AN: So here I am back again. I just finished finals and then got a really bad cold (which I haven't gotten over, but it gave me time to write this). That's why I've been missing from ff for so long. Hopefully this won't happen again until next June.
The title is a line from Mary Poppins which I thought fit. The full line from Mary Poppins, in case you don't know, is this: I feel what's to happen all happened before.
So, this fic does contain OCs, but as you'll find out the main OC is not an OC at all, but from the original Arthurian legend. The character was never in the tv show, but I thought the character should definitely be used somewhere. Besides, since this is an 'Arthur returns' story, none of the old characters are really left (besides Arthur and Merlin of course), and I needed to have some girls in my fic! (go girls) Generally I don't like OCs just cause I feel like they can get in the way, however I'll try to make my OCs fit in the story as well as possible. I don't think this'll be a romance (unless reviewers want it to be), so don't worry about that OC aspect.
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"Stop it you two, or do you want me to text your sister and tell her you've been throwing rocks at a poor old man's house again!"
"But that's where he lives! Can we go closer?"
"Of course not! This is the last time I babysit you two."
"Awww!"
"Well, then stop it, or I will text your sister and tell her!"
"She's here anyway, see."
Candia, a brunette of 18, glanced up to see her younger auburn haired friend strolling down the lane. A week out of secondary school, Candia was looking forward to a full summer ahead of her. Babysitting was not on her list of things to do, however she was indebted to her friend's family. Thus anything she could do, including babysitting two rampaging little urchins, was a willing sacrifice. After all, there was no real reason for the Cecils to donate money to her University fund, and yet they promised to help her through. Perhaps it was because they knew she'd be stuck in the village forever without their help.
Candia sighed and commanded the two boys to follow her. Begrudgingly they did, and Candia waved down the younger teen. With a smile, the other girl hurried over to Candia and the two little boys, one of age eight and one of age six.
"Hi Candia, how's it been? Thanks for taking care of Will and Micky for me, I don't know what I'd do without you. It was a mad house today, I didn't know volunteering for a birthday party could take so much out of a girl. The kids liked it though, so I suppose it was worth it. Anyway, see you tomorrow."
"Hey, wait a minute Rea; aren't you even going to ask how these two rascals behaved?"
The two boys grinned shyly and kicked dirt around, however Rea seemed not to notice.
"I'm sure they were fine," Rea shrugged. "Hey, isn't that house out there you were telling me about the other day, Micky? What exactly are you doing out here, anyway? Here I am, walking to Candia's to get you two, and I happen upon you hiding behind a stone wall. Would you tell me exactly what's going on, Candia?"
"Since you ask," Candia's voice was filled with sarcasm. "Micky wanted to show me the house where 'the old magic guy' lives. He dragged us all the way out here and over into that field. Didn't realize the poor old guy lived in such a hovel. You wouldn't be able to tell the way Killen talks about the place. You'd think it was a mansion."
"Killen's opinions never did make much sense to me. Anyway, I've been wondering about that place since you told me about it, Micky. Let's go closer!"
Candia sighed as Rea ushered her two younger brothers out into the field where a little stone house sat beyond a toppling stone wall. A wooden gate still stood, however the pathway beyond the gate appeared well overgrown. The cottage itself was dark, but Candia had a feeling that the old man was likely inside because no one ever seemed to notice him leave the place. Of course, every once in a while he turned up in the marketplace, but he frequented it only rarely.
'Probably because all the kids laugh at him behind his back and throw things at him,' Candia thought to herself. She had pitied the old man ever since she had been a child, and she had never taken part in the teasing. Perhaps that was because she'd been raised by her british grandmother who was equally elderly. Grandmama may have trained some of the wild Scot out of Candia, making her more understanding to the plights of such people like the old man by the lake. (Grandmama had always complained about Candia's father's heritage having bad effects on her upbringing; Candia had been rather grateful she wasn't an old prig like her grandmother. Nevertheless, she had loved her grandmother with all her heart, even if Grandmama had been a bit snooty.)
Then again, the old man by the lake did make her highly uneasy. Grandmama had always said there was something very off with the man. He'd been old when she was a child, Grandmama had told Candia. All the adults in the village had the same story, and so they all avoided the old man like the plague. All except for Killen, of course. Killen seemed to be the only friend the old man had, and Killen was endlessly trying to get Candia to visit with him. So far she had resisted.
