This was the hardest day of Merlin's life.
Merlin had been riding for so long that he was near collapse, so he lay down. Merlin thought he would only close his eyes for a moment, just a five minute rest. The moment he closed his eyes, the fatigue took over. He was asleep within seconds.
When Merlin woke up, dusk had arrived; by his own estimation Arthur would have arrived at Mount Badon by now. Merlin got up ready to race to his friends, but that's when he saw that his horse was gone. He hadn't tied it down properly due to his fatigue.
Merlin yelled out in frustration. Now what? He asked himself. He had no choice but to walk the remaining leg. He hoped that he would make it on time. Even he though it was unlikely.
Merlin walked in the forest, the darkness did not disturb him. The forest was always quieter during the night. He found it peaceful.
Merlin picked berries as he went; he knew that he had to eat. It was going to be a hard battle. But Merlin had realized something, he was stronger. He had never felt this powerful. Merlin knew that he could do anything.
The hours passed by, Merlin kept walking.
That's when Merlin heard the sound in the forest. He heard the snapping of twigs, and the rustle of leaves. There were people in the forest.
Merlin was ready though. He hoped that he wouldn't need to deal with them the hard way. He had no desire to spill blood before the battle. He would harm enough people when he was at war to last a lifetime.
Emrys it is us, Merlin was so relieved. That meant the Druids had decided to come after all.
"Thank you for coming." Merlin stated; the gratitude clear in his voice.
The Druids came out of the forest, their clocks on, all with sombre expressions on their faces.
We have come, but we should hurry. Emrys time is not on our side.
Merlin was well aware of that, so he continued walking, the Druids were flanking him.
Each Druid had struggled with the decision to come to this battle.
Iseldir had spent his life avoiding confrontation. He had been told from a young age that fighting, and using your magic only brought bad fortune. He had seen the results of the Great Purge and that had confirmed his beliefs that fighting was a mistake. He had spent his life hiding. And that was ok with him. He was good at it. Iseldir protected the people that he cared about. But then Emrys had come and made him question everything that he had ever believed. What truly convinced Iseldir that going to battle was necessary, was his fellow Druid Antar.
Iseldir had watched Antar, a wise man struggle to come to this battle. His wife had been killed in the Great Purge, but when he had decided to fight, the Druids all agreed. He had made the argument they had to fight for a future worth living for.
Each Druid had lost so much to Camelot, the feeling of security and safety, others had lost loved ones. The Druids came because Emrys's words struck a chord with them. The Druids had never fought back, or fought for themselves. They had let life happen, and because of that they were stuck hiding. No Druid wanted that life for their children. They would fight for a better world. They would fight for a future worth living for.
The sky started to lighten, and Merlin knew that they were running out of time. He was already walking as fast as he could, but he tried to go faster.
He heard the shouts first, then the clatter of swords. Merlin's heart stopped. Never in all his life had he been so afraid. Not when he went into a battle for the first time, or when he fought Nimueh, not even when he lost his magic. Arthur was in the clearing fighting for his life, and he wasn't there. He wasn't there! Arthur was in danger. Merlin took off in a sprint.
Merlin wasn't watching where he was going and this caused him to trip on a branch, his ankle twisted. He shouted out in pain. The Druids rushed to his side. But Merlin was already in the process of getting up. He didn't have time to wait and get healed. He was needed! Merlin knew that he was supposed to be by Arthur's side.
Merlin swallowed the pain, and moved as fast as his body would allow him. He needed to get to Arthur.
Arthur cut through soldier after soldier, his sword seemed to do most of the work. Leon was flanking him. Gwaine was to his left. His fury was terrifying. It was easy to forget that the good natured fun loving knight was a killing machine. Arthur was already drenched in sweat. His arm covered in the blood of the soldiers he had just killed.
Percival led the charge up to the mountain peak. Merlin had warned them that they would be attacked from there, so Percival wanted to insure that was impossible. There were only a few Saxons guarding the peak, they were easily dealt with. Percival knew that this was too easy.
