Merry Crimbo! Now! I had a few people ask me to get a chapter posted before Christmas and so I thought why make one before when I can post it on Christmas eve! It's not like I'm allowed to go anywhere and get hideously drunk since my now eight months pregnant fiancé can't. After all why should I be able to right? Keep checking your computers people because I'm going to be spending a lot of time at home in the coming months so I will have a lot of time to write, meaning updates will be quicker.
However do not think that this will be a happy a chapter just because it's Christmas Lol you guys should know me better than that by now BUT since it is Christmas I will give you one hell of spoiler for the sequel to this story. James encounters the three sisters of fate in this chapter and let's just say they let slip one hell of spoiler. It will give you some idea of just what exactly has been going on in my head lately. I have also made a small video for the sequel, which by the way will be entitled "The Pirates Of Fate". Here is the link: .com/watch?v=tfNEcHbAhKo&feature=youtube_gdata
If the link doesn't show it is also on my profile page. Now it doesn't give much away but it's just a video of Imogen (Using Kahlan Amnell) set to the Doctor Who Christmas music of 2010 by Katherine Jenkins. If you want I have made a proper trailer for it and will post should enough people ask. Now I would also like to take this chance to say Thank you. I took a step back the other day and realised I have over 800 reviews for this story, and frankly that amazes me to no end. I would like to thank every single one of you that has ever sent a single review because, to be honest, I am beginning to consider a career in writing should my psychology thing not work out. Who knows perhaps I can do both, and it is because of you that I have the confidence to even think that.
Anyway I've babbled enough. Now onto your brilliant reviews, for which I should explain I that I only look under the reviews for the last chapter. Very occasionally I will reply to a review posted under another chapter but that's only if I see it, but please know I still appreciate them.
MaryandMerlin: Haha! Hello thar! You blame me all you want for making you look like weirdo on the bus, I'm used to it trust me lol Though I am pleased my reply made you grin so much that you were ridiculed. It happens to the best of us. And thanks for saying not to worry about the long waits for an update as it does play on my conscience a little. Lmao I'm not naming my child baby CoLdBlAdE alright? It's not happening. You may call them Baby CoLdBlAdE if you wish but as of this moment I do not hate it enough to actually name it that…perhaps in a few years :P My real name is Jack if that helps lol Though you can't call it baby Jackie! I can't stress that enough. My mother is doing it and frankly I'm very close to suffocating her. Is he joking? No he isn't, I'll kill her and then I'll find you - free bread or not :P. Oh dear god little sisters are annoying, especially at 11 so believe me I feel your pain. Mine spends an hour yelling at me and then suddenly she's hugging me and saying she's sorry. I mean…what the hell am I supposed to do with that? Seriously tell me. But yeah like I said the relationship of James and Anna is very much based on that relationship I have with her. My mum and Dad got divorced when I was like 12 and she was 2 so I sort of became an older brother/Father for her, which by the way sucks major ass nuggets – but it does give you an insight into loving someone so much that you would die for them…but not actually like them. Lol I swear if I ever write a book I will not forget you. In fact I'll come find you, I won't need a car because hell would have frozen over and I'll be able to just skate all the way there PERHAPS even twirl a caper as I do. People have to stop telling me I should write a book because it's starting to go to my head lol I even consider it sometimes. You want to know if over-all, meaning this and the sequel, will have a happy ending? Well as it so happens I have written the very last chapter and I can tell you that…I can't tell you :P But I can tell you that I'm very proud of it. Take from that what you will Lol Oh right, I'd forgotten you were into James so much, but yeah the flashbacks was the last things to actually occur to me but were essential for explaining why he does what he does in the chapter despite how insane it is. Lol you don't want me to revert time? Well we'll see, because at the end of this chapter things somehow become really quite dramatic rather suddenly and well, you'll see. Don't forget James likes his plans. Lmao Guy love between to guys, God bless scrubs, but who else was going to be his best man? And also who else was going to be Merlin's best man? It just made sense to combine them. Yeah all the horrible things from Morgana's dreams that are left start happening in the chapter after this, because it really is when things go nuts. Yeah James' entrances was never an intentional thing but I realised he hasn't once entered a room normally, so I thought it would just be one of his many quirks. You liked the whole proposal thing did you? Good, I'm glad, because my fiancé happened to see it and just glared at me lol You want human James and confident James to Merge? Well maybe you'll get a glimpse of that in this chapter towards the end. And you liked what I did with by mentioning that episode did you? With Uther dying and all that. You're thinking that if James and Imi had a kid then he would be the sorcerer prince and that's what Morgana's dream is about? Now did you say that because you picked up all those little hints I left? Funny that you would have picked that up now because you'll see the real reason why I left all those hints in this chapter, and it's FAR bigger than that. Anyways I think that's it. I hope you don't fail chemistry because of this story lol and always I thoroughly thank you and loved reading your review. I really hope this chapter does it for you…though I will say sorry :P You'll see why.
