Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters, they belong to their respective owners. I'm just having fun with them. Also, my first language isn't English so all the mistakes are my own as I don't have a beta, if you spot any please let me know so I can correct them as fast as possible. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

PS: The text in italics are thoughts.

CHAPTER XX: THE FINAL BATTLE Part III

Arthur and Merlin walk with a spring in their steps down the narrow corridor that leads them further and further within Camelot. According to Merlin's mental calculations they must be near the location of the castle, which makes a shiver travel up his spine in fear. But Arthur is not privy to his companion's alert state, he's much too happy for the birth of his baby girl and the safety of his wife to think clearly in anything else, when a sudden thought occurs to him.

"Merlin" - he calls his friend with a curious voice turning to the warlock who almost knocks him to the ground - "Careful, Merlin, watch your step!"

"You startled me!" - snaps Merlin, his heart still pounding in his chest - "What got you knickers in a bunch?"

"It just occurred to me. How exactly was Emrys conceived?"

"What?" - asks Merlin choking on air, the tips of his ears reddening furiously - "Why would you ask that? Do I have to make you a scheme, Arthur?"

"Very funny, Merlin. I'm just curious, you know. I have just realized that Morgana, well Morgana's body, wasn't really there in your meetings; and neither was yours for that matter. In fact, you hadn't seen Morgana in the flesh until we found her a few months ago; way after Emrys was born. So, what I'm trying to say is how did you got her pregnant in the first place?" - ask Arthur completely confused.

If Merlin is honest with himself, he didn't even thought about it before. He just took everything in stride when he first saw Emrys. He knows that little boy is his son, there is no doubt in his mind that he's his father. But details of how his conception happened escape his knowledge.

"It was magic, Merlin" - murmurs Morgana lovingly in his mind - "We are in love and we are both magical, darling. Our flesh might not have been in Avalon but our essences were, the most important part of us were there, and it just..."

"Happened" - Merlin finishes her trail of thought, a warm smile grazing his lips as he remembers the last night they spent together in the island - "He was meant to be. We were meant to be, love. That's why we just needed only one shot" - his smile widens as he hears her laugh with mirth in his mind.

"You are talking to her, right?" - Arthur asks watching slightly annoyed at the goofy expression of his friend, he would love to that with Gwen too - "So, does she know how she got pregnant?"

"Magic" - responds Merlin mysteriously passing by Arthur and continuing down the corridor.

"Of course" - mumbles Arthur rolling his eyes and following his friend.

Killgharrah waits patiently and quietly deep in the hole in the ground of his cave, cloaked in its shadows, for the king and the advisor of Camelot to arrive. He has been waiting for this moment for years. He first thought that Merlin could be the saviour, that he could restore the balance of magic and that he could right all the wrongs made to their kind. But he was wrong, so wrong it shamed him to think in all the time he lost with him; precious time he passed incarcerated in the cave. He tried everything with him. Be his friend, his confident, manipulate him and bribe him; even separate him from his soulmate, Arthur's seer half-sister. But nothing worked. He was weak and he fell into Arthur's claws without a fight and Killgharrah saw his chance evaporate before him, until he sensed Morgause.

She understood him. She knew of his pain, of his rage and of his grief because she'd suffered from it to. And she wanted to right the wrongs, to free magic and to avenge the poor slaughtered souls of their innocent kind. So he contacted her, helped her and restored her magic. And she repaid that help in the best way possible, freeing him and letting him have his personal revenge against the king of Camelot.

Mordred and Morgause run upstairs two steps at a time elated to feel the pulse of their magic in their veins, to feel the power within their core. They haven't lost time using their powers, testing them, rejoicing in them. They have seen their enemies enter the royal chambers and then leave in a rush passing by their invisible forms in the corridor without being the wiser. They will let Killgharrah have his shot with them first, they're going to be very busy in other places anyway.

Mordred separates from her mother with a big hug and a warm smile as he runs to the big balcony where the king speaks to his subjects, where Uther ordered his father decapitation. His eyes harden and he remembers that day, with precise detail, making him loose focus and lift the invisible incantation. But it doesn't matter if they see him or not, not now. Now he's going to enjoy bringing the whole city to its knees so he opens the doors with a sharp pull and a cold smile as he watches the whole city beneath him.

