SPOILERS for the series finale.
This is a modern setting fic, but not exactly au. Kilgharrah hinted that Arthur would one day return from death to rule again. I made so every character was reborn in modern times, but with no memory of their past lives. Only Merlin, who was alive in the finale flash forward scene, knows who they truly are.
Chapter One
Professor Gaius observed his new class with his usually scowl, one eyebrow cocked. He had taught at Albion University for over fifty years, so he knew quite well the type of students who took beginner's chemistry. Sure, he loved his advanced chemistry courses with his serious and passionate students, but any entry-level course was overcrowded with foolish freshman and apathetic upperclassmen just trying to get a science credit. He eyed this lot with an utter lack of enthusiasm - noting the almost excessive amount of football players - before returning his attention to the role call. Most of the names ran together in a blur, but about a dozen, once connected to the faces, stuck in his mind.
"Camlann, Mordred," he called out and a freshman raised his hand.
"Drew, Kara."
"Here."
"Ferrer, Guinevere."
"Here," replied a pretty girl with a shy wave of her hand, "and you can call me Gwen."
"Godwyn, Elena."
"Here," said a ditsy looking blonde girl.
"Lafayette, Morgana."
A pale girl raised her hand without a word. Gaius recognized her from the biology department, so at least he would at least have one student interested in the sciences. Her sleek dark hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and she met Gaius' gaze through black-rimmed glasses, giving him a sudden feeling of unease. He put it out of mind as he moved on down the list.
"Nemeth, Mithian."
"Here."
"Orkney, Morgause."
"Here," drawled the girl next to Morgana. She was blonde and haughty, sitting in her chair like it was a throne. Her eyes were rimmed with dark makeup, making her look like a raccoon in Gaius' opinion.
Owain, James and Pellinore, Ian both sat at a table together with several other athletes.
"Pendry, Arthur," continued Gaius, though he didn't need to call role to know this boy. He was the dean's son, captain of the football team, and quite arrogant as Gaius understood it.
"Peredur, Percival."
"I go by Percy," said a brawny boy sitting with Arthur.
"Seward, Tyr."
"H-here," stammered a nervous-looking fat boy.
And finally "Thorne, Ewan," a footballer with a brace on his knee.
Gaius let out a sigh and straightened his tweed jacket before turning to the chalkboard to begin explaining the gas laws.
"Seems like it will be a good class," chirped Morgana as she and Morgause walked to the campus coffee shop. "I liked the way Professor Gaius tied the lecture into Global Warming. He made it seem really relevant."
"I can't believe we have homework on the first day. I have a history thesis to work on and I can't worry about bloody chemistry."
"I still can't believe you're graduating in two semesters. It'll be so dull here without you."
"Well, we'll just have to make the most of this year, then," said Morgause with a smile that showed off her brilliantly white teeth. "Why don't we go to Club Sun tonight. The DJ is supposed to be really good."
"Hell fucking yeah. I need to jam as much partying in as I can before midterms."
"You're taking like three science and maths courses this semester. You've got that shit. Midterms will be a breeze."
"But I'm also taking French with Professor de Bois and I'm pretty sure he hates me."
"Then why take it."
"Because I want to go to France for a semester next year and I don't want to sound like a buffoon when I talk to people."
They paused for a moment to order tea from the barista, who Morgana recognized from her microbiology course freshman year. His name was Will or something and fortunately he was far better at preparing hot beverages than he had ever been at remember the parts of a cell.
"So, have you decided on your thesis topic yet?" continued Morgana once they had sat down.
"Vaguely. I want to do something with the druid people and the rise of patriarchy in Old Britain. I need to narrow the topic down, of course, but I'm meeting with Professor Annis tomorrow."
"Sounds good. Who were the druids, anyway?"
"They were priests and priestesses during the Iron Age. They built Stonehenge and stuff like that and practiced magic."
"Oooh," said Morgana mockingly, though her stomach churned at the mention of magic.
Arthur Pendry had been at Albion University for a week before classes started, along with the rest of the football team, helping to train the new freshmen. It was his first year as team captain, but he had been playing with most of the guys for two years. They worked well together, knew how keep their positions and not hog the ball, and some of the new members looked promising. One in particular, Mordred, was off to a great start. He had a slight, speedy build and would make a great forward, which they needed now that Ewan had torn his ACL.
