So last night's episode 'The Dark Tower' actually broke my heart but made me love Merlin even more. I'm going to miss Elyan and I am so annoyed poor Gwen is in trouble again but they better resolve it this time none of that 'let's just forgive' stuff. Anyway I thought I would do a different take on the end of the episode and just see where it goes (probably not far). Your reviews and thoughts are appreciated!

'It's not real, it's not real' Gwen repeated the mantra over and over hands clasped over her ears but it did not stop the screams. She was backed into a corner on the far side of that dreaded room, tears rolling down her face as she heard the screaming bleed into her ears. Shaking from the terror she squeezed her eyes shut as the tears continued to leak out

'Just let me die' she pleaded 'Let it end, I can't take this anymore' she opened her eyes a crack and her blurry vision produced an image of her brother laughing with a vindictive smirk, he morphed into her father, and then Arthur. Gwen screamed as their laughs assaulted her ears. She tugged desperately at her hair pulling out chunks.

'Make it stop' she sobbed 'Why won't it stop?

Arthur made his way up the staircase with a growing sense of trepidation. For all of Merlin's misgivings he was right a scary amount of the time. This was too easy for Morgana. She was playing with them, of that he was certain, but nothing would stop him from saving Guinevere she was everything to him.

As they reached went through the door arrows flew at them and it was only the knight's reflexes that stopped them from being killed. 'The beginning of the trap' Arthur thought grimly

"It must be set off by pressure on the stones" Elyan stated "We can use our swords to set them off before we move"

"Agreed but we need to be quick, the longer we take" he breathed deeply unable to finish his sentence. The knights were already finishing it in their minds, they didn't want to imagine what horrors could be happening to their Queen if they were too late. Slowly the knights progressed across the room, a few near misses and an arrow in Leon's arm was the worst of it.

Cautiously they opened the door to the next room and found a single sword suspended in the middle, no sooner had Arthur taken a step in did it assume an offensive posture.

"I believe" said Arthur "We will not get past this without a fight"

"At least it can't see us" Gawain commented unhelpfully

"Somehow Gawain I don't think it needs to" Percival replied

Without warning Arthur lunged at the sword with his own, battering it but the sword gave as good as it got. The other knights attempted to join the fight but it was difficult to avoid hitting each other when their target was so small.

"How the hell are we ever going to defeat something that can't be killed?" Gawain shouted punctuating his words with swipes of his sword. Merlin, who was without a sword and standing at the side of the room looked about desperately, he was sure his magic could help but without a doubt he would be exposed. Torn as it was Gwen's life at stake he primed himself to help.

"The window!" Elyan shouted "Merlin open it" Nearly falling over himself to get round the room, he got to the window. By now the knights were tiring from the days of exhaustion and a seemingly endless battle.

"Move!" Percival shouted as Arthur managed to fight the sword out the window and Merlin slammed it shut. He dropped against it breathing a sigh of relief only to fall over when the sword slammed into the wooden covering mere inches from his head. Arthur pulled Merlin out the way and after a brief inspection making sure he was fine the reason behind their mission was returned to him.

"Let's go" he jogged out of the room, his knights on his heels. There were met with more stairs which Arthur climbed at a surprising pace. Surviving on adrenaline alone the only though in his head was Guinevere. They reached the end of the stairs and tore into a passageway met by a smirking Morgana.

"Well Done brother I didn't imagine you would make it this far"

"Where's Guinevere?" Arthur asked his voice low. Just as he spoke a terrible scream pierced the air.

"Guinevere?" he yelled noticing for the first time that Morgana was standing in front of a door. Without thinking he took a step towards the door and was forced backwards by some invisible force. Morgana's eyes glowed a satisfying gold.

"Oh I don't think you want to go in there" she sneered "And did you really think I would just let you, when I can finally kill you and take what is mine?"