Now Candia found herself unwillingly pulled to the ground to hide behind the stone wall. Rea was whispering excitedly to her brothers, however Candia simply rolled her eyes at the 16 year old.
"Spoilsport," Rea laughed, her Welsh accent thick in its teasing. "And here I thought you had a good sense of adventure."
"I do! I'm sorry if spying on some poor old person isn't my idea of a good time."
Rea rolled her eyes, however she turned to her little brothers and told them it'd be best they be on their way. However as the four stood up, Micky picked up a rock and tossed it at the house. Candia glared at Rea, who quickly raised her finger in warning for him to stop, when a shattering crash was heard. All four flinched.
"Now look what you've gone and done!" Rea glared at her little brother. "Coming over here is one thing, but that was unacceptable. Must you always be a middle child?"
Will suddenly pointed at the house just as a light came on. Rea's eyes widened and she grabbed her little brother's collars and rushed off with them.
"Come on, Candia!" Rea called back to the uneasy 18 year old, not waiting to see whether she'd follow in the escape.
Candia sighed uneasily, glancing back at the cottage. She was really getting too old for these escapades, and yet she couldn't seem to leave her childhood behind. Rea was the closest thing Candia had to a sibling, after all the girls had practically grown up together, more so after Rea's family had left Wales and joined Candia in the countryside just outside Bristol. Now that Candia's grandmother had passed away, she had no family left. She didn't care what she had to go through, she'd clutch her suto family close even if she had to act childish in the mean time. (Actually she enjoyed acting childish sometimes, but she didn't like when she got pulled into 'adventures' where someone could actually get hurt or in serious trouble.)
Candia's attention was suddenly pulled to a lone figure traveling down the lane, and she inwardly groaned. Just her luck that right after she witnessed the old man's window being broken, his hero-worshiper Killen would show up.
"Hello Andrea," Candia heard Killen call after the quickly retreating figure, laughing good naturedly when he got no reply. As he drew closer, his face turned into one of shock as he recognized Candia standing awkwardly by the wall. He hurried over, scrutinizing Candia doubtfully.
"What would you be doing here?" he raised an eyebrow, and Candia sighed, shrugging.
"Blame the wild rambunctious ones. I was babysitting."
"Isn't Andrea a little old to be babysat by you?" Killen's eyes twinkled, however Candia's only reply was a nervous glance toward the cottage. Killen's gaze became worried. "You okay?"
"Micky threw a rock and broke the window. Do you think I should go apologize or something?"
"Of course you should! And since I'm headed to visit Gaius right now, why don't you join me?"
"Honestly," the brunette laughed. "Why is it you want me to meet him so badly anyway?"
"I don't know, I just think you'd get along, I guess. Besides, I know you're kind of lonely lately, you miss your grandmother, I just thought…"
Candia gave Killen a sad smile and nodded, a wet laugh escaping her lips.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset. It's just, sometimes I miss the old Candia."
"Come on, I'll go apologize and meet this Gaius person, just to make you happy. Sound like the old Candia yet?"
"Not particularly, not with that tone of voice, but we'll get there!"
Candia rolled her eyes and trailed after the boy. She supposed he was kind of like another sibling figure, but somehow he didn't seem so much like one in the way Rea did. Maybe that was because grandmama had always had Rea's family over for holidays, whereas Killen was a school friend from way back. Grandmama hadn't really approved of the lanky brunette, too much of a prankster she'd said, but something about his quirky personality had always attracted rather than repelled Candia. While most kids figured he was little more than a class clown who cared nothing about school, though the teachers couldn't help liking him anyway, Candia had little by little become his friend. There was something almost refreshing about his carelessness, and it wasn't like he was a bad kid. In fact he was quite nice to everyone all the time; he just always forgot his homework and remembered his hand buzzer instead.
"You ready for University next year?" Killen asked Candia as they approached the cottage. "You still going to that one in Bristol?"
"Yeah, well that's where I got in. I'm not ready to go far away. Besides, I can't afford it. You still planning to work your father's grocery shop?"
"Count on it!" Killen grinned. Then he rapped three times on the door before pushing it open. Apparently it wasn't locked.