The battle seemed fairly matched. But Morgana was just watching. Mordred was too far away from Arthur. Morgana had Athisua help when she forged Mordred's sword. It was just as powerful as Arthur's. She watched from the highest peak. She had no intention of getting her hands dirty.
It was time to make this battle interesting. She signalled the Druids. With one flash of light, the Druids revealed themselves.
Percival had an intense moment of wanting to retreat. But he couldn't, he continued the charge.
Arthur felt fear creep up into his spine. Which was strange, honestly during a battle Arthur felt most alive. But the Druids were looming above them. This did not slow him down though; he had to get to Mordred. He had to end this.
He wished to God that Merlin was here at the battle. What had happened to him? Where was he?
The Druids took one deep breath and acted as a unit. Their hands thrust out and with a flash of their eyes, a huge gust of wind knocked down a quarter of Camelot's forces. Some of the soldiers impaled themselves on their own sword. Others were taken down by the Saxons.
Percival hung onto a cliff, as he tried to pull himself up, he had scratches from the rocks that hit him. Many of the soldiers and Knights that had gone with him fell off the Mountain. Surely they were all dead.
The Druids began preparing for another assault.
Camelot`s soldiers hearts sank, they were so out matched.
Arthur was almost in range of Mordred. He was not going to stop fighting until the bitter end.
All of Camelot's brave soldiers looked at their king and found it in their hearts to keep fighting. He had not given up, and they wouldn't. As long as Arthur was alive, the fight would continue.
Merlin stumbled to the back of the battle. He could see Gaius's medical tent. He could see the chaos of the battle, soldiers and Saxons a like lying dead. The Druids were up on the cliffs, soldiers and Knights hanging off the side of the cliff.
It looked so much like the vision that haunted him.
Merlin couldn't see the one thing he wanted to see, and that was Arthur.
Merlin walked back towards the Druids, "See the rogue group, please fight them. I will join as soon as I..."
"As soon as you save your King."Iseldir said; "It is ok Emrys, go on. These men and women, disrespect the magic they have. They use it for committing heinous crimes, they are our enemy too. You were right, we shall fight for a world that we want, not just stand by."
If the circumstances weren't so grave Merlin would have smiled.
The Druids moved with such speed, it surprised Merlin. They were going to go around the battle, it was the only way not to be killed by the forces of Camelot.
Morgana spotted the new arrivals immediately, they stood out. She was sure that this was Merlin's doing, he must have contacted the Druids, but she wasn't worried. The battle was still in her favour. She decided it was time to let out her final weapon. Morgana had anticipated the Druids, Merlin would have never given up easily. She was sure he was down there, once she was positive that the battle was won, she would find him and kill him, herself.
Merlin went in the tent, he was going to get into the center of the battle, he just needed something to walk with.
Gaius was busier than he had ever been. The bodies had already piled up. Those who were able to drag themselves to the tent, those soldiers were easier to treat. But many of the soldiers would not leave their friends to die and bring them to Gaius, but sadly they were too grave to treat. But when Gaius saw Merlin he couldn't help but smile, his boy was alive, his boy was alright, his boy was here to save the day.
Gwen would have loved to see Merlin, but she was too busy wrapping as many wounds as she could. Whenever a soldier was left by the tent she was the one treating them.
"Merlin!" Gaius shouted Merlin rushed over. Gaius had to embrace him, at least once before he went out into the madness of the battle.
"Gaius, it's good to see you, but I need to ask you something, do you have a walking stick?" Merlin asked.
"I had a feeling that you might need this." Gaius said as he ran towards his supplies. It was his staff. Merlin had left it behind, but Gaius knew that once Merlin had his magic back he would want it. So he had brought it with him.
Merlin smiled Gaius always came through for him.
"I will be back, Arthur must have led the charge?" Merlin asked.
Gaius nodded and with that Gaius watched his brave boy head towards the battle with no fear in his eyes, only determination. Gaius couldn't say goodbye, Merlin would be back, he just had to come back.
