Hey guys :3 How is each and every one of you lovely readers?

Thank you for the reviews. They cheer me up a lot and reviews are one of the things that I look forward to most, even if its criticism.

I think this chapter will explain some things.

Also I'm Mcdonald's mcflurry oreo! Oh glorious ice cream!

Enjoy and review :3


'What happened after you died?' Merlin asks distractedly, still looking at the crimson liquid covering the silver of the Excalibur. His head clears and then it all comes back to him. He had passed out at Jaden's hadn't he? He tried to remember what happened but the memory is hazy. 'Arthur, who's blood is that? On your sword?'

Arthur twists to look at it and then turns back to face Merlin. 'That's what I'm trying to tell you.' He whispers. Merlin stares at him in confusion. Arthur continues in an unsteady tone. 'I- I don't remember everything clearly. I remember passing out endless times. They would wake me up when it was needed.'

'They who? Where? How?' Merlin asks, his eyes piercing the other's.

'I don't know, I never saw them properly. They were dressed in dark cloaks which obscured their faces. I was put in a room after I was woken. I only saw two of them at a time. Their voices were different but I could never tell whether they were male or female. Then they would-' Arthur breaks off and inhales sharply.

'What Arthur?'

'They said it was because I was the Once and Future King. They had to do it if I were to serve Albion once more. Merlin they…' He hesitates. 'They passed souls through me. Through my body.'

'They passed souls through you?' Merlin asks in disbelief. 'How?'

Arthur closes his eyes and rubs his forehead with his fingers. 'I don't know Merlin. There were souls, good ones and bad ones. The truly evil ones were passed through me countless times. It was excruciating pain Merlin. I would scream and scream for hours until my throat wouldn't allow me to anymore. There was Morgana's soul, Morgouse's, Nimueh's, so many people that we knew. They were screeching and wailing. I wanted to die, but I was already dead, Merlin. They would do it over and over until I thought I would lose my mind.'

'Why?' Merlin whispers hoarsely, eyes wide. 'Why did they do that to you?'

'So that I could sense them. Sense good and evil. My body, my mind, it learned to feel and sense it all. In the last few days that I was there, I could feel the souls around me. They were not in the room with me. But I could tell where the wicked ones lay and where the good ones were contained.'

'I don't- I don't understand.' The warlock stares at Arthur's furrowed brow and smoothes it out gently and begins to stroke his hair, letting the magic calm him down a bit so that he can explain more clearly.

'Jaden,' Arthur says. 'I knew his intentions weren't good. I can sense better with physical contact. When I touched his hand, I knew for sure there was something wrong with him.

'He poisoned you. I thought you died-' His voice breaks, stabbing Merlin's heart. The warlock holds Arthur's face in his hands gently. 'I'm okay. I won't die. I-I was only drugged.' He says, wiping the single tear that trickles down Arthur's cheek. The blond pulls away and turns his head hastily, staring at the curtain.

'How did you- how did you know how to find me?'

'I told you,' Arthur says without looking at him. 'I can feel it inside me. It's how you would look at a person's expression and be able to tell whether they are happy or sad or angry. I can feel the soul. I can sense where they are. I just had to follow that. I could sense you. I was in the tub and I realized you weren't in the house anymore. I didn't understand why you would leave me alone like that, without telling me.' Arthur's voice betrayed a hint of hurt. Merlin feels a surge of guilt but stays quiet and lets him continue.

'I concentrated on you. You were easy to sense and I was so busy concentrating on you that I didn't notice the people around you. But then I felt him near you. I could feel it. He was about to do something. And then, I could tell something had gone wrong. Your soul, it was dulled. I just put on the clothes I had taken off and rushed out with my sword. I kept climbing and climbing the stairs. When I finally found the house, I had to kick down the door. There were two people. Jaden and one other person. They were- they were getting rid of your clothes. I just… I just saw your body and I couldn't even think, Merlin.' Arthur tries to control the rage in his voice. 'How dare they even touch-' He breaks off and closes his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

'So that blood is-'

'Theirs. Yes.'

