Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
A/N: In order to recover from the devastation that was the final episode, here is an AU which I hope is slightly more uplifting, Be warned, there is character death, but I think it leaves every character in a better situation than the actual show. I hope you like it! Please review!
"There's nothing you can do for him now."
Merlin's heart was breaking.
There was no clever solution; there was no secret spell or last minute rescue. Not this time.
He was losing Arthur. After every battle, every trial, every sacrifice Merlin had endured for his other half...after everything...he was helpless. All he could do now was listen as the Great Dragon spoke all of his nightmares into one truth: it was over.
Merlin clutched tighter to his friend. He let his sobs blot out the words of "a united Albion" and "all they had built". He scorned the dragon's callousness. Merlin had fought so hard, but what use was it now? How could it be worth all the struggle, if this was the result?
There was no Albion without Arthur.
Destiny did not matter now. What mattered was that Arthur was too pale, too still, and too heavy for Merlin to carry. What good was all the power of the Old Religion when he could not even drag his king to the lake in time to save him? What good was any of that power now?
The thought struck a chord in Merlin. He was nothing without the Once and Future King. He had nothing to live for. If there was even the slightest chance...it was worth the highest price.
"I'm happy to be your servant." Merlin whispered into Arthur's ear, his voice thick with emotion. "Until the day I die."
There was finality in every word. His servant- to whatever end. Merlin sank to his knees, cradling his brother against his chest. The Great Dragon eyed him with pity, not yet understanding Merlin's intent. The warlock placed one hand in his king's, and brought it to rest over the man's heart. He placed the other on the king's brow. Merlin closed his eyes.
"Emrys? There is nothing that can be done-"
"I will not let him die." Merlin repeated it to himself like a mantra.
"Merlin! He is beyond your healing!" The Great Dragon cried. "Even as the most powerful sorcerer on this earth you have no chance!"
"I will save him!" Merlin burst out, his eyes snapping open. He locked his furious sights on the dragon. "I will pay whatever price."
Kilgharrah flapped his wings and spat fire.
"That is not your choice, Emrys! Your destiny is woven into the fabric of time itself! It is greater than even the life of this man!"
"You're wrong!" Merlin roared, ignoring the hot tears on his face. "He matters more. He always has, and always will, and you cannot stop me trying to save him! So go! Go, or I will send you away! Destiny is over, Kilgharrah. It's my turn."
He shut his eyes once more, preparing the spell in his mind's eye. Merlin could hear the dragon's hard breathing turn to a sigh.
"I'm sorry, Merlin. I'm sorry that you have come to this decision. The world needs you more than ever."
"Arthur needs me more than ever."
"I cannot watch you throw everything away, young warlock." The dragon said. He softened. "But I cannot stop you."
The dragon turned to leave.
"Old friend-" He turned back to Merlin, who gave him one last gaze. "You'll look after Aithusa, won't you?" The Great Dragon nodded, solemnly. "And Kilgharrah- thank you. For everything."
The dragon bowed its head deeply.
"It has been my pleasure, Emrys. Farewell."
He alighted on the next breeze, and soon passed out of view. It was the last Merlin would see of him.
"Farewell." Merlin mumbled, searching the empty sky, thoughtfully. He looked back down to Arthur. The man was dead- there was no denying it any longer. But Merlin pushed back his grief for the moment. He had to think.
Slowly, he began to call out to his magic. He could feel it, like a sweeping torrent within him, the pain of Arthur's loss giving fuel to it; the magic cried impatiently to lash out, to explode from him. But he could not let it- he had one chance, he had to do it right. His eyes began to glow a warm gold, growing brighter and brighter.
He began to release a steady stream of magic, willing it to encircle the two protectively. An ethereal blue light emanated from them. Merlin focused his energy on wrapping them both in it, creating a ball-like entity like the one he had used to guide Arthur to safety so many years ago. It was necessary to keep them apart from the power of the Old Religion; it would never allow the death of the immortal Emrys. Maybe no one else could defeat the will of the earth's magic- but he was magic. The last enemy to be defeated was destiny.
