded magic. Arthur had his own thoughts on the matter, he had seen many use magic both for benevolent and malevolent purposes. On one hand, magic had saved his friends a few times throughout the years and he had some suspicions about Morgana having used it for good before having turned to evil. Many times Gaius had said only magic could defeat something or another and somehow Arthur had miraculously defeated them. How much of this was credit due to Morgana herself? These were questions that would never be answered unfortunately as Morgana had in fact turned to become a force of evil and had been the bane of Camelot for many years now, and had not been a friend in even longer. Arthur would give anything for them to be close like they had been when they were younger. She was always his sister and always would be. Arthur continued thinking on the subject of magic and the implications of what had happened while he was bedridden while Gwaine helped him to the council chambers.

Finally they arrived at the council chambers and Arthur could not believe what he saw, sitting at the head seat of the council, was his own father, Uther Pendragon.

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Mordred awakened, he seemed to be alone and he was smothered in total darkness. “Leoht.” He whispered softly, summoning a small sphere of light. He stared around at the room he was in, there did not seem to be any doors or other gaps in whatever the material the room was made out of was. He stood to get a glimpse of his surroundings but had no idea where he was. The ceiling was so far up he couldn’t see it at all and the room seemed to stretch endlessly in both directions, but was very narrow. It seemed maybe he was in a hallway of some sort, “Semeta revale.” He said but this time with more gusto feeling the familiar tug in his gut as magic coursed through him. The pathfinding spell worked well, but the problem was that with his level of power he could not see far enough to know what lie at the end of this hall. He proceeded forward in the direction the spell had revealed to him. As he walked down the hallway he attempted to recall what had happened.

He remembered stabbing Arthur, he wondered if Merlin had saved the man’s life or not. A blade forged in dragons breath was a truly powerful weapon indeed, but Merlin was Emrys. His essence was made of the most powerful magics that had ever existed in this land or any other. He pondered on whether or not Merlin could have saved Arthur a little bit longer before deciding that his friend and mentor likely still lived. Merlin had found his way through many things and lived his life to serve and save Arthur at every possible chance. Then Mordred remembered something, he had been talking to the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, then suddenly she had turned into an ancient woman who’s age showed.

“I am The Goddess Mordred, you have done no wrong, you were simply a catalyst who was used and manipulated by those arou– I am sorry my child, I have something I must go do. It seems it is not yet your time to be welcomed into my arms. Your friends are up to something again.” Mordred had watched her summon a portal and seen Merlin and Morgana fighting with their magic tossing each other here and there like there was nothing to it. Then everything had stopped, right as Arthur drew his final breath, Merlin had somehow stopped existence from passing. Everything went black then and he woke up in this strange hallway.

Lost in thought Mordred suddenly walked into a solid surface and something was sticking out of it that smacked into his hip. He reached down and turned whatever it was knowing instinctively that this was a door, but what he did not expect was what he saw on the other side of the door. It was a massive portal emanating magical energy, an old crone was standing on the opposite side from him and beckoning people from this side to hers. Even more shocking was that he recognized some of these people, he saw Druids from the ones who had taken him in when he was only a child walking through the gateway, Druids who had been killed by Uther and his men and poorly decided values. He saw Gwaine stumbling through the gateway, carrying with him a darker skinned man wearing the garb of a knight. “Come Ser Lancelot! This way is back to our life of wonder and adventure!” They were all walking through the portal and then fading away.

He looked to the Crone, “Who are you? Where are they going? What does this have to do with me?”

“I am the Cailleach” she spoke in a gravelly rushed tone, “the Goddess has permitted the return to life of many who died in the last years. She says that Albion comes and this is necessary to achieve it. They are returning to their bodies before they died, returning to the scenes of their deaths. You seem to be more lucid than most, you do not wish to return?” She said this almost as a statement but Mordred could see the curiosity in her eyes.

“I do not know that I am worthy of returning, I made so many mistakes. I betrayed Emrys, I betrayed Arthur who was to be the Once and Future King. I betrayed Morgana multiple times only to continue helping her to sow chaos across Albion and to in the end help her kill Arthur. Why would someone such as myself be brought back? What if I mess up again?” Mordred felt the tears welling in his eyes. “Who would even want me back?” He finally asked ending his tirade.

The Cailleach stared at him, no true emotion in her dead hard eyes now. Then she smiled and said only one thing before pulling him through the gate. “You are a catalyst for events to come.”

Mordred woke up on the field of Camlann, where he saw very few others standing up from the scenes of their deaths. He knew not where he needed to go or what he was to do now, only that he needed to leave this accursed place. He felt a strange pull North, so he began to walk North towards the mountains. As he crossed over the ridge ahead he saw a large group of Druids walking towards him and even more shocking, he saw his father at the head of the group. Not his adoptive father, but his true biological blood father. He remembered little of his father save for the man's name. “Brom! Father!” Then the reason for his abandonment dawned on him suddenly as he remembered what his fathers last words to him had been.