Amelia Friend: Lol yeah I did go through a little period of obsessing over Doctor Who, and since James was a relatively similar character they just sort of fell into him. Anyways thanks for the review and hope you enjoy the rest.
Dawn Ruthless: Lol the first word I read was crap and let's just say…I did. Like right where I was sitting :P I know the chapters are long, which wasn't intentional, but I couldn't help but want to resolve whatever was happening to them in the same chapter so they would just keep getting longer and longer lol Thanks so much for your more than kind words. Oh I've just read the bit where you said don't bother answering my review…awkward…but never mind. After such a nice one I couldn't not answer it. Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy this one as well.
Ahsilaa: Seriously some of you really are too kind, and I hope you realise how much your words do mean to me. I really do appreciate every single review especially when they're as nice as yours. I sincerely hope I don't let you down with this chapter and that you enjoy the rest of the story.
MorganaElenaLeFay: Wow really? You thought the last chapter was one of the most enjoyable chapters yet? Because to be honest I so wasn't sure about it. I've learnt an important lesson I guess, not every chapter has to have something supposedly exciting in it because there are different views on what is and is not exciting. Who knew? Yeah James and Gwaine lol before I decided to make a sequel to this story they were going to become a lot like Merlin and Arthur, but now I will perhaps save it for then and just lay the foundation for it so to speak. Thank you so much for such a nice review. I washed over with relief as soon as I read it so thank you.
Sabine8195: :P Thanks so much. Hope you like this chapter just as much.
FallenStar22: Thanks lol I thought it was important to have a lighter chapter before things got all crazy and dramatic again, plus it helps make it feel more real rather than all doom and gloom as well as helping people realise what's at stake. Anyways hope this chapter is alright as well and thanks again.
Fire dragonheart: Thanks again. As always love to hear from you.
Awed by Awesomeness: Lol I can assure you that an intervention is not necessary. I will never leave this story until it is complete and I've even started writing the sequel so never worry about that. This chapter brightened your day? Wow, it seems impossible that I brighten anything up (you should hear my fiancé and sister talking lol) but I am beyond glad it did. I'm also glad that you love the relationship between Anna and James. It's based on my relationship with my little sister so I really know a lot about it. It's this odd relationship were you can barely stand being in the same room as them but at the same time you'd die to just to help them lol Yeah James making a truce with Uther was very uncharacteristic but it showed that he's not himself at the moment. And also like James said Uther's one saving grace is how much he loved both Arthur and Morgana. Glad you liked Gwen bossing Arthur around. I figured if anyone could keep him in check it would be her. As for your questions I'm more than happy to answer them. Firstly the platform of time is a portal in the heart of the Venemagus kingdom that can reverse the whole of time back to a certain point. Now the implications are this. If Imogen and Anna jump into the portal, then time will reverse back to the day that they first arrived – meaning when Merlin poisoned Morgana. Now if they did that then everything will go back to how it was before the story started, and everything that happened in the show would happen instead. Merlin and Morgana would remember nothing, Uther would still be king and James would be nowhere. As for your other question as to why James just can't destroy the stones using the spell he used with Imogen, well that is one plan and what they will be doing in the next chapter. Now interesting you should also ask why the fates are hunting James because that's what this chapter is all about. The fates are angry at how fate has changed since Imogen has come back in time, but since they can see the future they know that James will be the one responsible for making sure Merlin and everyone don't forget everything that's happened to them. In other words they hate James because they know he will find a way to keep things as they are. As for Morgana's dreams I've always felt that they were set in stone, but what can change is the perception from which you see them as. For example back in series 1 Morgana dreamed that Arthur would drown, and he did, but she didn't dream about how Merlin would save him. It's all about points of view, perceptions can be flawed and all that. Anyways I hope that helped, if not then please ask me to clarify and I will. Thank you so so much.
MerganaLover: Lol thanks so much, and I'm glad you enjoyed the way I added some stuff from what was actually happening from the show. I figured some things had to stay in there and considering how long it can take me to update I knew I had to add it in somehow. By the way just finished watching the Merlin series 4 finale as I'm writing this and it's given me a butt load of new ideas. Excuse the language. I'm no writer :P Yes I have been watching the new series and so far it's my favourite. There's a lot of darkness and comedy all at the same time which I adore. Just watched the season finale and loved the Arthur/Morgana talk. Anyways thank you so much for your wonderful review. It brightened my day.
