It was a cold day at the turn of the century. A young man walks through the tired town and out towards the forest.

The world had changed a great deal compared to back when Arthur and his knights ventured forth into danger to save Camelot and her people. Buildings are ever growing taller and technology is always advancing. But people… people were always the same.

Our unchanging hero had traveled to new and exciting lands in search for his destiny. He looked out into the world and had seen millions of faces. But none of them that looked back were the ones he was searching for. Always searching, never finding. He grew tired of waiting.

His destiny was late. He shouldn't be too surprised. The prat couldn't even lace up his own boots without assistance… Why should reincarnation be any different?

The young man, as he would look to our eyes despite being near two thousand years old, stormed silently towards wild forest. Magic was never talked about or practiced in the open. It was even more underground than it had been all those years ago. It was stifling

The fear, which started with Uther, never truly left some hearts in Camelot. That fear didn't grow, but it festered. And like a wound, when left to fester it can become deadly. And so it had.

Our hero walks deeper into the woods; his destination is a cave as much untouched by time and as saturated with magic as Emrys himself. The ancient breaks free of the trees and into a clearing. He never pauses, but continues towards the cave built into the side of a ravine. He walks towards the opening, through the barrier and into the cave. He stops short and stutters in a long breath. Home.

It has been a long time since he's been home. A long time since he breathed in air so full of power and history. It felt good to be back.

His knees gave out underneath him and he plopped to the ground. The rocks beneath him should have been cold, but they weren't. They hummed with residual warmth as light refracted from the crystals adjourned to the walls, bouncing and shimmering creating colors in a way only magic could. It was as if the cave welcoming an old friend.

Not that he noticed.

Emrys, as he now calls himself just sat on the ground staring at his legs crossed beneath him as his mind was running in a million different directions.

All of a sudden he glanced up and further into the cave. He squinted his eyes and stood there… calculating… thinking.

The cave looked on in mild amusement. The cave had known Emrys for a long time. It had seen him BECOME Emrys. It had been with this extraordinary young man and saw him through his many hardships and pains. For only Emrys and the cave could understand the pain of being stuck and watching on as you loose everyone and everything to time.

It knew the conclusion Emrys would come to before he himself figured it out. So the cave could watch on as the pain from Emrys' eyes slowly started fading away. The cave celebrated as the mischievously happy light synonymous with Merlin rose up to replace it. Finally.

Merlin was always full of hope and life. Always willing to fight and try, even when the hopes were against him.

Emrys had been different. Emrys was a side to Merlin that came about when the hope died. It progressed slowly, but eventually overcame the all exuberance that our young Merlin had. Merlin became Emrys because as time passed the young man connected more with his Emrys side than his Merlin. So he had gone by Emrys for centuries now… but no longer.

For the idea that came to the ancient young man was so unbelievably stupid, so risky, so problematic that it could only have come from Merlin.

Light danced through Merlin's eyes as it danced through the crystals around the cave.

"Of course! The prat couldn't find his sword if it was attached to his waist! Why did I assume he could do something as important as finding his own way back…". He sighed with a smile on his face.

"Well nothing else to do about it." Merlin groaned as he stood up and started walking deeper into the cave. The deeper he got the lighter he felt, and the lighter the cave became.

His grin started small but soon took over his face. He was going back.

A/N: Hey all! Welcome to my first Fanfiction. PM me or leave me a review to let me know what ya think and to give me any helpful tips :) Thanks