'They're dead?' Merlin asked slowly.

'Jaden was still breathing when I left with you.'

Merlin wants to pay more attention to the 'left with you' part but Arthur had killed one, probably two people. He takes a deep breath. 'Arthur, we cant kill people like that in this time. The police-' He struggles to explain. 'The rulers of the country do not allow it. The police are the guards. They are supposed to be informed. If someone is murdered, they investigate and the murderer is brought to trial.'

'Merlin they were about to rape you-'

'I know. I know.' Merlin says gently. 'Thank you for saving me.' He blushes slightly. 'Come on, we have to see the situation up there and possibly get rid of the bodies.' He tries to calm his nerves and gets up.

'Why?' Arthur asks stubbornly.

'Because this isn't Camelot, Arthur. The rules here are different. I know that you did what you think is right. I know that. But when people find out, the police will be all over the place. They will question everyone. And we have to live here. We wont be the only ones affected by these deaths. We must keep things in order.'

'Hide behind lies?' Arthur frowns. 'I'm not a coward, Merlin. I'll tell the guards what happened. I didn't kill an innocent man. I am not wrong. I will face a trial.'

'No, you don't understand.' Merlin says, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. 'This was not a crime serious enough for their murders to be justified. They hadn't even- started with me yet.'

'Only because I showed up and killed them before they could do anything!' Arthur shouts, getting up too.

The warlock takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. 'You've got to trust me, Arthur. Do you trust me?'

'I trust you.' The blond replies quietly, after a pause.


A musty smell enters Merlin's nostrils as they enter the apartment. His fingers fumble for the switch and the room is bathed in soft yellow light. Broken glass, overturned furniture and blood.

Merlin swears softly when he sees Jaden's body on the floor in a pool of blood. It's lying in an awkward position, eyes glassy and unseeing. A black eye and a bloody lip cause Merlin to inhale sharply. He doesn't know how to feel. He had known Jaden for a few years and they had been friendly neighbors. But he hadn't been what Merlin thought he was. The warlock still had not been able to overcome the weakness that had contributed to so many mistakes. Looking for good in everyone.

Merlin crouches beside the body and places his hand above the heart.

'What are you doing?' Arthur asks.

'Not something I'm proud of.' Merlin says in a strained voice and sighs softly before muttering a familiar spell. He repeats it with the body of Jaden's friend which lay a few paces from Jaden. Another spell follows and the bodies burst into flames, reducing to ashes before their eyes. Merlin flicked his fingers in the direction of the remains and they fly up, spinning together once before fluttering out the window into the cold night.

When they leave, the apartment is as if no one has lived there for years.


'We are running out of food, Arthur.' Merlin closes the fridge with a sigh.

'We can get take away. I love take away. How about the boonies from Donald's?' Arthur says excitedly.

'Burgers from McDonald's,' Merlin corrects him with a smile.

'Yes, those.' The blond frowns and picks up Merlin's phone, unlocking it. 'This is brilliant. You can communicate with people through the air. Quite magnificent.'

Merlin laughs. 'It is, isn't it?' He takes it from Arthur and orders their food, making sure to order the milkshake Arthur loves so much. 'You don't have any clothes.' he says while they wait for the food. He watches Arthur try to work the laptop.

'I don't need them. The washing machine does a fine job.' Arthur's eyes dart across the screen with the pacman.

'You cant wear the same clothes forever, Arthur.' Merlin insists.

'I'm the king, Merlin. You cant tell me what to do.'

'I always tell you what to do.'

'Idiot.'

'Clotpole.'

'Shut up Merlin! I'm trying to eat the blue ghosts and you're distracting me.'

Merlin rolls his eyes and rests his head on the arm of the couch. 'You cant stay inside forever.'

Arthur ignores him.

'You don't have to be scared-'

'I'm not scared!' Arthur replies, looking flustered. The pink ghosts reaches pacman, eliminating it. 'I'm just not used to it, that's all.'

'I'll be with you the whole time,' Merlin says softly.

'Cant you just get a take away of clothes like you can get of food?'

That night Merlin orders some t-shirts online.


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