When Morgause sees her son turn around the corner her loving smile turns into a smirk as she transform herself into the old and wrinkled copy of the dead midwife lying cold and stiff in her chambers. Killgharrah informed her of Arthur's insistence to bring someone else to help his wife and change the future somehow. He was a fool obviously, as he forgot her existence the moment that peasant turned queen went into labour. But it doesn't matter, this new identity is letting her enter inside the royal chamber guided by a smiling Gaius.

It takes all of her strength not to go by the bed and strangle her sister and that bastard son of hers but she manages to cover her flexing hands in the wide sleeves of her robe. Not that it matters, because they are so taken by the little prince in Guinevere's arms that neither women acknowledges her presence. Her toothless gums grit in frustration seeing the baby outside her mother's womb. It would have been easier to strangle him right after he was born, but she was too late. "Or maybe not", she wonders as she hears the queen take a sharp breath in pain and look in fear at Morgana, who quickly sits her son on the ground to help her friend.

Merlin stops quickly at the entrance of the cave, making Arthur collide with his back and grunt at his friend in frustration. He knows this cave, he knows who it holds and his eyes narrow in anger, his hands flex stretching his magic and his nostrils flare in outrage. Killgharrah has betrayed them. He has found a way to override his holding spell and contact Mordred and Morgause.

Arthur watches silently how his usually calm and collected friend gets consumed by anger and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up in high alert. He has never seen him like this, ever; exuding magic through his every pore. He knows Merlin is powerful, has seen him with his own eyes as he almost single handedly rebuilt the entire city with his magic; but it has never terrified him to know the extend of his powers. But, obviously, he was wrong; he just knew a little portion of them and he has never been so grateful to be his friend, and to be on his side, than he is in this precise moment. So he follows his long and furious strides inside the cave watching in fascination as his sole presence illuminates the cave with his raw power.

Mordred breathes in the crisp morning air, closing his blue eyes in concentration, and moving his hands around him as if he was directing and invisible and silent orchestra. He's waiting. He waits for his mother to make a sign so he can start his little stunt, his little distraction, that will let her end the royal family without a disturbance. So he waits with a smile on his lips letting the sun recharge his magic and counting the seconds before he can play.

Gaius watches in confusion, with the little princess carefully tucked in his arms and Emrys hugging his leg, as Morgana tries to ease the queen's pain only to realize there is another baby on the way. Two children, how didn't the noticed that there were two? But his self beating is interrupted by the clapping of Zora, his midwife friend that he contacted for this very occasion.

Morgause cannot believe her luck. Two babies, and one is still on its way! It's absolutely perfect. She almost cannot contain her glee as she claps repeatedly, catching the attention of the rest, and she starts giving orders. First things first, she must separate Morgana from the rest as she's the only one in the room who can fight her. So she sends her to retrieve some more hot water, as the one they used for the first baby is already cold and bloodied. Gaius is already busy with the kids so he isn't going to be a threat now that Morgana is gone, so she lifts the blanket out of Gwen's legs and assesses her readiness.

Gwen cannot believe she's going through this pain again, and so soon after her daughter's birth. She cannot believe that she's been carrying two babies all this time. A mix of fear and happiness settles in her heart thinking of her little boy, because she's sure the baby still inside of her is a boy. She's not out of the woods yet and she doesn't want to worry Gaius but she know this birth is going to be worst than Gaila's, she can feel it in her bones; and she would give anything for Morgana to be the one taking her son in her arms than this creepy old lady she doesn't trust.

Killgharrah rises bating his wings trapping the two men in the narrow passage, almost throwing them down the precipice with the strong wing his sudden flying has created. He doesn't waste any time attacking them, it's obvious by the warlock's stance he already knows of his allegiance, and throws a spurt of fire to them that is easily repelled by Merlin with a slight movement of his hand. Both watch each other, seething, waiting for the other to attack again.

Arthur throws himself to the wall, as far from the precipice as he can, once he watches the dragon spurt fire from his mouth again only to be stopped by Merlin's magic. He's barely moving, not even blinking, but he can feel the oppressive force of Merlin's magic crushing his chest making it hard for him to breathe.

