He lives in you
Summary: More than a Songfic. Merlin is dead. Arthur is distraught and Camelot's future is beginning to crash....until a 'druid' girl takes Arthur to the lake to set things right once and for all. Random and very twisty ending to put things on the brighter side. Will get onto writing Growth in magic soon, promise!
The death of Merlin....
It had happened in a matter of moments.
Arthur had been on a hunt as usual, Merlin tagging along. Suddenly a sorcerer had appeared, plans on killing the prince. Arthur had fought while Merlin had to decide if he should step in and revile all or find another way. He didn't have time. He blasted the sorcerer to the ground and the battle between them had begun. Just as the sorcerer was about to fall, he tried another attempt to kill Arthur with a killing curse. Merlin had jumped in the way. That was it.
Those images were the only thing on Arthur's mind. He forgot about the way back to Camelot. Nothing really happened. Merlin life ended before he even had a chance to say goodbye. And Arthur didn't want to think about the magic.
He sat down on the window seat, barely taking in the view of Camelot. It had been days, weeks, months- who knows- since it had happened. Merlin had been buried despite Uther's rage when he heard from the other knights who had been on the sidelines that Merlin was a sorcerer. Arthur had just simply ignored him, barely responding with words. The only thing he did was when Uther set guards upon him was simply got them all in a headlock and had pressed his sword on the necks so hard that Gaius had to spend time stopping the blood flow. It was then Uther had backed down.
Arthur was simply crashing inside. He never went on his duties, just sat in his room, staring out of the window, empty as a shell. He was surprised that no feud had decided to attack, they would easily win. He didn't even give a dammed about that thought.
Arthur didn't but Gaius and Gwen did.
Gaius was grief stricken by his almost son's death but he put the effort to carry on. As a court physician he had face many deaths and Arthur would too. He tried to talk to Arthur at the funeral but Arthur had just stared of into space, clearly not listening. Therefore Gaius had turned to Gwen. She too was heartbroken, always visiting Merlin's grave to plant flowers and the tear tracks never leaving her face. Yet she loved Arthur and she couldn't bear to see him like this. She went to visit him.
Arthur hadn't even move from the window seat, not to eat or to change out of his armour he wore to the hunt. It was still stained with Merlin's blood.
"Arthur...."
Arthur just grunted, not sparing Gwen a glance.
"Arthur, you need to eat, you can't wallow in your room all day!" No response. Gwen marched over to him.
"Arthur, I know you missed Merlin,"
No response.
"I do too but you need to begin to move on!"
Not even a twitch.
Gwen sighed, calming down, hoping pleading would help, "Merlin wouldn't want you like this."
This time Arthur responded but in the most horrifying way. He spun around and slapped Gwen. The woman he had fell in love with. The woman who had shown him that servants were more than their status. He had slapped her.
"Do...not....tell....me....what....Merlin.....would....want!" He growled, his words separated by anger.
Tears flowed from Gwen's eyes, tears of despair, hurt and anger. She fled, sobbing her heart out as she realise that she had lost her love.
Arthur sat down again, returning to look out of the window. Deep down he was loathing himself for what he did. But he couldn't bring the rest of himself to care.
Merlin was a servant. An idiot and buffoon. But he was more. He was a courageous noble friend. Through Arthur had never really told him, Merlin was his friend. Now after this, Arthur realise how much Merlin had done for him. All those lucky times that they had, the slight chance of defeating a villain was him. And now Arthur couldn't even thank him for it.
"You still can,"
Arthur whipped round, expecting it to be Gwen. But instead a blond hair young woman stood in the middle of the room. She wore a red and black ragged dress and on her neck was a black feather shaped symbol. A Druid girl.
"No, I can't," Arthur growled at her. Why was she here? To set doubts in his mind? To drive him crazy?
"You've already spiralling down the path of craziness and I don't spend my time plotting to take over the world, you know," She said and Arthur stepped back as she read his thoughts. She smiled.
"And you can thank him. He alive,"
Arthur recoiled, shock. How? Was he really? Was she lying? "What?"
"Come, I show you," The girl offered him her hand. Not caring about all the doubts that Uther had set against people like her, only hope that Merlin was alive, Arthur took it.
Everything spun and Arthur head whirled. Wind howled in his ear and her hold loosened. Arthur head was telling him to grab her but his hand disobeyed and it dropped to his side. Deep inside of his shell that he had become after Merlin's death he recalled that seemed to happen a lot lately.
Then the spinning stopped. Arthur opened his eyes that he didn't know he had close and took in his surroundings. He was by a lake, the lake. Merlin's lake; the one that he seemed to find fascinating.
The girl stepped into the water, looking down at her reflection for a moment. The she looked back at him.
"Come," she whispered, eyes twinkling like the stars in the night sky. Arthur went to her side.
Night,
And the sprit of life,
Calling,
"Look into the water and you'll see him," The girl whispered and Arthur looked. But he just saw his reflection and he shook his head. She was just setting doubts into his mind.
"Listen to me. Look," She pestered to him.