His mind flashed to the words he knew Morgana to have spoken so many years ago, before she lost herself to bitterness- when she was the voice of truth:
"Sometimes you have to do what's right, damn the consequences."
Merlin's resolve hardened. For Arthur.
"Come on, Arthur. I need you. I need you to fight to survive this. I need you to live, Arthur. You are my best friend!"
The magic cocooned around them faster now. It blocked out even the cries of the world's magic that begged Emrys not to go through with it. Merlin ignored all the protests screaming in his mind. Arthur matters more. He chanted it over and over for strength. A life of immortality means nothing, nothing without him.
He took a deep breath. Merlin pressed himself flush against Arthur, flooding magic as powerfully as he could through his right hand, over the king's heart. He could feel the blade melting away under his fingertips- the fatal wound, the certain death was gone. Arthur was free. Merlin wanted to laugh with relief, but he held fast, letting only a smile break through- it was not yet finished. Merlin knew by now there was nothing so simple. There was a balance to be kept. No matter how badly he wanted to stay by his friend's side- there was only one thing to be done.
He struggled not to flinch as the skin over his own heart was pierced. As the cursed blade dug through his flesh, pain forced a scream to erupt from Merlin. He let the swathe of magic fall away, leaving him curled around Arthur, helplessly weak and still. It was out of love that he took his best friend's wound. And it was out of love that Emrys finally released his destiny.
Arthur's eyes flickered open, barely a moment before Merlin's eyes would close forever. Already, Merlin could see the faces of his loved ones smiling at him with welcome- Freya, Lancelot, Will, Gwaine...
"It was you." The king whispered, pulling Merlin back from the brink. He looked deep into his friend's fading blue eyes. "It was always you."
Merlin nodded once, gently. He tightened his hand on Arthur's, letting all his emotion, all his thoughts held apart from words- he let them all pass.
"For the king- the prat." He struggled to smile. "For my friend. For you, Arthur."
Merlin stilled. Arthur was safe, and it was time to rest. He let everything fall away.
~~~Merlin~~~
Arthur carried him home. Merlin was light in death, even though Arthur's heavy heart weighed him to the ground. He had wept by the shore of the lake until dawn, clutching to the servant- the warlock- who had become closer than a brother. Only when the sun began to rise did the sobs slacken. He lifted Merlin and carried him, closely pressed against his body, bound homewards to Camelot.
The grief was surreal. He'd faced losing Merlin before, but never had it been so final, so absolute. Merlin had always been by his side- now he had given everything to protect Arthur. It was the longest walk of his life.
There would be arrangements to be made when they returned. Arthur knew one thing for certain: Merlin would be celebrated as the hero he was. He had changed everything for Camelot- for Albion. By magic, he had defeated Morgana and brought Arthur home. For a moment, his fondness for Merlin shined a light through his dark thoughts. Merlin had given him the chance to live. He could return to his beloved queen, his Gwen. He could have a future with her- children with her. He would see his knights again. All of his people were still his to care for. His kingdom could prosper in the world free of evils. He had given him everything.
It wasn't enough to simply become the "great king" Merlin had always believed in- the man deserved so much more. Arthur owed him a far greater debt than he could ever repay. Unless...Merlin was the greatest sorcerer ever to walk the earth. If someone so good could live at the heart of magic...that outweighed all the evil Arthur had seen. Camelot had been saved by magic- it had been protected by it for years, Arthur understood that now. Maybe he could give magic a new chance, in the name of Merlin.
The New Religion.
~~~Merlin~~~
The night he laid his brother to rest, Arthur had a dream. He saw Merlin at the head of millions of people who had long since passed and left Arthur- some he knew, some he didn't. But Merlin looked into his eyes and smiled warmly.
"I'll always be with you, Arthur, waiting for the new day. I'll return when Albion is at its greatest need- I'll return for the Once and Future King. I will return someday. 'Till then...just don't be a prat."
Arthur laughed in the dream, and Merlin joined him. The warlock laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He grinned and said,
"I am so proud of you."
When Arthur woke, he went to the window. A new day was here. He looked into the heavens, and could have sworn he saw the wings of a dragon disappear between the clouds.
The End