Xxroadrunnerxx: You know I'm starting to think this story isn't bad lol I've assumed so far that people are just being nice, but hey stranger things right. Thank you so much. You spent the last ten waking hours reading it? That's incredible. I find it hard to stay awake for ten hours :P Yeah there's a lot of the Doctor in James, mainly because James being the character that he is and me being slightly obsessed with Doctor Who they just kind of happened. Lol glad you like my sense humour as most people found it annoying. After I just had my first kiss I pulled back and asked if she'd ever thought of a career in plumbing…so yeah. Also have no worries, Merlin will be as amazing as James, in fact maybe more so. As you'll see in this chapter, well at the end of it anyway, Merlin will have to be amazing without James help – which is the way I always planned it. He showed him how and now Merlin must find his own way to do it. So you want Merlin to have a heritage? Lmao you are a complete genius! Seriously that's beyond probably don't know why I'm so excited at the fact that you want Merlin to be a descendant of Gabriel yet, but I would suggest that you go and look back at "The Maze of Avalon Part III", because there is where I gave it away. Imi gives a speech to Arthur about the THREE old gods (who we now know were Angels) Regus (Michael), Tor (Lucifer)…and Calibor (?). Ha! And again I state that you are a genius. You have to read this chapter after that review lol You just have to. As for your second point I'm afraid I don't understand what gap you're talking about – Oh! No I know what you're talking about. Yeah that was my fault for not explaining it more. That James that was accusing Merlin was not actually James, it was the Maze Borin pretending to be James…yeah I'm not sure that helped. Here I'll find it and paste it here for you. "I do," sounded a familiar voice from behind him. Both James and Elaine spun round to see another James Regus staring at them with a look of burning disappointment on his face. He suddenly morphed into Borin Regus. Hoped that help, and if not let me know and I'll try again. Anyways trust me you WILL enjoy this chapter, and then you'll know why I think you're a genius.
Lonewolf: Lol thanks again for another brilliant review. Yours in particular do make me smile. I like that idea about Imi and James but it didn't fit in this chapter, though there is a situation remotely similar right at the end which I hope you'll enjoy. Anyways as always I love to hear from you and sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter too.
Ebonyk: Hey hello hi! One word isn't enough for me anymore I've decided. Anyways I must have said this a thousand times but you really are too kind, seriously upon yet more seriously. Yes I've had a few glasses of wine with the family – you understand it's Christmas - and have just realised I talk like James when I'm bordering on dangerously tipsy. Nice to know where that character came from. Now all I have to do is work out the origins of the Easter Bunny and I'm golden. I wrote that chapter because I wanted people to know what was at stake in the chapters to come, and hopefully that happened. Anyways thank you so much for yet another fantastic review and sorry if I jabbered. They really do make my world spin.
Seddie lover: First of do not apologize for a so called late review. It's good of you to leave any review at all. Now onto your comments I am glad you think I have some semblance of a brain but I can assure you you're alone :P I think my fiancé and sister have a club in fact with very nicely decorated shirts. As for your memory problems I think you'll find it's called selective memory lol I have the exact same problem. Whenever my fiancé starts moaning at me for not throwing my socks in the laundry basket at night I start wondering what the world would be like without herbs. Now second, thank you so much for realising that not every chapter can be heart breaking or action packed. As you said it boggles the mind and in the end you just get bored of it. Lol what you don't believe that any man other than Merlin would catch a star and make it a ring to propose? Well…I resent that, mainly because the truth hurts :P Yeah James avoiding Imi is typical of him. He's a very proud genius, who just so happens to be a moron as well. With Imi and Arthur's interaction I did want to make it slightly Merlin/Arthur like, since there is a lot of Morgana in Imi and it was starting to become hard to see any Merlin in her. I'm glad you enjoyed the flashbacks so much. They were necessary not only to explain his behaviour then but also very much what he does in this chapter too, since it is a bit insane, but I wanted people to understand why he needed to. Lol it didn't take that long to answer your review, as I didn't have to explain anything to you or answer any questions because you understood it all perfectly. For that, and for your brilliant review, I thank you and hope this chapter does it for you too.