Oh, oh, iyo,
Mamela (listen),
Oh, oh, iyo,
"At what? Stopped lying to me!" Arthur tried to sound accusing but fear was clear in his voice. "What's going on??!! Tell me!"
And a voice,
With fear of a child,
Answers,
"Look!"
"Why?"
"Listen to me, look into the water!"
"Why for fuck sake??!!"
Oh, oh, iyo,
Mamela,
Oh, oh, iyo
"Why won't you tell me what's going on??!!" Arthur spat but she didn't answer just kept pointing at the water. If Arthur wasn't too busy wondering what on earth was going on, he might have noticed the wind swiping through everything around them and the blue fast lights that moved into the background.
The elder of the Sidhe frowned fiery at the prince but he let the woman do what she wished.
Ubukhosi bo khokho, (Throne of the ancestors),
We ndodana ye sizwe sonke (Oh, son of the nation)
"That is just my reflection!" Arthur bellowed at her.
The woman immediately held her hand up, stunning him to silence with a glare. Deciding that if he didn't want to be curse he would listen, he looked down at the water.
And stopped as he saw Merlin looking back at him.
Wait!
There's no mountain to great,
"Arthur," Merlin grinned his usual sunny grin. Arthur stared at him and Merlin grinned "Wait, I'll be there in a sec,"
"This is a trick, isn't it??!!" Arthur snarled, "You're not there!"
"Arthur," Merlin stared at him with his intense eyes. Arthur looked away from them not wanting to be convince, "Arthur, have faith."
Hear the words and have faith,
Oohooooohhhhhhh,
Oh, oh, iyo
Have faith!
The wind was a storm now, sending the Sidhe away just as quickly as they had appeared. Arthur being only human just saw blue lights flicker out as the wind blinded him.
The wind chanted songs into Arthur's mind, whispering secrets and tale of the untold. Arthur tried to block his ears from them.
"Listen," Both the woman and Merlin whispered.
Hela, hey Mamela (hey listen),
Hela, hey Mamela,
Arthur obeyed and shut his eyes. The wind died as soon as he did and Arthur felt himself tingling with unknown sensation. He opened his eyes and Merlin was standing right in front of him.
"Merlin?"
"Hey Arthur! Still looking like a prat, I see," Merlin grinned. Arthur just stared.
Was this real? Was Merlin alive? Arthur felt the shell lifted from him and for the first time since Merlin's death he felt feelings.
"Merlin...." He breathed, trying to stop the sobs that threaten to choke out. Merlin smile suddenly became thinner.
"Arthur, why have you done this?"
"What? I haven't done anything!"
"Exactly!" Merlin frowned with the same worried caring frown he got when he was going to lecture Arthur. All the doubts that still lingered faded as Arthur realised it was truly him.
"You've forgotten me."
Arthur head snapped up to the accusation. His jaw dropped opened and he snarled, "Merlin, you idiot, I have not forgotten you!"
Merlin just sighed and shook his head, "You've forgotten yourself, Arthur and therefore, you've forgotten me,"
Arthur frowned. How the hell did forgetting yourself mean than you forget a friend??!!
"Arthur..." Merlin looked down, reading his mind, "Our destinies were intertwined. They still are. I am meant to help you become the greatest king legend had told and unite the land of Alboin. I am your other half; the other side of the same coin. If you've forgotten yourself then you've forgotten me."
"In simpler words?" Arthur asked, confused. Merlin cracked a smile as he rolled his eyes, clearly thinking clotpole.
"Basically, now, I live in you."
He lives in you,
He lives in me,
Arthur stared at Merlin. He realised now that the feelings trying to fight his shell wasn't just himself but Merlin too, trying to get him to see what he was doing. Silently, Arthur nodded and Merlin bit his lip.
"Yeah, you're right; I was trying to get you to see what you've done. You've forgotten your duties, Camelot, Gwen," Arthur flinched at Merlin's last word. How could he slap her?
"How do you know?" Arthur dared asked. Merlin shrugged.
"I just see everything that happens in the world in the back of my mind. Freya's trying to figure out what is it but we might never know."
He watches over,
Everything we see,
Into the water,
Into the truth,
In your reflection,
He lives in you.
Gwen sat at her table, sobbing. She barely noticed that the sun was dawning as she howled, rubbing self consciously at her redden cheek. She was alone now in her heart. Lancelot was gone and Arthur had forsaken her. How often did her heart crack lately she didn't know but it didn't crack so much as this.
A knock at the door, jerked her out of her sobs. Wondering if she had been sobbing to loudly for her neighbours to like, she wiped her tears away and went to answer the door. And as the door opened, stopped.
Arthur stood there, tears running silently down his face. He stared into her eyes, guilt and upset for what he had done, "I'm sorry,"
Those words were simple but coming out of Arthur Pendragon's mouth made Gwen's heart beat again. With a choked sob she hugged Arthur.
As she did, in the back of her mind she wondered why it felt like she was hugging two people.
Watching silently, the druid girl grinned at them. She was about to leave when a bright light appeared in front of her, through no one else could see it. Rolling her eyes, she entered.