"Guinevere is the Queen and nothing you can do will ever change that" This time it was Gawain who spoke up

"Now you don't really believe that do you, considering my power" Morgana replied, vindictive as ever. Merlin stood at the back seething but thinking. If he could just curb Morgana's magic enough for Arthur to get past her.

"I'd prepare to say goodbye now if I were you" she snapped and raised her hand preparing her final incantation but nothing happened. In the background Merlin's eyes flashed gold but everyone was far too preoccupied to notice. Morgana tried again but still nothing.

'Emrys' she though frantically 'How is he doing it?' Arthur's knights advanced on her and held her at multiple sword points while Arthur ran through the door she had been previously guarding. All this time he could here Guinevere's whimpers and screams.

The room he entered was pitch black at first but he could hear her. As his eyes grew accustomed to the dark he looked around desperately for his wife. When he saw his heart stopped and his world seemed to collapse in on him. He had never seen her look like this. She was huddled at the far end by the wall, curled up in a tight ball with her hands over her ears, tears staining her face and shaking. He ran over to her falling to his knees beside her.

"Guinevere" he said in a voice which sounded as broken as she looked "Guinevere it's me open your eyes"

"No it's not you, it's never you"

"Guinevere I swear it's me, you're safe"

"Stay away from me" she screamed her eyes still tight shut, more tears falling

"Guinevere please it is me" he pleaded, tears now falling down his own face at the sight of his beloved. "Just open your eyes". Shaking Guinevere shook her head but her eyes seemed to disobey. They opened slightly to take in the figure kneeling next to her but she shut them again firmly

'He's not there' she thought 'I will open my eyes again and he will have gone'

"Guinevere" Arthur pleaded and she opened them one last time and saw the same figure kneeling next to her.

"Arthur?" she whispered

"Yes it's me, I'm here you're safe" he whispered tears still falling. She opened her eyes fully and met his gaze, the warmth in it but at the same time complete distress and she knew it was him. His counterpart, her vision, had been given ice cold eyes. She drew herself up and fell into his arms tears washing fresh down her face. She clung onto him like a life line, truly believing he would disappear if she let him go.

"I've got you" he repeated over and over into her hair, just relishing the feel of her back in his arms. "Come on we need to get out of here" he said and helped her to her feet. Still clinging on to him she stumbled but Arthur never let her go either.

They made it back out into the corridor where Morgana was still cornered and the other knights, especially Elyan breathed a sigh of relief at seeing their Queen.

"I should run you through Morgana" Arthur said quietly the anger trembling his voice. He transferred a reluctant to let go Gwen to Merlin and turned to face Morgana.

"Yes but we both know you haven't got the guts to even try it" she sneered, remarkably confident for someone in her position. "Go on then" she baited "Kill me" Arthur drew his sword but hesitated.

In that moment all hell broke loose. Morgana felt her magic return to her and she threw Arthur backwards catching his sword. Before anyone knew what had happened she had thrown it at Gwen who was unable to move at by Merlin. Before Merlin even had a chance to stop the sword, Elyan leapt out throwing himself in front of the swords path and it hit home at his heart. He hit the floor and Gwen screamed throwing herself forward onto Elyan. Gawain yelled and swung his sword at Morgana knocking her against the wall and onto the floor, unconscious. Arthur scrambled to Elyan's side to find Gwen already trying to stop the blood from the wound.

"You're ok" he smiled weakly

"I'm fine, I always have been as long as you're here" She tried to smile back

"You're fine without me, I wouldn't be without you"

"No" she shook her head tears falling onto Elyan's face

"I had to save you" he strained fighting to keep his grip on reality

"Father would be so proud of you" she whispered smiling he smiled as his eyes shut "Don't go" she pleaded "Elyan, please come back" she sobbed and let the sadness overtake her as she hugged his body close.

Wow, that was sad to write! I'm planning a second chapter if I get a good response. Seriously though I just listened to so much sad music to get this out, anyway please review!