Narutoske: Thanks :P I was a little concerned about it so your approval meant the world. I thought it was a good idea to have a light chapter, because 1) If it's always heart breaking and dark it can get boring and 2) I wanted people to know what was at stake for the rest of the story. To let them know why they were fighting so hard and what it means to them. You want to know if we'll be seeing Mordred again soon? The answer is yes, definitely. He plays an important part in the over-all story. Anyways thank you so much for yet another brilliant review and hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.
Paladinobr: Thanks so much. I thought the flashbacks were necessary to show why James was acting the way he was, and also to show why he does what he does in this chapter – because it is a little crazy. As for the consequences of his actions when he went against the fates, you will see them in this chapter, and they are not good at all. Lol you don't like the platform of time then? Well I didn't want people to like it so that's good. It is a last option for them, but as we find out in this chapter it may be their only one. And yeah you can see why Uther and Gaius are so worried for the future of Camelot lol and there is a bit of that again in this chapter. Anyways thank you so much for taking the time to review and hope you like this chapter just as much.
Angela-Bennet: Thanks :P Lol you see James Potter whenever I mention James? Maybe that's because of his and Anna's sort of sacrificing father daughter relationship or maybe it's just that they're both named James :P Anyways thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review and hope that this chapter pleases you as well.
La La Looney: Lol thank you. I'm sorry to hear I've made you cry lol but glad that it made you laugh as well. Wow thanks for such kind words. They really do mean the world. I can only hope this chapter doesn't let you down too much and I loved hearing from you. Thanks again.
So...don't own Merlin; have a dog named Henry; I find Seagulls to be oddly creepy; milkshakes rock my world; I enjoy the occasional prune; one of my legs grow whenever I see a pretty lady; I've been known to sweat laxatives; Doctor Who reminds me of my crazy Jewish uncle; I am one of the rare people to still say swell; I believe in the underpants gnomes; having just re-read this I'm beginning to think I have MAJOR issues; I have suspicions that Stevie Wonder is actually the tooth fairy; I giggle whenever I hear someone sing "She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes"; I once saw a three year old girl punch a horse to the ground; I heard Tom Cruise once kidnapped and trained a small Asian child to be a ninja pirate; I'm starting a rumour that Captain Crunch is in rehab recovering from sex addiction; Is it just me guys or does Miley Cyrus both repel and attract you at the same time? In my wallet I carry a picture…of my wallet; Have you ever wondered what cheese says when it gets it's picture taken?; Knock knock, whose there, no one your insane; can you believe the person who wrote all this randomness is going to be a father in six months?;I hear Tom and Jerry have fathered a lovechild cleverly named Terry; I once saw a melon raping a man for once and I just discovered I have two sets of knees.
Chapter 28 – His Plan
"Merlin!" Yelled Arthur Pendragon as he searched his closet, desperately eyeing his many hanging coats and jackets. "Merlin get your worthless behind in here!"
The young warlock, as always, came jogging into the room with a look of slight alarm. "What's wrong?"
"Oh you want to know what's wrong?" Arthur answered, a tight lipped sardonic smile forcing its way onto his face.
Merlin frowned, briefly chancing a glance at the room in case he had missed something. "Well yeah, that's why I asked."
"That's why you asked…" The blonde king trailed off as he knocked on his closet door. "Well since you asked, I was just wondering if you might possibly be able to tell me where my favourite coat is."
Merlin gazed back at him blankly. "Your favourite coat?"
"Yes, Merlin, my favourite coat," Arthur's voice was becoming sickly sweet. "The long brown one that I almost always wear."
Merlin's face scrunched up. "How can you almost always do something?"
"Merlin…"
"That's like saying you most definitely maybe smell like a rat."
"Merlin…"
"Or that you might without a doubt go for a brisk walk later on-"
"Merlin!" Arthur roared, startling his new advisor. "Do you know where it is, or do you not know where it is, it's a simple question."
The young warlock rolled his eyes. "Why would I know where it is? I've been here just as little as you have."
"Oh I don't know," Arthur shrugged, sarcasm dripping from his every movement. "Maybe because it's your job!"
"Actually that was my job," Merlin pointed out with such a smug smile that Arthur had to breathe through his nostrils. "If you remember I married your sister yesterday, and you made me your new magical advisor. I'm a nobleman now."
Arthur couldn't even summon the strength to blink. "You're about as noble as a frog farting in a tree."
"Why would a frog be in a tree?"
Arthur grit his teeth. "Maybe it's a tree frog."
"I don't know," Merlin responded sceptically, clearly in deep thought. "I can't say I've ever seen a frog actually fart before-"
"To the count of three, Merlin! You have to the count of three to tell me where my coat is!" Arthur interrupted, now moments from an aneurism.