Killen strode in quickly, Candia gingerly following, however at first she was blinded by the darkness as her eyes adjusted. A few moments later, she could see inside just fine, and she was taken aback by the cosiness. A little stone fireplace stood at one end, two wooden benches laden with yellow pillows and an armchair with another yellow pillow sitting in front of it. On the other end of the room stood a little kitchen with a round wooden table and four chairs. There were a few wooden countertops which twisted around the kitchen corner, and the stone walls were lined with dozens of shelves which were lined with dozens of glass jars. An ice box also stood in the kitchen next to an old fashioned pump sink and faded blue rug. The rest of the walls were lined with very full bookshelves. Two wooden doors lead out of the small main room, which was surprisingly warm considering no fire lit the fireplace to warm the stone room.
Candia saw the broken window and she winced. Glass littered the dirt in a flower pot which had sat on the inside of the window ledge, the daisy missing a few petals where the glass had smashed.
"Gaius must be in the other room. I'm sure he'll be out in a moment. Go ahead and sit down in the mean time. You hungry? Gaius always something around to eat."
"Er, no I'm alright," Candia sat gingery at the table.
"Oh, well I'm hungry!" With that Killen opened up the ice box and pulled out a cold sandwich, which he promptly began to eat.
"Are you sure you should eat that without his permission?" Candia asked uneasily, however Killen only laughed merrily in return. He too sat at the kitchen table, watching one of the doors intently. A few moments later, an old man with shoulder length grey hair and a white beard entered the room. He glanced at Candia, apparently surprised, and then he went over to sit in the rocking chair.
"So, you must be Candia," were the first words out of his mouth. Candia sat there flabbergasted, so Killen nodded.
"Yeah, this is Candia. Candia, meet Gaius."
Candia swallowed, nodding toward the odd old man.
"It's nice to meet you. Um, sorry my friend's little brother kind of broke your window."
"That's alright," the old man made no move to stand up or continue the conversation, and Candia fell into silence, wondering what exactly anyone was supposed to be doing. The three sat silently in the room for a moment, before Killen clapped his hands together.
"Well, now that the apologies and introductions are out of the way, let's get down to business. Candia here wants to be a nurse, have any wise words of wisdom? Gaius used to be a healer, you see."
"A nurse," Gaius raised his eyebrows. "I see. Not a psychologist anymore? Good, wouldn't have fit you well anyway. Now, let's see… No, don't have much advice. I haven't done any healing for quite some time, might have lost my touch by now."
"You healed my broken leg! Remember, that's how we met!"
Gaius suddenly glared at Killen, whose eyes widened.
"I mean, you made a very good cast, remember?" Killen continued quickly, and Gaius nodded. After several more moments of silence, Gaius stood up.
"Would anyone like some tea?"
"I would!" Killen exclaimed. Gaius hurried into the kitchen and filled a mug with some water and herbs before handing a cup to Killen.
"Candia?" Gaius asked, however Candia stood up without answering.
"You know, I'd better be going, actually. I'm sorry about your window. I'm sure my friend will pay for it, or I will, so you can talk to Killen about that. I think I'd best be on my way, though. It's been nice meeting you, Gaius. Maybe I'll see you again, or something."
Candia turned toward the door, closing it quickly behind herself and leaning against it for a moment. That had been all but pleasant, in fact it had been rather unnerving and awkward. The tea had been the end of it, though. Tea and Grandmama went hand in hand, and Candia didn't think she could stand one more second in that old cottage.
With a sigh, Candia pulled her sweater around herself, only to notice how quickly the temperature had dropped. Glancing skyward made Candia frown. No longer were soft, white little puffs of cloud seen in a blue sky, instead the sky was dark and cloudy, threatening to rain any second. The wind was suddenly howling, and Candia began to shiver violently. A crash caught her attention, and her head whipped to the right to see that for some very odd reason, the epicenter of the storm seemed to be over a small island out in the bay. Quite suddenly, rain began to pound the ground, drenching Candia in seconds, and the sky lit up with a violent flash of yellow.
"Candia, come inside, quickly," Killen suddenly flung the door open. "Gaius said a typhoon or something could be coming. You shouldn't travel in this weather!"
Then, in front of both their eyes, lightning struck the old ruins on the island. A roar of thunder reached their ears less than a second later, and the structure crumbled to the ground.
AU: So, what do you think? How do you like the characters? What about this 'Gaius' person? What do you think is going on? Please review!