Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the words. Characters are all the property of their respective creators.
A/N: I know I have other stories that need updating but this story has been bouncing round my mind and making it impossible to write anything else. I'm hoping that writing this will free my creative juices and let me go back to my other stories!
Please let me know what you think of this and if you want to read more. I'm a sucker for a review
The night seemed to bring with it a sense of mourning, like the blanket of darkness that enveloped them had brought a shroud of sadness with it. Arthur looked round the circle of people, huddled around the campfire. His heart felt heavy as he took in the pain and loss that was etched into their faces.
Camelot was lost. The mighty kingdom had fallen beneath the heels of Morgana and her twisted sister Morgause. Even admitting that to himself sent a shard of agony through his heart. Morgana, his beloved sister, had killed his father, her father too he had later discovered, and tried to kill him. If it wasn't for Merlin…. Arthur glanced over at the figure half hidden in the canopy of trees that surrounded them. He'd saved Arthur's life, saved all their lives if truth be told. If it wasn't for him Morgana would have killed them all. Arthur closed his eyes, picturing the scene that was carved into his soul forever.
Standing on the steps of the castle, Arthur watched in horror as Uther dropped to his knees before Morgana. The sounds of screaming and fighting faded away as he stared at them. Uther was crying, the tears running in rivers down his face as Morgana gazed at him with a look of hatred and disgust. Arthur could have never imagined a look like that on her face. His father raised his hand to her, pleading in a way that sent shivers down Arthur's spine. The great king of Camelot had been brought to his knees while his beloved kingdom crumbled around him. It was then Arthur saw the knife, glinting in the light of the flames that were raging through the town. He called out to his father, roaring his name across the courtyard as he ran towards them. But he was too late. The knife flashed once more before it's shine was dulled, stained with the blood of Uther Pendragon. Arthur skidded to his knees beside his father's collapsed body, tears in his eyes as he begged him to live. However, his father could no longer hear his son's pleading. Arthur screamed at Morgana, pleading with her to tell him why. She just smirked, an evil grin that had the cold fingers of death clenching round his soul. She gave no answer, she simply held up the knife.
"Look what I have learnt, dear brother, while you and your 'King' thought I was playing the good little ward." She spat the words at him with such venom that his mind could not comprehend that it was Morgana standing before him. She brought the knife before her face and whispered some magic words that Arthur could not understand. Her eyes flashed gold and he could only stare as the blade of the knife, the knife he had given her, set alight with an eerie green flame. She smiled to herself before facing Arthur again, the smile replaced with a look of hatred. With a quiet goodbye she lifted the knife and pointed it at him, her eyes nothing more than soulless voids. Arthur closed his eyes quickly and thought of Gwen, sending up a silent prayer for her safety.
However, the death blow didn't come. Peeling open his eyes he could only stare at the figure he found standing over him. Morgana looked at shocked as he felt, gaping at Merlin as he stood between Arthur and certain death. He truthfully hadn't thought Merlin had it in him. But the biggest surprise of all came as Merlin and Morgana engaged in battle… a magical battle. Arthur was paralyzed with disbelief as he watched them both throwing spells at each other with terrifying ease. Merlin held some kind of staff that tweaked at Arthur's memory and it was this item that allowed him to gain the upper hand. Sending Morgana flying across the courtyard with a blast of blue light from the staff, he quickly turned to pull Arthur to his feet while avoiding looking him in the eye. He led the shell-shocked prince through the ruined courtyard, past the knights who were fighting to keep Cenred's men at bay, through the gates of Camelot to where Gaius, Gwen and a few other knights had gathered.
Gwen rushed to his side instantly and his relief at seeing her temporarily overcame his shock. He held her tightly in his arms, whispering his love against her hair.