Merlin raised his eyebrows. "Maybe it's in the wash! If you always wear it then it probably smells as bad as you do when you wake up in the morning."
"Right!" Arthur screamed, and before Merlin could react, had pounced on him. The two men went crashing to the ground amidst a chaos of growls and cries for help, at one point scaring a poor serving girl who had only wanted to deliver some bed sheets. She had run away, screaming that two men were trying to kill each other in King Arthur's chambers. Everyone ignored her, guessing what had scared the unfortunate woman.
"Arthur wait! Just wait!" Merlin pleaded, scrambling to his feet. "Look just calm down, today is not the day to do this."
Arthur, after a good few moments, managed a nod and a few slow calming breaths. "You're right, you're right. You must get ready for your trip."
"Exactly," Merlin sighed with relief. "Besides we're family now – WOAH!" He cried as he dodged the lunging Arthur.
Gwen walked into Morgana's chambers with a small smile, pleasantly surprised to see the lady in question finishing off her own hair in the mirror. Their smiling eyes met with a look of understanding. It seemed that the Lady Morgana fully understood that Gwen was no longer her hand maiden, which saved them a very awkward conversation. They were officially friends and sisters-in-law now. A fleeting thought crossing her mind wondered if Arthur and Merlin were handling this quite as maturely, though of course she highly doubted it. They were brilliant men to be sure but when they were around each other things tended to go south in the maturity section.
"Do you know if Merlin has left yet?" The Lady Morgana questioned as she put on her last earing.
"Not yet," Gwen answered with a sigh, sitting down on the edge of Morgana's bed. "Last I heard Arthur wanted him in his chambers for something. I chose not to ask what for."
Morgana's eyes caught sight in the mirror of her former hand-maidens hands attempting to straighten the sheets on her bed. "Gwen, my sheets will keep. You are Queen of Camelot now."
"I know," Gwen whined. "It's just that I have nothing to do. After I woke up this morning I found myself wondering the palace aimlessly until I came here."
Morgana pouted as she thought. "We could go shopping for clothes for you if you'd like? Get some royal garments fit for a Queen? I'm sure Arthur would love to come dress shopping with us in the market."
"It's not that," The new Queen protested, wringing her hands together. "My whole life I've worked for my living, since I was a child. What am I meant to do with myself now?"
The black haired beauty spun in her seat to face her friend, her thinking face on. "Well, if you're looking for some form of work you could interview some people for me and Arthur? See if their qualified to take yours and Merlin's place as our personal servants. I can think of no one more qualified to make the decision than you anyway."
"Yes…" Gwen breathed out, going over it in her mind. "Yes Morgana that's a brilliant idea. Thank you," she finished, skipping forward and embracing her new sister-in-law.
Morgana smiled into her shoulder. "I suppose your welcome. I have plans of my own anyway."
"Oh?" Gwen asked, pulling back to look at her.
She smiled wryly at her long-time friend. "Yes. I'm going to get some lessons in magic from Anna…and Gaius."
"Gaius? Really?" The other woman asked, raising a brow.
"Merlin told me he knows more than he lets on," Morgana shrugged. "I figured he with Anna might be able to help me control my own powers-" She was interrupted by her father, Uther Pendragon, waltzing into her chambers.
"Might I have a word with you, Morgana?" He asked, clearly ignoring her scathing look at his abrupt entrance. What was it with arrogant Royals and abrupt entrances?
She took a deep breath. "Of course. What is it?"
"I'm looking for Arthur, but according to the Regus girl he is planning on going with Merlin. I don't suppose you've seen him?"
Gwen and Morgana shared a look. "The Regus girl?"
"He's referring to me," Anna proclaimed, striding into the room behind him. "Chuckles here doesn't think me worthy of a name. I replied that we are all the same on the inside, and suggested we cut him open to prove it, but guess who's got a fear of knives."
"I do not have a fear of knives, I have a fear of strange untrustworthy women coming near me with one," Uther responded dryly.
Morgana couldn't help but smile. It was clear that these two hated each other. It was only with mixture of fear, respect and love for both Arthur and James that they were able to be in the same room as the other. "I'm sorry Uther, I've not seen him. Though I can't say I'm surprised Arthur decided to go with him, only that it took him so long." she finally answered.
"It's kind of sweet in a way, how much he worried about him," Gwen agreed with a nod before turning back to Anna. "What brings you here anyway Anna?" Gwen asked.
The sorcerer princess sucked in a large breath, trying to find the right words. This was going to be difficult, but Imi had done the same for her many times with her brother. "Um, well, I kind of have news. Bad news."
