The last thing he saw was crystal blue, tear soaked eyes of Merlin; fighting for Arthur to stay alive.

"Thank you."

Arthur struggled to get the words out, the pain in his body was screaming out, the black oblivion trying to take over his mind. But Arthur didn't want to succumb to that just yet, he couldn't! He felt his strength leave his hands and panicked slightly as he realised he couldn't hold on to Merlin anymore. However he could feel Merlin cradling him in his arms and Arthur kept his mind focused on the one remaining constant left in his life. Merlin's ice blue eyes.
Suddenly his body sagged as the last of his remaining strength deserted him and the pain prevailed over his numb limbs. No! His eyesight began to flicker and he used his remaining strength to keep his eyes open, to keep them on Merlin. However the world was encased by a blanket of morbid black and he could see no more.

Blind, he only had his senses of touch and hearing left and Arthur was determined to keep a hold of them for as long as he could. Arthur had no control over his body any more.

"ARTHUR!"

Arthur felt his heart drop and shatter into a million pieces as Merlin screamed out his name, rocking Arthur's body back and forth. A single tear dropped onto Arthur's cheek and he could feel Merlin stroking the side of his head, looking for any sign that Arthur could come back. Arthur was screaming internally, wanting to tell Merlin that everything was okay.

But it wasn't.

"NO!"

Merlin began to start fully sobbing and heaving as he cradled Arthur's body even closer to his own. The blackness in Arthur's mind became ever more dominant, their warm hands welcoming him to a blissful oblivion, away from the stabbing pain in his chest. But Arthur was stubborn he didn't want to leave yet.

"ARTHUR! NO!"

Merlin roared out in pain and frustration and it all became too much for Arthur. He finally let go.

.

.

.

It could have been a second or a million years, but then suddenly Arthur became dimly aware of his existence again. White light flooded his eyesight. HIS EYESIGHT!

Arthur bolted up straight and put a hand to his face.

He had a face!

Of course he had a face, why wouldn't he? Arthur slowly moved his hand backwards through his hair before looking down. Two legs and two feet. He put his arms out in front of him and flexed his fingers. His chest! Arthur stared down his chest, feeling it with his fingertips, the smoothness of it unnerving him. A tide of memories washed over him and Arthur lay back down putting his arms over his eyes.

The battle. Mordred and a sword in his chest. He was dying. Merlin had magic.

Merlin had magic.

That had been the most difficult thing to get over and he felt his eyes watering over with the sound of Merlin screaming his name. Merlin who had seen him die. Merlin who couldn't save in time. Merlin who he had abused over the years. Merlin who was the only one who remained loyal to him throughout his life.

Merlin.

His tears turned to sobbing and once Arthur had started, he couldn't stop. For what he had lost. Merlin, Gwen, the Knights, his kingdom. But then he realised that they weren't lost. He had saved them. He and Merlin had both saved it.

With this realisation, Arthur took in a big breath and sat up once more. He wiped the salted drops from his eyes and then became to compose himself. He stood up and realised he was clothed in a simple light red tunic and brown trousers. Looking around, he tried to get a better sense of his surroundings.

The pure white light had been overpowering at first, but now he had begun to take notice of his surroundings, it began to dim. Arthur found the place he was in very disorientating as he couldn't find a single thing that he could use to pinpoint where he was. He walked forward a few steps but nothing changed. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to look around for somewhere to focus on. Nothing. It was no good.

A shadow appeared on the horizon and walked slowly towards him. Arthur began to walk forwards to it, stumbling slightly and being caught by a pair of soft white hands. He looked up into the hazel brown eyes of a beautiful young woman.

"We've been waiting a long time for you Arthur Pendragon," she said softly, helping him stand back on his feet.

"You've been-what?" Arthur mumbled, finding it hard for the words to come out. He gave the woman a confused look, who gave him a gentle smile in return.

"It's okay, most people are usually really disorientated when they first arrive," she gripped his left arm and let him lean against her, before slowly leading him down the white road.

The white road, Arthur mused. His surroundings had slowly merged into a long straight road which the light of the space had dulled down. The road was smooth but that was the only thing he could pick out. To either side of him and the woman, there was still a dazzling whiteness which he couldn't comprehend what was in it.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

"No." Arthur replied, an odd feeling of dread and dissatisfaction falling over him.

"That's okay, I wouldn't be if I was you," her words were soft and kind, and Arthur felt himself warming to the woman, although he still had no idea where he was or who she was.

"Though you can let go now." she added.

"Let go?" Arthur asked confused by this statement.

"Let go of all the ties you have to the previous world, that burden is no longer upon you," she replied.

"But my friends are still out there!" he said indignantly, "what happens to them?"

"I cannot answer that, it is their destiny to discover for themselves. You have fulfilled your destiny and now you have been called by the Elders to be here".

They stopped walking and Arthur saw that they were in a clearing. The white was slowly shifting and revolving until he could detect shades of pale green and brown. The texture beneath his feet had changed, he could feel the soft spongy grass beneath his soles. However it was devoid of trees or plants or anything of the such and still glowed a shimmering white, now flecked with a small magnitude of pale greys and greens.

"I must leave you here until you are ready to continue forth," she said more firmly, though still with an air of graceful kindness, "I will come back when you have let go".

"But you can't leave me!" Arthur exclaimed, not wanting to lose the person who might be able to give answers to where ever the hell he had ended up.

"You are not alone Arthur Pendragon. You are never alone," she said, indicating with her head to a figure sitting crossed legged with his back to them. "He arrived five minutes shortly after you did".

She let go of his arm and walked off into the distance within the blink of an eye. Arthur stared after her, completely dumbfounded. He stood for several seconds, unsure of what to do, completely bemused by the events of which had just happened. His questions had been multiplying ever since the dramatic turn of events at the Battle of Camlann and now he was unsure in what to believe in anymore.

However he was going to try to find answers to his questions. Starting with the crossed legged figure on the floor, clad in pale brown tunic and trousers similar to his own.

"Gwaine?"

The man turned his head.