However, they could not stay that way for long. Morgause had called on the armies of the Old Religion to rise against Uther and they were ransacking their way through Camelot. Arthur led a few of his men back through Camelot, saving the few people they could and collecting as many supplies as they could recover before retreating back to where the others were waiting. Most people were trapped inside the castle where Morgana and Morgause were now hiding. Cenred was dead, killed at Morgause's command, along with Uther and others of Camelot's council. In the midst of the chaos Morgana had proclaimed herself Camelot's queen and named Arthur as a traitor to the crown. He, along with anyone consorting with him, were sentenced to execution.
The small group had fled into the woods, hidden by the forest until daybreak. That was where they now rested, huddled around a campfire. In the space of one night everything they all lived for was ash and rubble. Everything was twisted into a world where Morgana's cruelty reigned in Camelot. Tears sprang up behind Arthur's eyelids and he forced himself to hold his composure.
He was distracted from his torment by a gentle hand on his shoulder. With a slight smile he opened his eyes to see his Gwen sitting beside him, a million emotions shining from her big brown eyes though the foremost were love and worry.
"How are you feeling?" She asked softly and he just shook his head.
"Tonight has been a night of many changes. My feelings haven't quite had time to catch up." Gwen scooted closer and wrapped her arms round him as he put his arms around her. They sat like that for a while, staring into the flames as the night's events replayed in their minds. Arthur could only be thankful that Gwen had gotten out before the carnage had begun. If he'd have lost her…. The thought had him automatically tightening his hold on her, causing her to squeak in protest. He chuckled and leant down to kiss her, ignoring the sharp gasps from their audience. He was no longer Prince Arthur and it seemed unlikely now that he would ever be king so there was no reason for him to deny his feelings any longer.
The embrace only ended when she pulled back, ducking her head in embarrassment at such a blatant display of affection. His knights didn't seemed to mind and they let out a roar of approval that had them all laughing and made Gwen's blush grow fiercely. The laughter quickly died down though. This was not a night for laughing.
One of the knights, Sir Leon, seeming to have been nominated as spokesperson of the knights and as he edged forward, working up his courage. Arthur couldn't help but smile behind Gwen's hair.
"My lord? I'm sorry but… what happens now? Where do we go from here?"
Arthur looked at him for a few moments before turning his gaze on each of the other knights.
"Where do we go? Nowhere." He caught the looks of confusion on everyone's face and continued. "I have lived my entire life in Camelot and she has nurtured me well. Now in her time of need, will I run and leave her at the mercy of evil? No. I will fight for her, for everything she stands for…. for everything my father fought for."
Approving murmurs swept through the group and Sir Leon spoke again.
"So we will go back? Eradicate magic from Camelot once again?" A few cheers went up at this but Arthur hesitated, thinking of Merlin standing behind him. He'd been separated from the group since they'd reached the forest and Arthur had a good idea why.
"Our duty is to eradicate evil. If there are those using magic for darkness then we will eliminate them."
The others seemed unsure as to what exactly their plan was as another of the group spoke up.
"But my lord, we are so few and there is a whole army of them. Camelot is theirs and we cannot hope to take it back and survive."
Arthur shook his head. "Camelot will never be theirs. Camelot is not just stone and mortar. Camelot is an ideal, a hope that peace and prosperity can be achieved. WE are Camelot, right here, right now, willing to fight for our homes and our freedom. All who sit here now in this circle, we are all Camelot and we are all equal. We will fight, side by side and there may come a day that we die, side by side. But there will never be a day when Camelot dies."
A few seconds of silence followed his speech before their cheers filled the clearing. Smiling at each of those around him, he rose from his seat. After giving Gwen a soft kiss and basking in the light of her admiration for a moment, he moved over to where Merlin was hiding himself away. They stood in silence for a few moments before Merlin spoke.
"That was a very good speech. Very…. rousing."
"I'm glad you approve Merlin, that's just what I needed to hear." Arthur found that even in such tense times as these the urge to rile Merlin was unbreakable.
"I never wanted to lie to you." The blurted admission took Arthur by surprise and his pause was enough time for Merlin to continue. "I came here, to Camelot, hoping to get a new start but then all these things happened and I ended up as your servant even though I didn't want to be. You were an arrogant arse then. Still are actually." Arthur's snort of annoyance wasn't enough for him to stop his flow of speech. "But then I got to know you and I knew I had to protect you. Sometimes that meant using magic but if I'd have told you, you'd have had me killed. So I just… didn't tell you."