All three royals in the room eyed her suspiciously. "What news?" Gwen was the one to ask.
"You may want to…prepare yourself," She stated, looking directly at Morgana who lowered her gaze at the look. "You know James sort of left for a bit right? Said he had some things to work out? Perhaps had some puppies to kick?"
"…Yes?" Morgana approved.
Anna offered them a nervous smile. "Well as you also know Imi kind of has this thing where she doesn't listen or follow orders."
"I wonder where she could have developed such a trait," Uther remarked dryly.
Anna bounced her eyebrows. "Take your pick. Merlin, your daughter, your son, me, James it's all there. I don't think she stood much of a chance really. Poor child. Poor unfortunate child."
Morgana released a frustrated breath. "Anna, did Imi follow James again and tell you not to tell me until this morning?"
"That she did," The sorcerer princess said whilst clicking her fingers at her, a nervous tick it would seem. "You always were the clever one Morgana, and she also said not to worry, that she will be fine and I believed her."
Morgana leapt to her feet. "Oh she did, did she? Well no offence Anna but with a threat like Malum out there I'd prefer she took this time to grow and do as she was told for once. It's time she learnt that I am her mother and she will do as I say."
Uther's snort earned him her attention. "Morgana, I think it is time you learnt that your children will do whatever they think is right in the end, despite your best efforts. Trust me on this."
"Right," Morgana mock nodded. "If it's all the same, I'm going to go and look for her."
"Morgana," Uther grabbed his daughters arm to halt her inevitable charge from the room. "You have no idea where she's gone or how far away she is. You have no choice but to let her get this out of her system, then you can punish her when she returns."
She yanked her arm free, glaring daggers at him as she did so. "I'm not going to just sit here and worry, hoping she might return. I can't bare the heartache of it, the constant sickening fear that comes with every moment-"
"And now you know how it felt every time you or Arthur ran off against my wishes," Uther interrupted, looking her right in the eyes and noting how his words startled her. "You might have thought that some of the things I have done were immoral but they were born from all those feelings you just described, a pain that can only come from the great love a parent has for their child. It's a feeling you can't describe to someone else until they experience it themselves. It is truly unlimited. I know it's gut wrenching, but take it from someone who knows. If you don't want your children to hate you then you have to let them make their own mistakes, even if it means you have to feel that pain. Don't make the same mistakes I did, I beg of you."
Morgana was actually touched by his words, and she hated herself for it. With a shake of her head she tried to continue. "But…but…"
"She can take care of herself, Morgana," Anna said softly. "If anything she'll be safer where she is. Besides not only will she be with James but she has her fathers' brilliance, a talent any of us would be lucky to get a taste of."
"I don't know where it is!" Sounded a cry from down the hall. All four occupants of the room turned to face the open doorway, scowling at the unexpected noise. Of course that was when Merlin went soaring past the doorway, hollering to the heavens as he did so.
Arthur appeared next, stopping in the doorway to catch his breath. "Where's my coat Merlin!" He turned to face all their wide eyes. "Have any of you seen my favourite brown coat? You know the long one?" When all they did was gawk he rolled his eyes. "Fine, then it must have been that blithering idiot. Merlin! Where is it? Don't make me throw you in my sock drawer again!" And with a distinctly horrified cry from a distant Merlin, King Arthur took off at a sprint after him.
Uther buried his face in his hands. "It's terrifying. It's truly terrifying."
"It never gets any better either," Anna sighed. "They were still doing this in my time. I once found them both half naked in a swamp because apparently my brother had wanted to know who the better swimmer was. Evidently the swamp had a nasty current because James came home a lot richer."
Gwen nodded. "I think I've made a horrible mistake in my choice of husband."
"What long brown coat was he talking about anyway?" Morgana quizzed.
James Regus stood before the looming cave entrance, decorated by a string of rare amber flowers around the rim, Arthur's long brown coat whipping about behind him in the fierce breeze. He had pinched the garment from his cousins' closet just before he left, and he had to admit it felt good on him. It felt really good. He glanced at the reflection of himself in the small stream flowing on the outskirts of his destination and smirked. Oh yeah, he was awesome. He wore a very dark blue V-neck shirt, black trousers and black boots. He nodded with approval, his choice had been perfect. Dark clothes were like comfortable camouflage where he was going. Things were going to be difficult enough without worrying about being spotted.