One of the soldiers lying in the makeshift infirmary saw Merlin. He had wondered where the lad had been. But what was he doing. He was leaving the tent. Could he possibly be heading out to find the King without any armor, not even a sword? The soldier came to the conclusion that Merlin was. That was one loyal and brave man, he thought as the darkness overtook him.
Mordred hacked through soldiers and Knights still unable to reach Arthur, when he saw something, cloaks, he recognized them instantly. They were Druids, but those Druids had refused his offer. Perhaps they had re-thought their options. It was one more nail in Camelot's coffin.
He looked up towards the cliff for a second to see the Druids that were already preparing for another blow. He smiled as he knocked down another soldier of Camelot. Emrys was dead, the Druids had all joined against Camelot and the Saxons outnumbered the soldiers. Camelot was ready to fall.
That's when he saw Morgana release her pet Dragon. There really was no hope for Camelot.
Gwaine couldn't believe it; it was a Dragon!
"Bloody Hell!" He yelled as he ran over a Saxon. What else could go wrong? He really wanted some ale.
Arthur felt like laughing. The fates really weren't on his side.
At the moment Camelot seemed doomed to all, but that`s when the tide changed.
The two Groups of Druids met each other and their battle began. The soldiers would have stopped just to watch the fight. It was magnificent. Balls of fire, flashes of lights, wind storms. Several of the rogue Druids fell of the cliff.
The two went at each other with such might it was frightening.
The soldiers however still had to fight off a fearsome army, and then there was a dragon to deal with.
Aithusa flew over the crowd spraying fire. Morgana finally grinned in delight.
She made her way down the cliff. Her plan was to help the Druids finish of those rogue users of magic; they were traitors.
Merlin yelled from within the ranks of the Armies of Camelot.
Half the soldiers saw Merlin. Everyone wondered what he was doing. Is words made no sense.
Merlin focused on Aithusa as a dragon lord the young dragon had to obey the command. It flew down all the soldiers dove to the side. They believed that the dragon was attacking but Merlin stood firm. The dragon bowed to Merlin.
Everyone was surprised. Morgana saw her dragon bow. There was only one man that could make her Dragon bow. It couldn't be. He was a dragon lord. Merlin stood on top of his Dragon and flew over the battle.
Arthur did truly laugh, there was Merlin. Suddenly hope filled his heart.
Leon had to admit that was one dramatic entrance. Gwaine laughed at his opponents. They were doomed.
So many of the soldiers were shocked. That was the King's servant! That was Merlin! What was he doing? Was he the enemy? Just as they pondered that question, they saw the answer.
Merlin raised his staff, and the skies changed colour, the wind stopped, soldiers and Saxons kept fighting, but their eyes were drawn to Merlin.
He was very distracting, and that meant dangerous.
One Saxon was so mesmerised by Merlin, he didn't see the valiant Sir Kay until it was too late.
The rogue group of Druids had thought that Emrys had been neutralized they wouldn't have fought if that had not been the case.
Iseldir laughed; "Emrys has arrived, you are all doomed!"
Morgana was shocked beyond all imagining how, that was not possible. She had taken away his magic. She had finally outsmarted him. This could not be!
Mordred couldn't believe it, he was supposed to be dead, how was he not dead!
With one thought Merlin blasted over half of the Saxons off the battlefield. It made what the Druids did look like a party trick. He even surprised himself at his might.
Mouths hung open, for a moment after the crash, everything was still. Then you heard Arthur yell; "For Camelot, for Merlin!"
And the soldiers roared. They began chasing the remaining Saxons off the battlefield. Merlin turned his attention to the rouge Druids. With his newfound powers, he blasted the part of the cliff that they stood on to kingdom come.
That's when he saw Percival. Merlin yelled to Aithusa to save him. Merlin jumped off. He levitated to the battlefield, while Aithusa saved Percival and the other soldiers.
Iseldir and the Druids thought their skills would be better served healing the injured. They headed off towards the tent, and to attend to the fallen on the battlefield. No one was afraid that a soldier of Camelot would cut them down.
Merlin wanted to find Arthur, he couldn't spot him. Where was he?
It didn't matter, Morgana was heading straight for Merlin.
