A change in the weather
Written by: LovesToRead09
Synopsis: What would have happened if it was in fact Merlin who sacrifices his life for the greater good? Spoilers for 4x02!
Take one deep breath in, one back out.
On any other day it would have been as natural as blinking, a natural process so it would seem, so he read many a times in one of Gaius anyway.
But then this was no ordinary day. Nothing about this day could ever be classed as normal! You would never willingly hand yourself to the Cailleach.
And that what was Merlin planed to see out now. As he said to his Prince only hours ago:
'What was the life of a servant... of that of a Prince's?' And then Arthur said something that warmed the cockles of his heart, which made this whole sodden mess somewhat worthwhile: 'Well a good servant is hard to come by.' Merlin smiled, a ghost of a smile that may be, but a smile none the less; he'd always said he'd happy to be his servant, till the day he dies- correction- died.
Take one deep breath in, one back out.
There it was, that rip in the veil, that barrier that needed to be fixed for his Prince, one of the last sights he will ever have the displeasure of beholding.
Merlin could feel the loss, pain and sorrow emanating from the tear. He walked to it, almost welcomed it towards him, if it meant his Prince and his people was safe then he would welcome it a thousand times over.
Lancelot awoke from being blasted back to the opening to the isle. Confusion masked his thoughts; the last thing he remembered was walking slowly to the Cailleach, Merlin next to him, shaking in his boots. And then nothing; it all went black, for them passing moments in his memory Merlin managed to take a weak- but determined- step forward to his most certain death.
Lancelot chose to look around, the other two knights lying on the concrete ground.
'Merlin, where are you?' The knight never expected to get a reply in his head;
'I'm so sorry Lancelot; this is the only way to protect him... to protect everyone! Tell everyone goodbye for me... Tell him to remember me... the way I was; the idiot he thought I was, please, goodbye buddy old pal... I'll miss our little conversations.
'NO!'
Lancelot sprinted as fast as his legs would allow him, and he made the distance between himself and Merlin disappear in a flash; but the brave knight was no match for the most powerful Warlock to ever live. Just as Lancelot managed to cling to Merlin's arm he was knocked back by a heavy gust of unnatural wind and his head smashed into the sacrificing altar. The Knight looked up to his left and saw the Cailleach look to the path ahead, a tear slid down her weathered face as she could only watch Emry's death unfold, changing the fate that had been foretold since the dawn of time.
Merlin was there now, just a step away from his welcomed passing-he paused- was this the right thing to do? Yes, better him- a useless servant, then a Prince or a Knight. The man of many names looked back at his past and gave a grin to his distrust friend, held out his arms to the air, and stepped into the underworld.
The tear in the seal disintegrated, leaving the three Knights- two still down for the count mind- and the other sitting in shock in front of the altar, next to the aged woman.
Back in the land of the living the Knight looked up at the Cailleach,
"Why didn't you save him?" his voice cracked and becomes weak towards the end; his friend, his first true friend who helped him so many times just gone, in the blink of the eye.
"You know him better than I did." She simply Cailleach vanished after that, to where Lancelot couldn't be sure; he presumed back to the underworld to manage the dead.
Lancelot just sat there, shock pulsating through his veins at what just happened; he knew what happened- how could he ever forget- but for some reason his brain couldn't process the information.
About an hour or so passed in sad silence; in that time Lancelot cried openly for the loss of a great man, and the other Knights awoke; Gwaine was first and then the Prince- though Lancelot suspected it was because Gwaine made so much noise.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MERLIN'S DEAD? MERLIN CAN NEVER DIE LANCE!" Strength screamed after the Knight had whispered with the wind the passing of the Warlock.
"YA HEAR ME PRETTY BOY! He just can't have-"Strength started to realize that the other Knight wouldn't lie about a thing like this, he also looked at the man's broken face; that's when Strength crumpled to the ground and sobbed while clinging onto the other Knight.
"I'm so sorry." Lancelot uttered as he bent down to comfort Gwaine; rubbing his back and whispered useless apologies into his ear.
That is when the Prince breathed a sweet 'Merlin' on his lips. The two Knights whipped their head's around to look at the stirring Prince; soon he would wake... soon he would know.
"Gwaine... Lancelot, what happened? Where's Merlin?" Courage looked at them in utter confusion as he climbed to his feet.
"Sire... the- the seal has closed." The Knights managed to say while looking down at the floor, hands at their sides.
"And, where is Merlin?" Courage repeated slowly to his Knights. The only response he got was the Knights looking ahead to where the tear once was.
Courage's eyes widened as he whispered a 'No... Not him.' And started running to where the Knights had gestured beforehand. Strength tried to follow, but the other Knight held him back and gently shook his head.
When Courage reached the place he wanted to be there was nothing there; nothing but a red neck cloth that had once belonged to his bumbling idiot.
Arthur sank to the ground and smelt the piece of cloth for his man servants sent. He didn't cry, not yet anyway, he would wait until he reached his chambers.
After all; a half cannot be a whole.
What the men didn't hear; was the wail of a great beast, a great Dragon, the last Dragon; who cried for his Kin.