Chapter 3: The Past Comes to Haunt

A few moments earlier:

Arthur tried to stifle a yawn as two lords who were older than dirt argued over the tax prices of turnips. Turnips! How had the round table come to this? It wasn't even an important vegetable. He mentally sighed. He supposed he should be grateful. If they were discussing turnips, then that meant that there was nothing more urgent. In fact, there hadn't been any major threats to the kingdom in years. While peace was definitely a good thing, it made for incredibly boring council meetings.

Arthur glanced to the empty seat on his left. How had he let Merlin talk him out of attending today's meeting? If Arthur had to sit through an argument over turnips, Merlin should, too. At the very least, Arthur was missing Merlin's usual muttered commentary about the meeting. The man was the only person Arthur knew who could make a discussion about turnips vaguely entertaining. He held back another sigh and felt his wife's fingers intertwine with his own. He glanced to his right and she gave him an understanding smile.

Arthur glanced around the table. The only two people that seemed to be paying any attention to the current topic of conversation was the two people who were arguing. He opened his mouth to end the turnip debate (turnips, honestly, he mentally scoffed), when the door to the council room was flung open.

Everyone turned towards the open doors in surprise, (and not a small amount of gratitude for the interruption). Standing in the doorway was Merlin. Only he looked much younger. Arthur knew that Merlin had used magic to age himself in the past, the idiot must have found a way to make himself younger. And to top it off, he managed to find the clothes that he used to wear. He looked exactly like he did in their younger years, when they first met. Arthur snorted and tried to hold back a grin. He knew he could count on Merlin to get him out of this ridiculous turnip debate. But why Merlin would suddenly decide to take a stroll down memory lane, he had no idea.

"Merlin," he said, "What in the name of Camelot did you do to yourself?"

Merlin stared in shock at the now middle aged King Arthur. He glanced at the woman next to the king. Gwen, he realized. Now that he knew what he was looking for, he recognized a lot of the older knights at the table as his friends. Although there were a few additions of varying ages that he did not know. He suddenly realized with a start that the older Arthur was saying something. He snapped his attention back to the king. "What?" he managed to get out.

"Having a bit of a midlife crises, are we?" The older man asked with a grin. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. "And where did you find those clothes? I thought I had them all burned years ago."

"What? No, I," he stopped as his brain caught up to what Arthur had said. "Wait a minute, I like these clothes. What's wrong with these clothes?"

"I can't even begin to describe, Merlin" Arthur drawled.

Merlin frowned but then decided to ignore the comment. There were slightly more important matters to attend to. Like the fact that it seemed as though someone had cast an aging spell on the king and queen and half the knights and nobody but Merlin seemed to notice.

"Look, Arthur," Merlin said, "I think that there is something very wrong."

This got Arthurs attention. He focused on the manservant and straightened up slightly.

"For one thing you look old," Merlin said.

Arthur narrowed his eyes and Merlin rushed on, "It's not a bad look," he said quickly. There was a snort from one of the knights. He glanced towards them before looking back towards the king. He needed to explain quickly before Arthur decided to use Merlin as target practice.

"Look. I'm not sure exactly what is going on but I think that Camelot is in danger." He hesitated to censor his story in his mind before continuing with an abridged version of what had happened to him thus far. "I was in the woods gathering herbs for Gaius when something happened and I hit my head and,"

"Wait," Arthur said holding up a hand. He had a strange expression on his face. "You were doing what in the woods?"

"Gathering herbs. But that's not the important part. I,"

Arthur interrupted again, "For Gaius?" He asked.

"Yes," Merlin said, getting a bit frustrated with the insignificant interruptions.

The king hesitated a moment and exchanged a concerned look with the queen next to him. "Merlin," he said slowly, "Gaius is gone."

Merlin froze for a second. "What…what do you mean, 'gone?'" He felt dread in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure he wanted an answer

"Gaius is dead. He has been for years."

Merlin just stared at Arthur. Arthur kept talking but Merlin didn't hear him. Gaius is dead, was repeated over and over in his mind. "impossible," he whispered.

"Merlin," Arthur started.

"No. You're wrong. Gaius is fine. I just saw him this morning."

Arthur and Gwen glanced at each other, concerned for their friend. Arthur stood up and made his way over to Merlin; Gwen followed her husband.

"Merlin," Gwen said.

"No. He's fine. It's this spell. It's making you think that he's dead, but he's not. He can't be."