"So all those times something weird happened and you just happened to be there when it mysteriously fixed itself, you were actually using magic to look out for me?"
"Yes."
That small admission resonated within Arthur. It was like Merlin was afraid to say it out loud in case he did something like throw him onto the campfire.
"I always thought magic was evil, that it was dangerous and should be destroyed. But no one evil would stand by my side all this time, protecting me and no one evil would stand in front of me and face down death to protect me." He clapped him on the shoulder nearly knocking him over. "You're a friend Merlin. And you always will be."
They stood for a few moments in silence before Merlin pulled him into a tight hug. Arthur automatically stiffened before relaxing enough to pat the other boy on the back before pulling away.
"Merlin… I said you're my friend but if you ever do that again I will beat you to death."
Merlin chuckled but faltered as he caught the serious look on Arthur's face. After one more poignant look he moved back to his seat around the fire. Gwen had followed his progress, an apprehensive look upon her face. He smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly, watching happily as the uneasiness melted from her features. Looking around the fire at all the people who had followed him from Camelot, he saw not just friends but his new family. Merlin who'd taken his seat next to Gaius, Sir Leon and his fellow knights, the few servants who'd managed to escape and Guinevere. They were his family and he had plans for his family to grow and rise up, all to bring down someone he had once called family. The thought had him tensing up again and Gwen's hand instantly reached for his. She leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder and whispered in his ear.
"We are Camelot."
Faith stepped through the doorway and let the door close behind. She let out the deep breath she'd been holding and felt a semblance of relaxation wash over her. It still didn't get any easier. Three years after the fall of Sunnydale, three years of Scooby meetings, Slayer training and the various apocalyptic disasters that popped up and she still couldn't get used to the feeling of having people around her. They were people she could count on, people she considered friends and thought of her in the same way but there were still times that the companionship got too much for the lone wolf within her. For most of her life being alone had kept her safe and the times she'd trusted in others had only served to prove that she shouldn't be around people. The one person she'd considered the exception to this was Angel.
Now she was a fully fledged member of the Scooby Gang, head slayer of the Scooby Organization and co-owner of the Magic Box. She looked up behind her at the sign above her head. The words 'Magic Box' was emblazoned for all to see and in Cleveland there was no shortage of people looking for magic supplies. The store also served as a front for the Scooby Organization, the group they'd set up to guide and train slayers across the world. All of the Scoobies were listed as co-owners but it was Giles who ran it, with help from Dawn. They owned stores all across the world and used them to fund their work with the slayers. It was an idea that had started with Buffy and one that had continued to grow after her death.
Currently the Scoobies were gathered in Cleveland, home of the largest Hellmouth in the world after the destruction of Sunnydale. They came together twice a year to discuss their current work across the globe and honour the past, including Buffy. Faith was the last to arrive to this meeting. Wllow and Kennedy had returned from England where they'd been working with the Coven to find other Slayers. Adaeze had been one of the first slayers they'd found after the Fall of Sunnydale and Xander had travelled to Africa to train her and help train other Slayers they found there. He'd needed to escape and grieve over Anya's death and three years later he was back to his happy, one-eyed self with a little help from Adaeze. Faith caught sight of them holding hands under the table and smirked. Dawn and Giles were arguing by the cash register about business stuff that Faith didn't even try to understand. She simply watched them with an amused expression. They were the only ones who stayed in Cleveland, guarding the Hellmouth and running their operations from Scooby HQ. Andrew was currently squealing from the back of the room as Rona held him in a headlock while Vi gave him a ruthless wedgie. The rest of the room ignored the ruckus, having learnt that nothing would prevent the Slayers giving the geek a hard time. Faith looked over them all and a sense of happiness wormed its way into her heart. It scared her, even now and she felt the overwhelming need for nicotine. She turned and walked back out of the store, heading for the convenience store down the street.
