The moon was full in the sky, casting rays of silver light over the cobblestones, illuminating a path from where Viviane stood in the courtyard, to the small door beside the large stone steps. The servant's entrance, she thought, perfect! She stole quietly through the door and made her way to the chambers of the court physician, making sure to keep to the shadows.

She stood outside the door for a moment, breathing deeply to prepare herself for what was about to happen. With one final breath she opened the door quietly.

The room was much as she remembered it, glass bottles and large dusty volumes lining every shelf and various examples of scientific equipment covered every surface. All, that is, except one, which was currently otherwise occupied.

Gaius sat at the table, his quill poised halfway between a bottle of ink and the letter he was writing. He froze as he recognised the woman standing before him.

"You…," his voice was barely audible. "It can't be!"

"Please, don't call the guards!" Viviane pleaded. Gaius put his quill down and stood.

"I wasn't going to. But what are you doing here my lady? You know Uther would kill you on sight if he found you here!"

"I know, but I had to come. I heard about Arthur, one of my seers saw it in a vision. I also know about Hunith, and what Merlin plans to do."

"So you came here to stop him," Gaius said softly.

"Yes." He sighed.

"I see. Viviane, that's his mother up there," he motioned to a room behind him. "He won't let her die."

"I know that," she said. "Which is why I'm willing to offer my life in his stead." Gaius looked taken aback.

"But my lady…" he began.

"Don't Gaius, I have thought long and hard about this. I cannot let Merlin offer his own life up, nor can I reverse this without risking Arthur's life too, and none of us can stand by and watch Hunith die. It is the only option." Gaius walked forward and took her hands tenderly. Viviane, touched by this gesture, looked up into his eyes, moved by the sadness she saw there.

"I can't let you my lady. You are too important, to Merlin, to Camelot, to everything." He silenced her protests with a single glance. "There is another way, which I have thought long and hard about."

He led her over to the table and handed her his letter. As she read it, understanding dawned on her. Relief spread through her body but was quickly stifled by a profound sense of sorrow and grief.

"You can't Gaius! You're just as important to Merlin as I am!"

"How?" he asked simply. "You can teach him to use his powers and, when the time comes, to fulfil his and Arthur's destiny. I merely give him a home."

"No! You're more than that to him! You're like a father to him. I don't even need to speak to him to know that. He respects you and he loves you. You can't leave him like this. Let me go, he will mourn less over someone he doesn't know."

"But he does know you Viviane. Your power is in him, you are a part of him. You're only fooling yourself if you think he won't feel your loss, regardless of whether or not he knows you." Viviane couldn't deny this. Magic is a powerful force and it's binding effects have never been fully tested. He would most definitely feel the pain of her loss, though he wouldn't know why or how.

"My mind is made up," Gaius said softly, "and with all due respect my lady, you aren't going to change it."

Viviane nodded in acceptance, suddenly feeling heavy with grief.

"I'm going to miss you Gaius. You're a good friend."

"You don't know what a comfort it is to hear you say that my lady."

"I know we've had our differences in the past, and I have certainly done many things you may not have agreed with. But can we please put it aside my friend? Can you forgive me?"

Gaius embraced her warmly.

"There's nothing to forgive Viviane. You did what was right and it has turned out well, for the most part." They pulled apart and Viviane eyed him, confused.

"For the most part?" she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Well you could have used some of that power of yours to make Merlin a little less of a clot." They both laughed together and then they embraced one another again.

Footsteps in the hall outside alerted them and Viviane felt a sudden surge in energy even through the wall.

"Merlin!" she whispered. Gaius didn't question how she knew.

"You had better leave my lady." She nodded curtly, and then paused. The handle of the door turned.

"Goodbye Gaius. I'm going to miss you old friend."

"Yes, yes, I know," he whispered hurriedly. "Now go!" She started to fade away. "Goodbye," he whispered as she vanished. The door opened a fraction of a second later and Merlin came wandering in.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked Gaius, looking around the room for the second person.

"No-one, just thinking out loud," Gaius lied. Merlin looked sceptical for a moment, and then shrugged. Without another word he walked towards his bedroom to see his mother one last time.

Gaius waited until his door was firmly closed behind the warlock's retreating back before moving.

He took the letter, folded it, and on the blank side wrote Merlin's name. Propping it up against a small pot, he took one final glance towards Merlin's chambers before leaving, closing the door noiselessly.

