Authors Note: HAHA! No one saw that coming! So yeah twisting and turning and brushing far closer to shipping than I intended, well ok it was intended in the Merlin Freya bit. So the song in this one is In Control by Nemesea. I own nothing!

7. Blackness Rising

Morgana flicked her wrist and tied the still unconscious Merlin to her wall instead of her ceiling this time. He was positioned so he was on his knees. He would be uncomfortable but she didn't really care so that was ok. She knew he knew more than he was saying, had ever said. Emrys had come to kill the fammora so they had some kind of connection. They had to. That damned Catha hadn't told her anything about Emrys, but if Giaus knew then Merlin would too. And Merlin would be easier to break.

She knew what she would do; she would reach into him and play. Pull his darkest fears and happiest memories from his mind. Play until he was hers to manipulate as she wished. She made sure he was secure before she went to her herbs and magical stock. She sorted through it for a minute before she found it. A fine silver powder that would open his mind to her. She took a pinch and blew it careful not to inhale as it flew across the room and circled his head.

She waited as he breathed evenly in his sleep. It took him five minutes to breathe in the whole pinch. When she was sure he was done she put down her powder and listened as the music she had created to wreak havoc started.

"Can you hear me?" Merlin's eyes opened, though she knew he remained soundly asleep. A dull silver tainted the blue of his eyes as he nodded forced to respond by her spell.

"You've lost and I control you." She strode across the room and cupped his chin in her hand. She placed a forefinger on his forehead and he twitched as she reached into his memories.

"Here in your mind, in your dreams I will stay forever. You will become less than one, after I am done." She pulled out nightmare and moments of happiness, moments with her. Moments when she was weak, before she learned of her power.

"Fear should be yours in this world full of whispering voices." She wanted him to suffer, wanted to force him to live in a world of his own nightmares. Yet all the ones she could reach were truly a memory. The one of him poisoning her. He really did regret that she realized with a twinge. She changed her mind and pulled at different memories. She smiled as she removed those that marked her as the enemy and twisted them to put Arthur in her shoes.

"Here I am, you will be mine!" She felt his mind twitch under her ministrations. It was hiding things from her, actively. He was awake and fighting her spell, though her potion held him still physically it could do nothing to stop his mind.

"So here you are, wide awake. You won't give up fighting. Can you hear me? You've lost and I control you, you won't escape all your nightmares will reign free. Cause you are afraid of me." Two promising memories rose to the surface though Merlin fought to keep them back. Arthur fighting a beast with the body of a panther and the wings of a bat, a girl transforming into the beast against her will. Morgana only needed to change Arthurs face a little, add malicious intent to Merlin's thoughts of him and his mind thrashed under her magic. She was hurting him with actions more than pain.

Then the second memory. A man falling to an enemy sword to protect Merlin. One word echoed in this memory, unspoken but utterly sad. 'father'. Morgana twisted the vision so it was Arthur's blade that killed Merlin's father, not some nameless minion of a worthless king. As she released the memories back into his mind and his eyes drifted closed he began to cry. She ran her hand along his cheek.

"Your greatest fear, in your darkest dream I'm here. Your will is lost and you can't run from me." Then she whispered into his ear.

"Fear is the key all your life it has locked your doors. Day after day I am here to stay." Then smiling she released his bonds and floated the still unconscious boy to the bed. He wouldn't be her enemy when he woke. As she stroked his hair out of his face she noticed that something was missing. His scarf was gone.