"Merlin," Arthur tried again. But he was once again interrupted by the distraught warlock.

"No. Don't you see. Someone cast some sort of spell or something. Over the whole town. Everything is different. Everyone is different. But we'll fix it. We'll find a way to make everything go back to normal." He gave Arthur a pleading look. The room was silent for a minute.

"Alright," Arthur said carefully, "you're right. I think someone did cast a spell. But I don't think Camelot was the target. Think about it Merlin. Which is more likely, that a spell has been cast over an entire city, or that a spell has been cast on just you?"

Merlin opened his mouth to speak, but then thought for a moment and then closed it again. He frowned, thinking. "Are you saying that I'm imagining all this? Maybe I'm still unconscious in the woods and this is some sort of dream?"

"Dream about me often do you? I have to say I'm a bit disturbed by that thought," Arthur said drily. Gwen elbowed him in the ribs.

"Not helping," she muttered.

Arthur cleared his throat. "I suppose while it's possible that this is all some elaborate dream that your addled brain made up, I don't believe that to be true."

"And how would you know if this was a dream or not?" Merlin asked.

Arthur studied him for a minute and then smacked him upside the head. Gwen gave her husband an exasperated look.

"Ow!" Merlin exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"Did that feel real?"

Merlin rubbed his head and glared at the king, not answering. "I thought so," Arthur said with a smirk. "Now that we know it's not a dream, perhaps we should consider an alternative scenario. Here is what I think happened. You decided to try one of your 'experiments' and, like an idiot, thought it was a good idea to try to make yourself look younger. The spell backfired, and while you did make yourself look younger, you also managed to erase half of your memories." He raised an eyebrow. "Sound plausible?" he asked.

Merlin frowned in thought. It actually sort of did. Heaven knows he bungled more than one spell. There was only one problem with that. Arthur wasn't supposed to know about his magic. He paled. "S-spell?" he asked. "I don't, I mean, I can't…"

"Oh here we go," Arthur said, throwing up his hands, "we've reverted back to your lying days."

Merlin winced slightly.

"It's okay, Merlin," Gwen said. "We know. We've known for years now. In fact, magic isn't even illegal anymore."

Merlin stared at her. "it, what?" he asked. "You… are you sure?"

Gwen smiled at him. "yes," she said. "Magic is free now. You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Merlin stared at her, nearly forgetting to breathe. "Are you sure this isn't a dream?" he whispered. His mind was having trouble processing this information.

"Yes," Arthur said firmly. The king looked at his oldest friend and felt a surge of guilt as he was reminded just how difficult it had been for Merlin back in the early days of their friendship. But he had made a promise long ago that he would never again do anything to cause Merlin fear or pain. And it was a promise he intended to keep. "We should go back to your workshop and find out what exactly you were up to in there. I'm sure we can figure out a way to reverse whatever it is you did." He glanced towards the round table, trying to catch the eye of a druid woman, Olwen, he had appointed to the council. They would probably need her help to fix this. But she was staring at Merlin with narrowed eyes, as though he was some sort of puzzle she was trying to figure out.

Merlin didn't seem to notice. "I have a workshop?" Merlin wondered. Then he thought of something. "But wait, I woke up in the woods after being attacked by some strange force. Whatever happened, I don't think I did it to myself. I was actually going to ask Gaius…" Merlin trailed off as a wave of grief hit him. He cleared his throat and pushed through it. "I'm not sure that your theory is correct, Arthur."

"Wait a moment," Sir Leon said. He looked at Merlin and then back towards the king. "How can we be sure that this is really Merlin. How do we know this is not some imposter pretending to be Merlin in order to get close to the king?" He looked around at the other members of the table.

Merlin tensed. If they suddenly decided that he was not who he said he was, he might be forced to make a hasty exit. And it would make his job about ten times harder than it already was.

"If that was the case," Gwain said, "then the imposter would want to look like Merlin as he is now, not twenty years ago."

"Maybe there was a problem with the spell, or he is using this as an excuse to be lacking certain memories," Leon answered. Gwain frowned but before he could say anything else, the other knight held up his hand and glanced towards Merlin apologetically. "I mean no offense," he said. "I just want to be certain."

"That is probably wise, Sir Leon," Arthur said. "Sorcerers have disguised themselves to infiltrate the citadel in the past." He turned to Merlin, "Alright then, prove that you are Merlin."

Merlin stared at him, a bit at a loss. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"If you really are Merlin, I'm certain you can figure out something."