He turned his attention back to the cave entrance before him and took in a large, calming breath. What he was about to do would surely go down as number one in the book of stupid things to do. However he had had enough of their warnings, enough of their threats and constant summons. The sisters of fate were calling him into their world, using their andraste dust carved from the string of life to try and scare him. Well he would not have it any more. If he was going to reclaim his birth right to become the worlds' most loveable bad boy then he was going to have to kick it back into action with one mighty blow. So here he was, about to face his fears, by confronting the three sisters of fate. The muses themselves in the flesh.
And to do it he was going to have to walk straight into the underworld.
He lowered his gaze and glared at the cave of Epidaurus, one of six entrances to hades if his memory was still intact. He also remembered that there were only five exits which frankly made no sense. Of course he also remembered reading that each entrance was guarded by some form of highly dangerous bandit. For example this one was supposed to be guarded by a man ten times the size of any mortal, Periphetes, who liked to club people into the earth beneath them with his mighty club. Affectionately nicknamed the clubber by the local towns' people.
Just as he was about to allow a shiver to shoot down his spine, the beast in question decided to appear from the shadows of the cave…and almost made the sorcerer king wet Arthur's precious brown coat. To say he was huge was, ironically, a massive understatement. He must have been twenty or twenty five feet tall, his huge rotund gut about seven feet wide and his one eye glared down at the puny human who had decided to come across his territory. His club, that was roughly the same size as James himself, hung loose in his gigantic thick hands. His skin was a pale green, and the few teeth that had fought to remain were rotted and yellow. However the worst thing about this situation, the very worst, was that the only piece of fabric to cover all this magnificence was an extremely stretched loincloth to hide his delicates.
James puffed his cheeks and let out a slow breath, gradually letting his ever paling cheeks deflate. "Well, that's all rather upsetting."
"Who are you, Mortal?" Impossibly, Periphetes voice was even more intimidating than his form.
"Actually I'm not technically mortal Peri – may I call you Peri?" James asked, the Cyclops recoiling his head in surprise. "Yeah I'm gonna go ahead and call you Peri anyway – listen, my name is James Regus, the seventh crowned sorcerer king. I seek an audience with the sisters of fate. I can assure you I have been summoned, and you should have no need to use that incredibly large club of yours. Wouldn't want you to get a splinter now would we?"
Periphetes one eye grew even more dangerous as he regarded the small individual before him. "None shall pass these gates, not even with a summons."
"Then one must ask what's the point in having the gateways to begin with?" The sorcerer king asked with a playful bounce of his eyebrows, pleasantly rewarded by Peri's look of dawning puzzlement. "Nevertheless I am getting in that cave – how? Well let's see. I'm clearly far more intelligent than you so let's start there shall we? So, riddle me this handsome. Why am I not afraid of you?"
The Cyclops blew out a breath of frustration. "Because you have not yet learnt your place. Very soon, you will fear me."
"Is that so?" James replied, crossing his arms. "Then why don't we test that theory blinky," he cleared his throat. "You're so ugly that when you were born the physician slapped both your parents and beseeched the king to ban all women from mating with a rhinoceros."
The Cyclops tensed and pointed his massive club at the handsome king. "I warn you child, do not push me."
"I don't really do warnings - You're so ugly you probably have to sneak up on your mirror, don't you?" James stated with a smirk on his face. "I bet you make onions cry. Blind children jump off the nearest cliff when you go walking by. When you throw a boomerang it never comes back. You should cheer up though they say looks aren't everything, it's just in your case they aren't anything-"
"Enough!" Periphetes roared, heaving his gigantic club high above his head. "I will make you one with the soil beneath your feet!"
James smirk broke into a huge grin. Without uncrossing his arms he bent his legs and sprung up into the air, narrowly dodging the club, and hovered directly in front of the Cyclops face. The club rocketed into the ground and shook the earth before Periphetes looked up at him, startled. "Did I not mention I was immortal?" His grin was abruptly wiped from his face as he threw his hand up. "Fetorum!"
Without warning the giants' legs swept out from underneath him and he landed, on his back, with a thundering boom. Astounded Periphetes could do nothing but watch as the sorcerer king levitated gracefully down onto his chest and placed the sole of his boot on his giant chin. With a smirk he pushed his foot down, causing him to look directly in his eyes.
"Wh…what?" The Cyclops breathed, utterly stunned.
"Why don't we try again," James began, sounding all too bored considering the situation he was in. He leant down so he was mere inches from the giants' eye. "I am getting in that cave, and if you try and stop me I will provide you with plenty of horrifying stories to tell your five brothers guarding the other entrances. Right now I am a temple of rage, fighting to keep it from spilling out onto innocent people with every moment that passes so DO NOT PUSH ME!" He roared, before taking his boot off the Cyclops chin to smooth his side parting. "Now, do we understand each other?"
