A/N: Okay, the general consensus from the last chapter seems to be that the cliffhanger I left you all on wasn't very nice. But you can all lower your pitchforks now because, see? Another update! Enjoy!
Bright light. That was what Merlin saw upon raising his eyelids. But it wasn't sunlight. It was a powerful white light that took up the entirety of his vision. He had to close his eyes once more against the intensity of it.
"Merlin?" Kilgharrah asked. "What is it you see?"
"Just a bright, white light," Merlin replied, his eyes squeezed shut. "What does that mean?"
"It means, young warlock, that the healing magic has begun to work."
Merlin let out a laugh and sighed in relief.
"Oh, Merlin," Gaius threw an arm around his ward and let out a laugh of his own. He then helped Merlin to remove the sling from his right arm, the appendage now being fully healed.
"Try opening your eyes again, Merlin," Kilgharrah encouraged.
Merlin slowly did as the dragon said. The white light was still there, still too bright. Merlin blinked, trying to clear his vision. "How long until this light goes away?" he asked, as he moved his right arm around, testing his range of motion.
"Not long," Kilgharrah said. "Just give it a moment."
Merlin continued to blink as he waited for the healing magic to complete its work. He held tightly to Gaius' arm in anticipation. He couldn't wait to see the old physician again. He couldn't wait to see anything again.
And then the light began to fade away. Merlin smiled. "It's starting to leave, Gaius. The light. It's-" Merlin abruptly stopped speaking.
"Merlin?" Gaius asked, concern in his voice.
But Merlin didn't respond. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Because although the white light was fading from his vision, it was being replaced not with the sight of Kilgharrah and Gaius and Gwaine in the clearing, but with blackness.
"No," Merlin whispered. "No." Then he lifted his head, and in a voice filled with panic, he said, "Kilgharrah, what's happening? Everything's going dark again! I can't see!"
Kilgharrah didn't answer right away, at a loss to explain this new turn of events.
"Kilgharrah?" Merlin's voice was pleading, his whole body beginning to shake. Next to him, Gaius stood, an arm still wrapped around Merlin's shoulders but also completely silent, just staring up at Kilgharrah, waiting for an answer.
The silence in the clearing was deafening.
"The healing magic must have stopped working," Kilgharrah finally said, his voice solemn.
"No," Merlin whispered again, shaking his head. "No."
"Merlin," Gaius said at last, unsure of what else to say.
Merlin pulled away from Gaius' grasp. "No!" he shouted. "Kilgharrah, you have to do something!"
Kilgharrah closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I wish there was something more that I could do, Merlin. I am sorry," the dragon's voice was filled with sadness.
Merlin's breathing rate increased. The light was now completely gone from his vision and he was in darkness once more. "I can't stay like this. I need to protect Arthur! Kilgharrah-" Merlin begged. The tears were threatening to spill down his face now.
"Your vision may still come back to you, young warlock," Kilgharrah said quietly, his heart breaking at the distress of his dragonlord. "I cannot explain why the healing magic stopped working, but it was working."
"What are you saying?" Gaius asked, when Merlin didn't speak.
"I do not believe that Merlin's eyesight is beyond repair."
"Then why is it that you are unable to restore it?" Gaius asked. Next to him, Merlin had gone completely silent.
"I do not know the answer to that question, I'm afraid. The only explanation I can think of is that, if indeed Merlin is to see again, it is not yet time for his eyesight to be returned to him."
"Not yet time? You think that Merlin is meant to be blind?"
"I do not know," the dragon repeated again.
"That makes no sense," Gaius said, frustrated. "What reason could there possibly be for Merlin to stay blind?"
"Destiny is a mysterious thing, Gaius."
"Destiny? I thought it was Merlin's destiny to protect Arthur. How can he do that when he can't see?"
"I have told you all that I know or suspect," Kilgharrah answered. Then he turned to Merlin, who hadn't moved at all while he and Gaius spoke.
"Merlin, I am truly sorry." Then he looked over to the tree where Gwaine was asleep. "I sense the sleeping spell you have placed on the knight is wearing off. He will awaken soon. I must take my leave."
Merlin didn't respond. He just gazed straight ahead into the darkness that surrounded him on all sides. His body was shaking, his mind in turmoil. Merlin could never remember ever feeling this scared. The dragon could not help him. He had nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to. He was stuck like this. Possibly forever.
Merlin crossed his arms and hugged himself, trying to hold himself together as he felt himself falling apart.
"Never lose hope, Merlin," the Great Dragon said, as he spread his wings, preparing to take off. "You still have a destiny to fulfill. You must continue to protect the Once and Future King."
With that, Kilgharrah pushed off the ground and launched into the sky, his strong wings beating harshly against the air.
"HOW?" Merlin shouted up at the sky at last. But there was no response. Kilgharrah was already gone. "How?" Merlin repeated, this time the question barely rising above a whisper as he sank to the ground. There, he continued to hold himself as silent sobs began to wrack his body.
Gaius immediately placed his hands on Merlin's shoulders. No words came, however, and he simply gripped his ward tightly as a few tears escaped from his own eyes.
"Gaius?" came a voice from somewhere off to the side. Looking around, Gaius realized that it was Gwaine, who was stumbling to his feet, wiping the sleep away from his eyes.
The knight looked at the scene before him with confusion. He saw Merlin on the ground with Gaius at his side, tears streaming down both of their faces. "What's going on?" he asked in concern, making his way over to the pair.
Gaius just gave Gwaine a meaningful look and the knight immediately clamped his mouth shut.
"We need to get back to Camelot," Gaius said. "Now."
Gwaine just nodded, not daring to voice any of the hundreds of questions that were now swirling through his head. He looked down at Merlin, kneeling in the grass, arms wrapped tightly around himself. He gave a questioning look to Gaius who returned the glance with another that clearly said, "We'll talk about it later."
Gwaine nodded his head and then lowered himself so that he could get a clear view of Merlin's face. The young man didn't move or give any indication that he knew Gwaine was even there, so Gwaine placed a hand on Merlin's arm, which, he noticed, was no longer in a sling. Something else to ask Gaius about later.
"Come on, mate. We're going home."
Merlin didn't respond, but neither did he resist when Gwaine pulled him to his feet. Gwaine slung Merlin's arm around his shoulder and walked with him back to the horses.
Merlin was in a trance-like state. He was vaguely aware of someone helping him to mount his horse. He assumed it must be Gwaine, but he found that he hardly cared.
"We may need to tie him down," Gaius said in concern, when he saw how unsteady Merlin looked on top of his horse.
Gwaine looked up at his friend, who was clearly suffering from some sort of shock, and shook his head. "I'll ride with him."
Gwaine untied the rope from Merlin's horse that connected it to Gaius', and reattached it to his own horse. Gaius nodded his agreement with this new plan before moving towards his mount. Gwaine climbed up behind Merlin and put a protective arm around the young man.
When the knight was sure that Merlin was secure, he urged the horse forward, taking the lead in the direction of the city. Gaius followed behind, with Gwaine's horse bringing up the rear, being led along by Gaius.
It was a long ride back to Camelot.
A/N: I can sense some of you reaching for your pitchforks again. How could I not give Merlin his eyesight back? Well, let's just say that I have some plans for this story. Please leave a review! Until next time! :)