Was he dead?
He was certainly ghostlike, but the Merlin on the bed was still breathing. He couldn't be dead.
"Do not fear, Emrys," a deep voice said from behind.
Merlin whirled around to see an old man, tall with long white hair peeking out from beneath a green cloak. He was leaning on a clearly magical staff.
Merlin glanced over at the grieving group, but it was apparent no one could see or hear them.
"This is Morgana's doing," the sorceror began, "she tried to kill you with a telepathic connection, and thinks she put you in an irreversible coma. In reality, your magic was so strong, it cast you out of your body to save you. That is why no one can see you,"
"But, there was a woman in a village I didn't recognize- she saw me!" Merlin protested.
The man smiled. "That was a hidden druid village. Your magic took you there,"
Merlin groaned. "They could've helped me! I've got to get back there!"
"Ah, but it is not that easy," he said. "Your friends there are planning to give you hemlock to end your suffering before you starve to death, tomorrow morning. When they do, your soul will be bodyless, trapped between life and death."
Merlin felt his stomach drop when he remembered the village was two days travel from here, when running. He didn't have the time. "How can I get back?"
"You must have someone who trusts you notice you and willingly carry your soul back to your body,"
"But I'm invisible, how will anyone notice me?"
"You opened the door, didn't you?" The old man said, smiling thinly. The sorceror started to fade. "Good luck, Emrys. Albion depends on you and the king,"
"But wait!" Merlin called. "Who are you?"
"We shall meet again. Then, you will know," the sorceror's voice said, and he was completely gone.
Merlin realized the person he would have to make contact with was Arthur. He didn't want to offend Gaius, and it would've been easier with Gaius if it might come to using magic, but Arthur was the other side of the coin, and his best friend. The sorceror had told him Albion depended on him, and the king.
It was getting dark outside, and his friends filed sadly out of the room. Even though they could pass right through him, Merlin stepped out of the way. It was creepy, having people pass through you. Arthur was the last one to leave, and he cast one last heart-wrenching look at the coma-Merlin. The other Merlin followed him out of the door.
Arthur walked slowly to his chambers, and opened and closed them quite quickly. Merlin sighed, and just passed through the wood barrier.
Arthur went to his desk and put his head in his hands, unmoving.
It was odd and touching seeing his friend care about him so much.
Merlin pondered for a second on how to get through to Arthur, who was now looking over some documents.
That was it!
He would take a piece of parchment from the pile of unchecked documents, and write a note. As Arthur took another document, Merlin did was well. Arthur noticed a quill get up and wander to a paper, separate from the rest. He simply watched, thinking he was just tired and sad and his mind was playing tricks on him. When it finished, he cautiously picked it up and began to read. His eyes widened with every word.
Arthur you clot pole, it's Merlin. I'm sort of trapped outside my body. Please believe me, and DO NOT kill me tomorrow! If you give me a blank sheet of paper I'll explain. -Merlin
Arthur muttered, "I must be dreaming," but in a fit of hope, he passed a blank piece of parchment to the spot where the other one had been written.
Merlin described everything as best as he could, bending it from his magic protecting him from death to Morgana simply casting him out to get Camelot's ruler in a sad state of weakness and take over. It was mostly true, but Merlin assumed Morgana's real reason was to pull a thorn out of her side.
When he finished writing, Arthur read it, then blinked and rubbed his eyes. "I'm going crazy," he muttered, leaning back in his chair.
Merlin, frustrated, threw a pillow at Arthur's face and scribbled messily across a treaty, "NO YOU'RE NOT!".
Arthur smiled. That was a Merlin thing to do. And besides, if this meant Merlin was not going to die tomorrow, he would gladly accept it as the truth. "But how can I help?" Arthur asked thin air.
Merlin snatched another document and wrote about Arthur accepting his soul. Arthur's face scrunched up at this bit, so Merlin hurriedly explained that he would just be carrying Merlin along, like a sword. He explained how he thought he could get inside Arthur's head, by basically jumping into him.
At this point, Arthur asked, "You won't be jumping on me, will you?" And Merlin wrote, rather largely, "NO!"
A few minutes later, Arthur was lying on his bed, looking around nervously. Merlin took a running jump and dived for Arthur's head. He was instantly sucked in.
Arthur gasped, seeing Merlin's whole life flash before him. The magic, the loneliness, saving Arthur's royal ass all those times, and the ultimate fear of betraying Arthur. After seeing all those moments- Freya, Balinor, Kilgharrah, Arthur was completely fine. He still trusted Merlin, but saw him in another light. Magic was evil- but Merlin was definitely not. He had been through too much for Arthur to be angry.
For Merlin, he didn't see Arthur's history, or know that Arthur had seen his. He just lost all motor functions, and was now seeing from Arthur's perspective.
Arthur knew what had to happen next, swallowing nervously and heading for Gaius's chambers.
