(Authors Note: Hello! This story is about what would happen if the end of the Arthurian legend came true, the part about Arthur returning. But of course Arthur can't be the only one to come back. He'd never make it on his own. Partially based on BBC's Merlin which I do not own with heavy references to the Arthurian legend which I also do not own.)

The Once and Future Time Again

Part 1 The Song

"Look out!" He turned and deflected the axe that would have otherwise split his skull from behind. The sounds of fighting surrounded him. There were men in shining armor fighting beside him. Their attackers seemed to be dressed in mix matched dark clothing and chain mail. He fought back, cutting them down without even realizing what he was doing.

He was searching for the source of the voice that had warned him, saving his life. Spinning on his heal he saw a boy, tallish and skinny as a stick, his black hair ruffled in the breeze caused by a large club sailing just over his head. The boy wasn't armed and he was outnumbered. Fast on his feet the boy managed to lead his attackers in a merry circle before they managed to corner him next to a tree and a large bolder.

"MERLIN!"

Arthur awoke gasping. He looked around. His room was dark but he could make almost everything out.

His laptop sat open on his desk next to his desk lamp. His small collection of books was stacked haphazardly on his bookshelf next to his much more neatly organized sports trophies the picture of him and his dad on their first hunting trip.

Running a hand through his golden blonde hair he swung his feet out of the bed. He wandered over to the window and opened it, letting in the warm night air. Breathing in the sweet scent of magnolias he marveled at the clear Louisiana night sky.

Suddenly his mind wandered back to the dream. He couldn't get that boys face out of his mind. Those clear crystal blue eyes seemed to stare straight at him, almost through him, as if they knew something he didn't. He had never seen eyes like that before but he felt he knew this boy better than he knew himself.

He sighed trying to put it out of his mind. He instead forced himself to think about school the next day. It was the beginning of October and as class president he was supposed to organize the annual Halloween dance. He was just mulling over how he would do it when the voice reached his ears.

He straitened. It was a beautiful voice to be sure. It was accompanied, not by instruments, but seemingly by nature itself. The leaves themselves rustled and quieted in perfect time with the rise and fall of the song.

It was only then that Arthur realized the song was not in English. Somehow he recognized the song but couldn't remember what the words meant. It seemed to be reaching its end and somehow, though the words remained foreign to his ears, he understood in his heart what the last lines meant.

"The golden bird flies this way,

The Once and Future time begins again today."

Then the singer whispered the last two lines of the song so that Arthur had to strain to hear them.

"Destiny is found where Destinies are bound,

But should the coin be one sided Albion shall crumble to the ground."

The song faded and the night returned to normal. Arthur was shaken but not afraid. Something in the voice had calmed any fears he should have felt before it could even rise. But the words of those last lines stayed with him, etched into his mind. He knew he had heard it before but at the same time he knew also that that was impossible. Songs like that didn't get played on the radio and just weren't something you found in Destiny Louisiana. He sighed and made to close his window and go back to bed, when he saw it.

A figure dressed in a deep green cloak stepping out of the woods. Had he blinked he would have missed it. Gender was impossible to decern, but whoever it was they were slight and small but moved elegantly over the ground. Whoever it was seemed to look the house in front of them over carefully.

Then their eyes found Arthurs and Arthur blinked surprised. When a mere second later Arthur opened his eyes once more the figure had vanished. He shut his window and blinked several times. He lay back down staring up at the ceiling. But even after he closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep the eyes under the hood continued to haunt him.

They had been bright, almost liquid, gold.

The next day he walked to school, convincing his father that it would be good for him. The events of last night tugged at his mind, demanding his full attention.

So preoccupied was he that he didn't notice the traffic light change. Didn't stop and look both ways, and didn't see the large red semi-truck until it was almost upon him.