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Arthur stared into the eyes of a man he hadn’t seen in years, and yet he barely recognized him. Looking at his father now he would think Uther was 3 years younger. That Morgana had never betrayed them and thrown his father’s mind into ruin. “Father! How are you here? You were dead!” Arthur stared for a second without getting a response then added, “I banished you back to the land of the dead!”

Uther stared at him for nearly a minute, many emotions running through his eyes during that time, ending on anger. “Arthur! You have failed to properly rule this kingdom, sorcery reigns supreme and peasants have been knighted! A serving girl is the queen and I will not stand for this! Where is Merlin? I need to execute the most important sorcerer in the kingdom.”

Arthur stared blankly at his father, “Merlin is not a sorcerer father! That would be impossible!” He started chuckling along with some of the knights and other serving staff. “Also father, the Knights of Camelot are my brothers in arms! You said yourself it was a brotherhood built on trust. These knights I trust with my life and with the kingdom!” Uther was glaring daggers at him in front of all the nobility and knights now. “As I said before you’ve had your chance to rule and you failed! It is my time now, I will bring all of Albion together and usher in the greatest era of peace the land has ever known as soon as Morgana’s reign of terror ends!” He gasped after having said all of that in one breath.

Uther smiled at him, “Well my son, be it not for me to interfere with your rule. I will take whatever quarters you grant me and live out the rest of my days as an advisor for you.”

One of the nobles chimed in, “Oh sire but these last days with you having returned to the throne have been naught but wonderful! Taxes are on the rise again and the people show us nobles the proper amount of respect.” A few other noblemen chimed in with their agreement and then the doors to the council chambers burst open.

“Uther! Arthur! Where is my son? Where is Merlin?” Arthur turned to see Balinor storming into the room and screaming. The Dragonlord had died years ago how was he here now? What did he mean his son? As Arthur was trying to process this Balinor’s voice changed to that of a low growl, “O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!” Then his voice returned to normal he threw one hand to both Arthur and his father, “Vaki ierlt!” Arthur was thrown against the wall and unlike a normal usage he’d seen of this spell so many times Balinor held them both in place.

There was a loud thunderous noise repeating outside, and then the wall burst into pieces, a dragon coming through the wall. Not just any dragon but the great dragon Arthur thought he’d slain so long ago. “Why do you call me here Balinor? I am not a simple pet to be-” the dragon cut off as he spotted Uther held to the wall. “Ah I see, and what exactly is your plan dragonlord? Overthrow the kingdom and ruin all that we magical creatures have worked so hard for?”

Balinor looked at the dragon in a way that almost caused Arthur physical pain despite having no part in it. They stared at each other for a long time, almost as if the two of them were having a conversation without ever saying a word to each other. Finally Balinor released his grip on Arthur, but seemingly not his grip on Uther. Dragging the old king along with him Balinor began walking towards the dragon and in that same growling voice he spoke, “Shala ve ekess vihaga wux jennu draushum Killgharrah.” With that Balinor boarded the dragon and then turned towards Uther whispering something Arhtur could not hear but seemed to put his father to sleep. Balinor turned to Arthur then, “Strange things are on the horizon sire, stay true to your heart and rule how you feel is best. Always remember the many many things magic has done for you and helped you to accomplish. Be a light in the darkness for all who you can, and know that in this new world nothing is as it seems. Your father will be returned to you, when my son is returned to all of us.”

“Wait! Father!” Arthur drew his sword and rushed forward in a vain attempt to catch both the dragon and the dragonlord as they flew off into the distance, faster than any horse could so much as dream to move.

Arthur turned to look at the others in the room. Terrified nobles, knights standing at the ready waiting for his orders and many seemed unsure of the next steps they would take. Just as Arthur was about to start giving instructions he heard a familiar voice from behind him where the doors were still open from Balinor storming into the room. “My liege! Are you well? We have news and we need to speak immediately.” A brilliant voice Arthur had not heard since he had banished Guinevere the last time this man had shown up. He turned to see Lancelot entering the council chambers alongside Gwaine and Percival. Ser Leon immediately rushed to Arthur’s side drawing his sword and standing with him. “Leon, Arthur, it is truly I Lancelot, not the shade you encountered before. Please hear me out, not just myself but also Gwaine and Percival.”

Then in the most typical fashion, Gwaine dropped to his knees and began to vomit, it was such a normal thing to see that both Arthur and Leon began laughing. Once he was finished heaving up whatever he had drunk the night before Gwaine looked up to Arthur smirking, “Hey there Princess, how was your reunion with daddy dearest? Also, what happened to the wall?”