Viviane sat in Avalon, her head in her hands, her face stained with tears for Gaius. As she closed her eyes a sudden wave of nausea swept over her and images began to flash across her eyelids. She sat bolt upright as her face drained of all colour. Merlin was heading to the Isle of the Blessed! He had to be stopped before he did something rash. Viviane gathered all her power together and pictured the Isle in her mind. When she reopened her eyes she was standing in the middle of a forest which she identified as being beside the lake in which the ruined Isle stood. She looked around her trying to get her bearings and recall which way to go. Off in the distance she saw the path that led to the lake. Lifting the hem of her dress she ran as fast as she could to the path and then along it, towards the lake.

The boat was moored on the other side of the water but, with a slight flick of her wrist, she brought it sailing towards her. Climbing inside, she remained standing, relying on her brilliant sense of balance as the boat shot back towards the ruins.

As she drew closer she heard voices raised as if in argument. One she recognised as that of her sister, Nimueh. The other was of a young male, light and lilting but filled with grief and pain. Merlin. It had to be.

She alighted from the boat, her feet making no sound as she crept stealthily up the stone steps.

A sudden wave of power hit her and she heard a crackling noise. Looking through the stone casement of a long gone window, she saw Merlin sending a jet of light towards Nimueh, which the latter stopped with the back of her hand.

"No Merlin," Viviane whispered. "She's too powerful."

"Your childish tricks are useless against me," Nimueh said as she conjured up a ball of fire. "I am a priestess of the old religion." With a word of incantation she sent the ball hurtling towards Merlin. He just had time to dive out of the way as it hit the wall behind him, shattering it and hurling bits of stone towards where Viviane was hiding.

Merlin jumped to his feet as Nimueh created another ball.

"You too are a creature of the old religion," she said, "You should join me." Merlin looked at her, squaring his shoulders and standing up straight.

"You think that I would join forces with such a selfish and cruel magic? Never."

Viviane felt a sense of pride swelling up in her at his bravery, and something else she couldn't quite place. But her moment of pride was short-lived as Nimueh shot the second ball towards Merlin.

The spell hit home, striking Merlin square in the chest, knocking him off his feet. Viviane started forward, her instinct taking over, the need to run to him overpowering her rationale. But she couldn't move. Her legs were stuck fast. She opened her mouth to shout out but no sound came out.

"You're not going anywhere." Nimueh's voice echoed in her head. "You're going to watch this. Watch him die."

Viviane's eyes widened in horror as Merlin lay on the floor, smoke rising from the burnt hole in his shirt, the skin underneath red and raw where the flames had touched it.

He took one deep breath and then his body went still. Viviane felt her heart plummet as she looked helplessly on his lifeless body. Nimueh satisfied her work was done, turned and walked back towards the altar.

Suddenly, Merlin's eyes shot open. Viviane's heart soared as he rose silently to his feet, his eyes fixed on Nimueh's retreating back. Her heart went cold though, when she saw the look of hatred in his eyes. She felt a rising wave of panic for her sister slowly taking her over as Merlin's voice rang out, low and dangerous in the open air.

"You should not have killed my friend." Nimueh stopped and turned slowly to face him, her face set in calm smugness.

Merlin looked up to the sky and raised his hand outstretched towards it. Thunder boomed as the rain started to pour, soaking all present within seconds. Viviane felt the power holding her in place relax as Nimueh, distracted by what was happening, looked up.

Viviane had no time to act. Her eyes followed her sister's gaze as a bolt of lightening shot down from the sky and struck Nimueh.

"No!" Viviane screamed, her yells being drowned out by the sound of the lightening electrocuting every cell in Nimueh's body.

Nimueh convulsed violently for several long minutes before, finally, her body exploded into hundreds of charred fragments.

Viviane turned her head away as a sob of grief caught in her throat. Even though Nimueh had conspired against her, she had still been her sister. But now, she was alone.

Viviane collapsed in grief, unseen, as Merlin ran to Gaius' body. The old man stirred as Merlin wept over him. Nimueh's death had restored the balance and delivered Gaius from his deal.

Viviane's head shot up as she heard the old man's voice, weak, but definitely alive. Despite her grief she felt deeply relieved. Suddenly, something came to her with the sort of jolt only a powerful realisation could give.

Choking back her tears she stood. She would save her grief for later. For now, she had to leave before she was discovered.

Merlin had developed his powers. He now rivalled her. Not to mention he had just acquired power over life and death. The time had come. She had been watching and helping out from the wings for so many years. It was finally time for Viviane to take centre stage, and for that, she needed a plan.

As she began to fade away, heading back to Avalon, the anguished voice of the Great Dragon echoed in her mind, and in the minds of every magic user.

"Merlin! NO!" he yelled as he reared up, straining against his chains in the darkness.

Somewhere in the night, the lady Morgana awoke with a jolt from a terrible dream, the image of the woman fresh in her mind. A woman with long blonde hair and a strange, terrifying aura of power around her.