Authors Note: I am always happy for requests for a oneshot in the reviews! Please only nice comments. And please no SOPA crap, either. No one wants to here that. This story is just a collection of one shots, non of them are related.
Summery: In this story, Arthur returns to Albania, now called England, in the 21st century.
I own nothing of Merlin, I am just a huge fan of the show.
Return of the King
It had been more than a thousand years since the great king of Camelot was killed. Merlin, the faithful friend he had always been, never strayed from Albania, now renamed England, waiting for the ''Once and Future King's" return. The warlock would wait there forever for Arthur. Sometimes Merilin thought the immortality that came with his inherited title of dragonlord was too much to bear. In this 'Great Britain', Merlin looked like nothing more then an old man, with long white hair and beard to match.
All these years he still wore the same old raggedy brown pants, red shirt, and blue neckerchief. His pricing eyes his friend recognized him by were as blue as ever. Yes, he'd had to replace them several times and chose more modern versions, but it still reminded him of his home all that time ago. After all, he promised Arthur he wouldn't change. But no one in this land would ever suspect this feeble old man to have the power he did. Sometimes, when children would come near him, or town drunks, Merlin would do small little acts of magic when no one else was looking to give the both of them entertainment, knowing they would never be believed of the old man with magic.
Merlin sat by the lake of Avalon as he did every day, until the blue sky faded to hues of orange and purple. Every day he'd sit by the water where Arthur was laid to rest, waiting for his king to return. The warlock had never felt as powerless as as he did when his magic couldn't even save the life of his best friend. When Merlin returned to his cottage in the lake's woods he dreamed of the Great Dragon, Kilgaraah, and the conversation they had over Arthur's body. "I can't lose him!" He'd screamed, voice so raw from tears in hurt.
But the last dragon's booming voice was as steady as when he had first told Merlin of Arthur's destiny to bring magic back Albania. "Though no man, no matter how great, can know his destiny, some lives have been foretold, Merlin...Arthur is not just a King-he is the Once and Future King. Take heart, for when Albion's need is greatest, Arthur will rise again. It has been a privilege to have known you, young warlock-the story we have been a part of will live long in the minds of men."
Arthur will rise again. . . he had to keep hold of that to keep going. Merlin awoke with tears on his frail face. He turned on his radio for the news, and it was all awful. Bombings and shootings and death. A terrorist group was discovered to be trying to take England.
If Arthur didn't return soon, Merlin had little faith he would and England would surely fall. When he returned to the lake like always, something was different. There were crowds of people, huddled around an area of the grass. A body, Merlin realized. A man tried to keep the elderly warlock away from the scene but he was stronger than they thought.
The first thing Merlin saw when he made it to the crowd was a red cape with a golden dragon on the corner. His breath caught in his throat. The Pendragon crest. Merlin had waited more than a thousand years for this moment. Arthur had returned.
"The body just washed up this morning, the man doesn't seem to be conscious, but is conformed alive-" A news reporter? Really? He was going to give them a piece of his mind when Arthur, still dressed in his chain mail and armor, gave a shuddering breath and opened his bright blue eyes. The king looked around, panicked, until he found Merlin's bright blue eyes, and recognized him from all those times he made potions to make himself age.
"Merlin?" Confusion was passed as joy overtook Arthur's face. "Took you long enough, prat. This worlds been flushing down the toilet, and you've been taking yourself a right long nap." Though Merlin said harsh words and bickered just like they always had, he had a smile on his face.
Arthur got up, swept past the swarm of confused people, and smiled at Merlin's side. "Merlin! You let yourself get to old." But his joy quickly melted away and his eyes darkened as Arthur leaned close and quietly said "I remember everything Merlin." The warlocks eyes burned inside his head. His heart sank like a stone. But his friend leaned in and hugged him as he whispered, "thank you," repeating his finale words before death. Somehow, Merlin knew it would all be okay.