"Faith!" Dawn called out to her and she hesitated before turning back to face the younger woman. She was instantly enveloped in a tight hug which she awkwardly returned with gentle pats on Dawn's back. They pulled apart and Faith smiled at her. She was genuinely pleased to see her again. She'd grown close to the young Watcher, especially after Buffy's death. In the aftermath Dawn's anger had been focused on Faith, lashing out about her past actions against her sister but once her rage was spent she'd clung to the older woman. Uncertainty had clouded Faith's ability to help her but she'd done what she could and it had seemed to be enough. A year later she seemed to be doing much better.
"How's things Dawnie?" She received a shrug in reply and when she raised an eyebrow Dawn rolled her eyes and expanded her response.
"I'm alright. It's just tough, you know, seeing everyone here and knowing she's not going to walk in. It's… it's hard. But I'm happy to see you"
"I'm happy to see you too."
Dawn smiled before a puzzled expression swept across her face.
"Where were you going? You left before you even said hello. That's like a record for you."
"Actually I was just gonna grab some cigs. I'll be two minutes okay? Then we can catch up."
Dawn seemed reassured by this answer. Faith wondered how much of a flight risk they expected her to be. Granted she'd spent most of her time bouncing from town to town, country to country but she'd always returned for these meetings.
"Okay, see you in there."
Dawn ran back towards the store, disappearing inside as Faith headed for the convenience store again. She was in desperate need of her cigarettes now, especially if she had to get deep with Dawn. But she didn't make it to the store.
The explosion sent shockwaves through the entire street. Faith was knocked to her knees from the force that pummeled her back. The noise came a few seconds later, a boom that resonated in her chest and made her ears scream in protest. She fell forward onto her hands, groaning as her head spun. She couldn't focus properly but her mind was centred on one thought. She struggled to peer behind her and her stomach dropped as she realized that the Magic Box was no longer there. In its place was a pile of rubble and flames. She scrambled to her feet, screaming out names. At least she thought she was, her lips were moving but her abused ears couldn't hear anything but ringing. She stumbled forward and stopped before the shell of the store.
Her eyes were drawn to the inside of the building, a mess of debris littering the room. The windows had been shattered and the door was nothing but splinters. She could see straight through and she stared in shock at what she saw. Dawn was enveloped in a green glow that lifted her a few feet above the ground. Her eyes were closed and she didn't seem to be reacting to what was happening around her, she didn't seem to be reacting to anything. Before Faith could move towards her the light began growing in strength until Faith could only squint through her fingers. It grew and grew until it seemed to burst, a piercing light enveloping the room that burnt her eyes through her eyelids. When it disappeared and Faith could open her stinging eyes, there was no Dawn. No light, nothing. The panic and desperation she'd been fighting broke free and she dropped to her knees. She was lost in a sea of despair and she had no idea what to do now.
It was then that the people began milling around her, faces moving in her line of vision. They were obviously trying to talk to her but she couldn't focus. She couldn't think. She was staring at what was left of her family and realizing she had nothing. They were dead… weren't they? A slight ray of hope shone through her pain and she scrambled to her feet, pushing past people and ignoring their faint warnings. She ran into the building and tore through the debris, ignoring the heat from the flames. Someone could have survived. Dawn did. She threw broken furniture aside as she searched for any sign of life. She found none. She found bodies that she couldn't identify and threw up in a corner. She caught sight of dirty red hair fanning out from under a broken bookcase and stifled a sob. It was then she noticed the Scythe, half buried in rubbish. She scooped it up and held it close, cradling the last remnant of the Scoobies. Sirens broke through the ringing in her ears and despite her longing to remain with her friends she knew that she couldn't stay. Dawn hadn't died here, she'd been taken somewhere else and it was up to Faith to save her. She concentrated her whole being on that thought, focusing everything she had on that one realization before she gave in to her grief. With a silent apology to those that remained there she ran out of the back and away from her former life.