Merlin frowned and then said the first thing that popped into his head. "You're a clotpole."

Gwain barked out a laugh and a few of the older knights grinned, although some of the younger and newer members of the round table exchanged slightly bewildered glances. Arthur rolled his eyes. "Really? That's what you came up with for proof?"

"Would you have preferred dollophead?" Merlin asked. At Arthurs unamused scowl Merlin crossed his arms. "Well, if you wanted something specific, you should have said so."

"You did kind of walk right into that one, princess," Gwain said.

"Oh, not you, too." Arthur said.

"You know," Elyan said, "I almost forgot about that insult of Merlin's."

"But other's may not have. It would not be too hard to copy it if he really was an imposter," Percival said.

"No," Athur said. "It really is Merlin. I don't know how I can tell, but I know it's him."

"There is another way to know for certain," a woman said. She was the only woman at the round table besides Gwen. She was an older woman with graying hair. Merlin did not recognize her.

The women met Merlin's eyes. 'Emrys,' she said directly into his head.

He blinked in surprise. 'You're a druid,' he replied back to her in the same manner.

Yes, she said. 'My name is Olwen.'

'But, what are you doing here?' he asked. 'I didn't think Arthur trusted the druids enough to appoint one a position on his council.'

She smiled, 'Much has changed. You will see in time.'

Merlin frowned at that comment, 'are you responsible for what is going on?' he asked her. Although as he said it, he had a feeling that he knew she was not. It did not seem like druid magic to him.

'No,' she said.

Before he could respond, the king cleared his throat, "I thought I made it clear that it is rude to do that talking without speaking thing around other people."

"Ah, but your majesty," Olwen said with a smirk, "how else are we supposed to talk about you behind your back?"

"You can do it when I leave the room, like a normal person," he responded drily.

"Mm," She said, giving a noncommittal hum. "Well the good news is, that I was able to confirm his identity once and for all. This truly is Emrys."

"Good, but I already knew that," Arthur said. Merlin quickly glanced at Arthur, now he knew about the name 'Emrys', too?

"Furthermore, I think I have an explanation for his current appearance and lack of memories," Olwen continued.

"Oh?" Arthur said. "Then please elaborate."

"He has no memories of recent events because one cannot remember what has not yet happened."

"Must you always speak in riddles?" Arthur said with a sigh.

"No, but it's fun," the druid said, smiling.

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. Sometimes he very much regretted making magic legal. Dealing with magic users tended to give him a headache. He was much happier when the only headache he got was from Merlin.

"'Not happened?'" Gwen said. "What do you mean by that?"

"I believe this Merlin is somehow from the past," Olwen explained.

There were sounds of surprise and disbelief around the table. Arthur frowned. "Is such a thing truly possible? Magic can be used to travel through time itself?"

"Not usually. There are tales of ancient magic users accomplishing such things. However, those arts were lost long ago. I do not think a typical sorcerer is capable of such a feat any longer." Her lips twitched, "Although, Merlin is not exactly a typical sorcerer." Merlin frowned, his brow creased in thought.

"No," Arthur said, with a smirk in the warlock's direction. "Merlin isn't exactly a typical anything."

Merlin ignored the jibe and addressed Olwen. "You think I'm from the past?" he asked. "So in other words, I'm in the future?"

"Yes," she said.

"And magic is legal?" Merlin asked.

She smiled, "yes."

He blinked at her and then a wide grin split his face. It had finally sunk in. Magic was legal and that meant that he would succeed in his destiny. He felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He laughed, "That's brilliant!" he said.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" the druid said. "But perhaps you can celebrate later. After all it hasn't happened for you yet."

"But it will," he said. "Knowing that is enough for me."

"Perhaps. But it will not happen if you do not get back to your own time," she reminded him.

"Right," Merlin said, sobering up.

"Now, tell me what happened. If we can figure out how you got here, we should be able to find a way to get you back where you belong."

He nodded and explained everything. He left nothing out which felt amazing.

Once he finished, everyone was silent for a moment. "You said it was a Yew tree?" the druid asked.

"Yes," he said. "I'm sure of it."

Yes," she said, "based on what you said, I'm sure of it, too. Yews are known for containing very powerful magic. They have often been associated with some of the strongest protection spells. Perhaps sending you here was the tree's way of protecting you. Mixed with your own potent magic, it would not be that difficult to achieve." She hesitated and then continued. "One concern I have is that we do not know what the Yew was protecting you from." She looked around the table. "We must be vigilant. Merlin's safety must be a priority." She turned back to the young warlock. "Until we know more about the origin of the attack, you need to be exceedingly careful. None of us can risk anything happening to you. I will do some research and try to see if I can find records of magic like you described."