She found herself in a dark room, so dark she could only see the people and nothing else. She only knew it was a room because she had been here many times.
She strolled over to the far end of the room and as she did so her outfit changed. The black became skinny jeans and the red a t-shirt. A grin set on her face, she hated wearing dresses.
The first set of people she passed was the young man she saw today, Merlin and a young woman. Wearing an elegant dress of finery that she had borrowed in her first life, she had added a hilt that held a blade, the Excalibur. She looked different now, more knowledgeable but that was Freya. Freya and Merlin watch the blonde girl pass with quiet amusement.
The next set wasn't people but a small pride of lions- cartoon lions. That made her raised her eyebrows.
At the far end, sat on a small throne was a man hidden in a white cloak. The only features that she could see were his hands, feet and cold red eyes. They glared at her angrily but she shrugged it of, it couldn't get any worse.
"Good evening, Dauid ágnung," She said with a mock curtsey. Dauid ágnung growled.
"So what's the reason you brought me to the creator's room?" She asked, through she knew already.
Dauid ágnung stood up and paced in front of her, still growling.
"Nothing much. Apart you've entered a story with characters that are not your own, used a song not you do not own, made yourself magical and breaking a number set of rules!"
"Geez whiz, I didn't reveal my real name, my pen name or my address, did I? And come on, I had to step in, didn't I, Merlin?"
"She does have a point," Merlin piped up. Dauid ágnung growled even more.
"HMemma546, have you ever hear of the phrase 'rules are meant to be followed'?"
"Have you heard the phrase 'rules are made to be broken'?"
Dauid ágnung glared at her.
"Fine, I'll say it. I, HMemma546 or Emma as it's a quicker name to say and I call my Harvest moon characters after it, do not own BBC Merlin nor do I own the song 'he lives in you' in the Lion King; musical and film 2. I am also just an average teenage English girl who does not have a posh accent by the way through some of my peers say I have a sneaky voice-"
"HMemma546! Do not give your real self away, how many times??!!"
"Alright, alright, but I not proud of my voice and perhaps revealing it to people I do not know might boost some of my ego. But hey, I didn't do any slash; really I just followed the BBC storyline."
Dauid ágnung frowned but sank back into his throne, happy now Emma had said the disclaimer. Emma stopped her blabbering and glared at him.
"And what about the rule of not entering stories, yourself, Mr. I-love-the-rules-like-a-teacher-pet-swot-that-thinks-he-can-boss-us-all??!!"
"How long did it take her to think of that name?" Merlin asked Freya, Simba and his pride who merely shrugged. Emma didn't take any noticed.
"You messed up the story plot! Yeah, you might be the boss of Disclaimer as your name is that in the old English (sort of) but your not the creator, God or whoever he is! Now the meaning of the song and story is ruined!" She shouted, marching right into his face that still couldn't be shown. However the red eyes darted uncertainly and a little frighten.
"Er....yes....how about we play the whole song again?"
And with that the song started playing, where the speakers or players Emma did not know.
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Here is a lion and a tiger),
Night,
And the sprit of life,
Calling,
Oh, oh, iyo,
Mamela,
Oh, oh, iyo,
And a voice,
With fear of a child,
Answers,
Oh, oh, iyo,
Mamela,
Oh, oh, iyo,
Ubukhosi bo khokho,
We ndodana ye sizwe sonke,
Wait!
There's no mountain to great,
Hear the words and have faith,
Oohooooohhhhhhh,
Oh, oh, iyo
Have faith!
Hela, hey Mamela,
Hela, hey Mamela,
He lives in you,
He lives in me,
He watches over,
Everything we see,
Into the water,
Into the truth,
In your reflection,
He lives in you.
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala,
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala,
Wait!
There's no mountain to great,
Hear the words and have faith,
Oohooooohhhhhhh,
Oh, oh, iyo
Have faith!
Hela, hey Mamela,
Hela, hey Mamela,
He lives in you,
He lives in me,
He watches over,
Everything we see,
Into the water,
Into the truth,
In your reflection,
He lives in you.
"Better?" Dauid ágnung asked.
"Yeah, I love that song! This song would be a defiantly cheer up song at funerals or ya think that would just make thing worse? Anyway I better be back to the real world and type this up!"
With a little twirl that she would never do in real life, Emma started walking back to the light singing- something she also never do in real life- "I'm of to see the reviews, the wonderful reviews of-"
"HMemma546!"
"Alright, alright, Mr. Disclaimer! I do not own the tune the 'Wizard of Oz' either. Cheerio!" And with that she was back home, on her bed with her laptop on her lap.
Merlin and Freya glanced at each other and then at Dauid ágnung. Not being able to keep it to themselves, they cracked up laughing.
"Gosh, this is going to be a very random fic," Freya laughed.
"And perhaps some random reviews will go with it." Merlin grinned along with her. Dauid ágnung growled.
"She's got you to do the 'please-review' thing hasn't she?" He moaned and slouched lower in his throne. He hated his job which is a shame as it was also his life.