He's livid, he cannot believe Killgharrah would betray him like that. After everything he went through for him; after everything he suffered at his claws, he betrays him in the worst way possible, trying to erase everything he has worked so far to achieve. But he's not going to let him win, not this time. He's the dragon's lord and he will obey him.

He freed him; long before Morgana disappeared, long before Morgause fooled all of them and tried to destroy Camelot. He freed him and trusted him. But that trust was broken once he tried to kill Arthur after his coronation. He still remembers the darkening of the sky, the strong wind caused by his wings batting, and the screams. He remembers the screams the most, loud and piercing fearful screams of Camelot's citizens watching their almost destroyed homes being swallowed by flames. It was the very first time Arthur, and Camelot, saw his magic. He risked everything to save them and in the end he received more than he could have ever imagined; but not before the long and painful months of recrimination speeches and murdering looks.

He incarcerated him once again, confining him in his old cave and reinforcing his cell with magic so as to isolate him from the world. It seems that didn't work. He underestimated his magic and it'll never happen again; but the dragon has also underestimated him and what he'll do to protect his family, so with one sharp flick of his wrist he sends the flying dragon crashing to the wall.

"Run" - Merlin hisses between teeth at Arthur that looks at his back fearfully.

"What?" - Arthur mumbles still in awe at the magic display his best friend has just shown - "I'm not leaving you here alone!"

"Someone has to take care of Mordred, Arthur" - Merlin whispers still not looking at his friend - "You go for Mordred. I will deal with the dragon"

"Merlin..."

"I said GO!" - Merlin's booming voice echoes through the walls making them move slightly creating a shower of rocks and sand to fall all over them.

He watches by the corner of his eyes as Arthur scrambles behind him running to the open gate and up the stairs, out of the dragon's reach. He closes his eyes briefly, ashamed of how he treated Arthur; but it was the only way to keep him safe and to prevent him to see the darkest side of him. His iron grip on the dragon, the same one that has been holding him to the wall, slacks and allows him to recover his breath and his ability to fly as he walks leisurely out of the passage and into the main ground of the cave. It's time to show the dragon who is the master.

A loud screams breaks the peaceful crisp air of the morning and Mordred opens his eyes suddenly at the disturbance, a smirk grazing his pale lips. It's time to play, so he waves his hands above his face watching in delight as the previous light clouds delivering soft snow transform into dark and heavy ones bringing icicles that shatter loudly on the ground as the people of Camelot scream in fear. Such a beautiful sight, such a satisfying music to his ears. The air turns freezing cold, the temperature dropping drastically in a matter of seconds, as the icicle blizzard hits Camelot with ferocity.

The knights of Camelot cannot see anything, cannot do anything to stop this sudden weather that is making them freeze in their armours as they try to coerce the people to return to the safety of their homes and help the wounded. But there's not much they can do, Lancelot laments as he passes the body of an old lady stabbed in the chest by an icicle. So he prays to the Gods for Merlin to be able to stop them, to stop this massacre, because he knows he's the only one who actually has a chance.

Arthur runs as quickly as he can upstairs. He's so immersed in the task Merlin has forcefully given him that he doesn't notices the screams and all the noise around him. He should be afraid of his friend, and mad too; but he isn't. He's most respectful than anything else, and maybe a little bit annoyed; but he knows he's right. Merlin can handle himself and someone has to stop the little bastard he wishes he never helped in the first place. So he runs and runs, oblivious to his surroundings, trying to find Mordred so he can stop whatever it is he's doing.

Morgana realizes once she's in the kitchen that she didn't need to be there to collect fresh and hot water, not when her magic can do that with the one they already had in the room. But now is not time to ponder how stupid she can be sometimes, so she fills a pot with clean water and pronounces a simple enchantment letting the water boil as she returns to the royal chambers.

Two babies, she cannot believe it. How didn't they see it? Surely her premonitions should have caught that game changer, it's too big of a change to not be foreseen, and permanent too. Something is not right, she thinks rushing upstairs as fast as she can. They might have done something to blockade her premonitions, she doesn't know what or how but they have done it; otherwise she would have seen it. An ajar door catches her attention and she pauses, opening it cautiously, watching in horror the grey skin of the old lady that made her leave the room; the same woman that is now tending to a birthing and weak Gwen.

"Morgause" - Morgana mumbles in panic as she scoops her skirts leaving the useless pot of hot water spilling in the ground.