She paused for a moment and then looked him straight in the eye. "One more thing, it is dangerous for people to know their own futures. Seers have often been led astray by knowledge of what is to come. Being in the future is no doubt far more dangerous than any mere vision. One mistake and you could potentially change the course of history." She turned her gaze to the king, the queen, and the knights, looking each person in the eye. "Trying to fix one moment of pain or suffering could have repercussions that bring destruction on the whole kingdom, although it is impossible to guess what these consequences might be. For that reason, I think it would be a grave mistake to try to change anything. Therefore, it is imperative that Merlin does not find out too much about his future while he is here. The less he knows the better." She turned back to him and contemplated him for a minute. "We should figure out exactly when you are from so we know what we can and cannot talk about around you."

Merlin sighed. Now everyone was going to be walking on eggshells around him.

"Well Merlin," Arthur said, "What are some recent events that happened so we can get an idea of when you are from."

Merlin thought. "Well, I was gathering herbs for Gaius today," he started.

Arthur interrupted with an eye roll. "Oh, thank you, Merlin," he said. "That's very helpful. Because you've only ever done that the one time. I know exactly what day that was."

Merlin shot him an unamused glare.

"We need a big event Merlin. Something memorable. Not something that happens on a regular basis. Think of things like weddings, or births, or recent battles or attacks," Arthur continued.

Merlin frowned. "Recent attacks?" he asked. "I thought you said something that didn't happen every day."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "very funny," he said.

"Actually, it's been fairly quiet. The only recent attacks were pretty small and I don't even think you were aware of them," Merlin said thoughtfully. Arthur frowned but Merlin didn't seem to notice and continued talking. "I suppose the most recent event was your wedding. But that was last spring."

"Our wedding?" Arthur asked. He nodded. "Alright, we can work with that."

"If our wedding was last year," Gwen said, "then that means that you are from 25 years in the past." She smiled at the memories. "So much has happened in that time."

"Maybe so," Merlin said. He crossed his arms and scowled a bit, "but apparently you're not allowed to talk about it with me or the city will explode."

Gwen smiled and a few of the knights chuckled.

"We should also probably be sure to warn your future self that you're here, too," Gwain said. "Although, it might be fun to literally talk to yourself."

"No." the druid woman said. "He must not go anywhere near the current Merlin. Who knows what kind of damage that would do?"

"Yes," Arthur agreed, "dealing with one of you at a time is bad enough."

"Where is the current you, anyway?" Gwain asked. He looked around the room as though the older Merlin was going to jump out from behind a tapestry.

"He went out with Kessa for," Gwen stopped suddenly and looked at the younger Merlin, who was looking at her with curiosity "I mean…" she hesitated, not quite sure how to finish the sentence. She sighed, "this is going to be harder than I thought."

"Where did they go?" Arthur asked.

"Who's Kessa?" Merlin asked.

"The forest," Gwen answered her husband, ignoring Merlin's question. Merlin groaned internally. He was already fed up with the cut off sentences, unanswered questions, and hidden meanings behind everything. This was going to get very old, very quickly.

Arthur nodded and walked over to the round table, standing in front of his chair. He addressed the table, "I hope you all realize what an incredibly sensitive situation we have here. Until further notice, no one outside of this room is to know what has transpired here today. We must keep this a secret until we are able to correct the situation. Galahad, Bors, Geraint, Lamorak, I would like you four to ride out and try to find Merlin." He paused, "the current Merlin," he said. He hoped this did not get too confusing. "tell him what happened and bring him back here. Meet with Guinevere before you leave. She may have more details on where precisely you might find him."

The younger Merlin looked between Arthur, Gwen, and the knights, burning with curiosity. He couldn't help but wonder about his future self.

"Merlin," Arthur said, "I would like you to come with me. We need to think of some sort of cover story for you. Maybe a disguise of some sort." He turned back to the rest of the group. "I will alert you as to his cover story once we have it figured out." Arthur hesitated and then gave a resigned sigh, "Gwain, you've always been good at coming up with this sort of thing. I think that you should come help us, too." Gwain grinned and winked at Merlin. Merlin groaned. He had a feeling he was not going to like whatever the knight came up with.