Morgana raged, she was blasting soldier after soldier out of her path. They were all stupid enough to charge a high priestess, they all deserved to die. The ignorant, despicable fools.
Merlin saw the bodies flying and turned to Morgana.
The Saxons had mostly been chased away. There was a huge amount of the clearing at the base of the mountain that was empty. Morgana and Merlin met there.
Every eye was on them.
"Morgana," Merlin said softly, as if he was speaking to the girl that had lived in Camelot.
"So this is the mighty Emrys." Morgana spat without meaning too she started to voice how she felt about Merlin "I have other names for you, liar, traitor, coward."
Merlin didn't look away, he stared Morgana down. He did not say anything in defence. This just agitated Morgana.
"You were supposed to be my friend, do these fine soldiers know how you poisoned me, or how I came to you when I was afraid and you lied to my face." Morgana raved; "I needed one person to be on my side and yet you could not help me! I was supposed to be your friend!"
Arthur couldn't help but feel sorry for Morgana, even after all she had done. He couldn't help but see the sister that he had grown up with, being afraid, he would have given anything to make her feel different. But it was too late.
"I was your friend!" Merlin shouted; "You chose to be my enemy!" It wasn't only his fault.
Everyone listened to this conversation. It was as captivating and full of as much emotion as any battle.
"Ha! You were the one person I trusted in all of Camelot. You should have helped me, but instead you chose your PRECIOUS ARTHUR!" Morgana yelled; "you should have chosen me."
Her whisper cut through Merlin's heart. He tried to explain himself. "You are the darkness to my light, Morgana, I tried so desperately to bring to the light. But you chose the darkness, you gave me no choice!"
"We all had choices Merlin, you could have helped me, you could have fought for me, you could have believed in me!" Morgana yelled; and finally the truth was out. She had loved Merlin, in her own way.
"I did! I saved your life over and over again, even when I knew better, even when I knew that you would turn into this! Who do you think woke you up when you nearly died? I risked everything for you, but you tried to destroy everything else I cared about!" Merlin exclaimed the pain evident on his face. He would have done anything to change the past.
"You mean Arthur was more important, a man who never really new you." Morgana hissed. She had enough. Merlin had broken her heart; she had never been able to kill him either. She had always come up with silly excuses; he was just a servant, he could be useful in the future, or he knew nothing.
"Look at this Morgana. All these innocent lives were lost in your quest to get a throne you did not deserve." Merlin stated. "Was this really what you wanted?"
Morgana saw Merlin not as the young man he was, but she could see the old man he would become, his voice, his eyes everything about him, looked as if he lived for a thousand years. As if the pain had aged him overnight. Those words, was this really what you wanted had haunted her nightmares. She looked around seeing the chaos that the battle had created. It was as she had seen; Merlin standing before her surrounded by the bodies of the Knights and Soldiers that had died.
Morgana saw Sir Galahad . She had watched him grow up, and now she saw his blood covered body. He would have died to protect her at one time, and now he was dead because of her. Morgana had lost everyone, Gwen, Gaius, Arthur and Merlin. Morgana didn't know whether or not this was what she wanted, but this was the life she had. She was not going to stop fighting. She didn't want to keep talking. Merlin was invoking emotions in her that she did not want to feel.
"Enough! It is time that, you, the throne in my side is pulled once in for all." Morgana yelled, her voice conveyed her inner turmoil. She sounded as frantic as the mad woman she had become.
Merlin knew that the time for talk was over. He could no longer protect Morgana. This was after all destined to be. No man however great, could stave off destiny.
Merlin put down his staff, as he and Morgana entered a battle as equals.
Morgana and Merlin attacked each other. They poured everything into that attack. The future that could have been fueled them both. They could have loved each other, they could have laughed, they could have had so much...but life turned out so differently.
The earth shook with the force of their attacks. Tornadoes rose sky high. Soldiers ran for cover as the two sent fire at each other. Lighting flashed as storm clouds came and circled them. The explosions could be heard for miles.