Coach Tristan opened the door of the locker room and shouted at them to get their arses on the field, startling Arthur out of his ruminations. The guys scrambled to get their shin guards on and laces tied.
"How come it takes you so long to get dressed?" Gwaine asked Percy, sporting his usually lopsided smirk.
"It's 'cause I'm bigger than you, little man," answered Percy calmly.
"Right, he doesn't even need to try to be goalie. He just sits there and blocks the whole net," said Elyan, getting a chuckle from the team.
Arthur patted Percy on his broad shoulder.
"Right, we'd better go… before coach skins us."
The field looked out on Lake Avalon, just off the campus boundary. It was small, hardly more than a pond, and had a tiny island in the middle with a narrow stone tower jutting up from the centre. On the sunny days, its banks would be strewn with students, but they never ventured over to the island, even though there was a little wooden boat always tied up to the dock. That afternoon, however, the lake was empty due to the recent rainstorms that left the ground soggy and the air pungent with the smell of ozone. The players moved sluggishly, the mud grabbing hold of their cleats and only letting go with a squelching noise. During a mad dash for the goal, Mordred's shoe came clear off and he tripped face first into the mud. By the time practice was over, they were all filthy with sweat and grime.
Showered and back in dry clothes, they strolled together back toward the residential side of campus, passing by the tennis courts on their way, so Elyan could wave to his girlfriend, Mithian. His teammates all awed and clutched their hearts dramatically at the sight.
"Just because I have sex on a regular basis doesn't mean you all have to be jealous," he said.
"Oh, I'd say on the whole we do alright," said Gwaine, giving Arthur and Leon a slap on the back. "Although, since Arthur and Vivian's crushing break up, I'm not sure if he's gotten any. And that was over a month ago."
Arthur just shook his head.
"So, what do you say, lads. Club Sun tonight?" finished Gwaine.
Gwen hated walking back from orchestra practice at the Camelot Centre of the Arts. It was the only school-owned building that wasn't actually on campus. It was about five blocks away, right on the town's Main Street, not a difficult walk unless you happened to be lugging a 30 pound case and cello with you.
"Excuse me, would you like a lift?" a voice called out from a car pulling over beside her.
Gwen was about to shy away when she recognized the driver as a violin player who sat in the row in front of her.
"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks." She sat her instrument in the back seat and joined the violinist in the front.
"I don't think we've properly met. I'm Lancelot." He held out a hand politely to her.
"Gwen," she said, shaking his hand. He was new to the orchestra, yet looked too old to be a freshman. She had spent the practice looking at the back of his head, but, she had to admit, the front was even better. He had soulful brown eyes, tan skin, and a faint accent that she couldn't quite place.
"So are you a transfer student to Albion?" she asked.
"No," he said, pulling the car away from the curb, "I work there as a security guard. I just moved into town over the summer."
He was older, then, Gwen thought. After her last relationship she was open to idea of older, more mature men.
"You work under Aredian, then? I hear he's a terror."
"A nightmare," Lancelot agreed. "I think he'd burn students at the stake for littering if the law would let him. It's the first day and he's already made a student cry."
Gwen giggled.
"Are you off for the night, then?" she asked.
"No, I have the graveyard shift, patrolling campus. Why?"
"There's this bar by campus, The Rising Sun, but everyone just calls it Club Sun. I don't know if you've been there, but it's decent. Well, about as decent as you'll get in this town."
"I haven't. Maybe you could show it to me another night. So where should I drop you off?"
"Er, I live in Longstrong Hall, so by the quad would be fine."
He pulled over.
"Well, it was very nice to meet you, Gwen. I'll see you next practice."
"Yes, and thank you so much for the ride," she said, retrieving her cello. She practically skipped up the stairs and into her room.
"You look happy," said her roommate, Elena. "Are you going to go to the club tonight?"
"Yeah, but not too long. It is a Monday night and all. Do you want to come? I bet Leon will be there."
Elena blushed and nodded.
Just then there was a knock at their door. Gwen opened it to reveal a slender young man with black hair and high cheekbones.
"Sorry to bother you," he said in a voice that was deeper than she expected. "Do either of you have a cooking pan I could borrow?"
"Sure thing," said Gwen, getting one from her shelf. "Hey, I don't think I've seen you before. I'm Gwen."
"Yeah, I just transferred here. My name's Merlin."
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