The Druids went to soldiers of Camelot and covered them, with protection spells. Arthur and Leon dove behind boulders, as they watched the most terrifying battle of their lives.
Mordred shielded himself, unable to enter a battle that was meant for the two of them. He hoped so desperately that Morgana would win.
Merlin and Morgana aimed giant fireballs at each other at the same time, and the two redirected at the mountain. Mount Badon weakened.
Morgana had in her possession a sword, which had been forged in a dragons breath as well. When she discovered Athisua's power she forged the sword, for the purpose of killing Emrys. She knew that no matter how powerful he was this sword would kill him. She flung it at Merlin with the aid of a tornado style wind.
Merlin saw it coming. He had enough. Merlin focused his energy towards Morgan and flung himself at her. He grabbed the sword in mid air. He deflected the last of Morgana's feeble attempts, with one blow. Merlin grabbed Morgana and with one solid movement he stabbed Morgana in the heart.
There was a sense of calm as the sword entered Morgana's body. The sky returned to normal. The wind stopped.
Morgana didn't scream. Merlin looked her in the eyes. The two of them had a silent exchange, acknowledging the life that they could have had together. One silent tear rolled out of Morgana's right eye. She had known this was a possibility. And yet, now at the end, for the first time in years, she realized what she had lost when she allowed hatred into her heart. For the first time in years she repented her actions.
Morgana's life flashed before her eyes, the laughter she had shared with her father, the day that Uther took her in, playing with Arthur as a child, Gwen and her shopping, Gaius checking on her, Merlin smiling at her. Morgana remembered the time she was happy, with her family in Camelot. The family she betrayed.
The last words Morgana Pendragon heard were "I am so sorry."
Merlin had never wanted it to come to this. Morgana tried to say something, but all that came out was "I..."
Morgana Pendragon lay dead in Merlin's arms.
Mordred let out a cry of pain. It vibrated so hard against the mountain, which had already been weakened, that it began to fall apart. The moment of peace was over. If the mountain came down, everyone in the valley would die. The avalanche of boulders was huge.
Merlin focused with all his might. He had to hold the mountain together. He had to make sure that everyone was ok.
Arthur had finally seen Mordred. He charged towards him.
Leon had seen a Knight who had been his comrade since he was a boy, he was injured Leon had rushed to him. That was the moment Arthur was unprotected.
Mordred saw Arthur. Their eyes met. A silent agreement of entering a dual passed between them.
As Merlin tried to hold a mountain together, Arthur and Mordred battled.
Their swords clashing in precise movements.
Gwaine had been pinned under one of the falling boulders, watched in horror. Arthur wasn't supposed to be in this fight.
The skill of the two men was undeniable.
Merlin saw Arthur and Mordred fighting and knew he had to do something. He began to feel drained of his powers. The battle had taken so much energy. And holding together a mountain was no picnic.
Merlin focused with all his remaining strength. Then he literally flung the mountain into piece as he put a protective shield around the clearing. Boulders deflected off the shield. It looked like a meteor shower to those who were under the protection.
This did not deter Mordred and Arthur. Arthur pressed at Mordred, who fell. Mordred realized he did not have the skill to beat Arthur, so it was time to resort to magic. Arthur was about to deliver the killing blow, but Mordred shot Arthur back.
Merlin cried out, and flung himself towards Arthur. Mordred's sword came down, and instead of piercing Arthur's chest, he slashed Merlin's chest. Merlin landed with a thud, his legs flung almost comically into the air, but Mordred just slashed them down.
Emrys lay unconscious.
Mordred was about to finish Arthur off, when Leon snuck up behind him and ran Mordred threw with his sword.
Mordred crumpled at his feet.
The Battle of Mount Badon ended with the cries of Arthur Pendragon begging Merlin to wake up, as tears streamed down his face, hugging the body of the most important man in his life.
This was the hardest chapter to write, but I hope it came out alright. I always wanted the show to address Morgana and Merlin's relationship, in the first season they were so close, anyhow I hope u guys liked my interpenetration, and the whole battle sequence.
I tried to catch all the mistakes, sorry if I missed any
Peacelight