Periphetes nodded as fervently as he could. "Yes…sire."
"Thank you, my new best friend," James said with a smile. "I hope we can always talk like this."
The sound of a woman clearing her throat made both males snap their heads to the side. Much to the sorcerer kings chagrin he saw Imi standing there, her arms crossed and a playful look of disapproval on her face. "Now now, how many times have I told you not to beat up a giant clubbing Cyclops before lunch? It ruins your appetite."
Arthur and Anna strode ahead on their mighty steeds along the forest path, the trees becoming a blur as the two royals breezed past them. The King, the princess and Merlin had been riding for what felt like a whole day and the young warlock was beginning to feel the strain. After all the night before had been his wedding night with the lady Morgana, and he challenged anyone to actually waste time sleeping. Arthur and Anna came to an eventual stop to gaze at their surroundings.
"There's a camp behind those trees," the princess stated, stroking her horses mane to steady him.
"They could be smugglers," Arthur added with a nod, before smiling at his cousin. "See this is why I'm glad you came along after all. It will be nice to have intelligent company on a quest for once."
Anna grinned. "Yeah, that's why you insisted on coming with Merlin instead of letting him go come by himself."
"Shut up," He growled at her.
"Oh but it's so sweet," She teased. "You were worried about him-"
"Anna if you don't shut up I'm going to have to assume you've gone insane and slay you," He threatened. "Yeah, not kill but slay you. It's far more horrific."
She laughed at the insecure king. Why could he never just admit he cared for Merlin? What was so difficult about admitting he had a friend? "Aw, have I hurt your feelings?" She asked in her best baby voice, grinning when Arthur narrowed his eyes at her. With slow determination she raised her arms to offer him a hug. "Does baby want to be mothered?"
He merely glared death at her. "You know, there's something very wrong with you, or your whole family actually."
She laughed again, trotting ahead a little. "It's called a sense of humour-"
"It's called hatefulness," He interrupted. "You're hateful people."
Merlin jostled upon his horse as it galloped to keep up with Arthur and Anna's stallions. His fatigue was beginning to set in after so many nights of little sleep; in fact he was starting to feel like his eyelids had massive weights on them. The blasted things kept drifting shut despite his best attempts. Unfortunately it was due to this fatigue that he didn't notice Arthur had come to a halt in front of him, so when his horse came to an abrupt stop he was not prepared to go soaring over the steeds head and crash into his noble king.
Anna snapped her gaze over to her two companions when a thunderous collision of noises reached her ears, instantly seeing her big cousin being trampled by the legendary Merlin. Her eyebrows rose when the two began scrambling to their feet in a daze of yelps and ungraceful slips.
"WHAT is WITH you today!" Arthur roared once he had made it to his feet, brushing himself off with furious swipes.
Merlin raced to his own two feet. "I'm sorry, I just…" he looked around as if looking for an answer, regarding his surroundings like he didn't know how he got there. "I'm just tired."
"Then why did you come?" Arthur demanded, breathing out his nose.
Merlin shrugged. "Because it's my destiny to protect you so you and I can unite the land of Albion-"
"What?"
"We need to get moving," Merlin answered quickly, nodding at his king before walking over to his horse.
Arthur shook his head with clear bewilderment. "You don't get to just walk away after tackling me off my horse!"
"Guys?" Anna tried to get the two men's attention when she saw Arthur march after the young warlock. "Do we have to do this when we're trying to save the world? You're ruining every opportunity I have for having a holiday named after me."
Arthur whirled on her. "Don't tell me," he roared before shoving a finger in Merlin's direction. "Tell him!"
"Ok, Arthur, I was joking about the whole mothering thing," the princess stated a tad worried. Her concern grew when her cousin merely pointed at Merlin harder. "Seriously I can't mother you. I tell children I hate their face."
"You tell children you hate their face?" Merlin asked with a raise of his eyebrows.
"Isolated incident not important…" She trailed off, averting her gaze. "They sure can cry can't they?"
Arthur frowned. "Children? Yes they can cry. In fact they're pretty good at it."
"Can we get moving?" Merlin spoke up, climbing back on his horse. "In case you've forgotten this was supposed to be my quest and you're starting to slow me down."
Arthur felt something explode in his head. "Is this why people hurt themselves?"
"I'm serious," Merlin continued, frustrated. "This is not a joke. If we don't find this sword then we can never kill Malum and thousands of people will die. Mothers, Fathers and children will be slaughtered in cold blood, and here we are shouting at each other. What about making him pay for what he's done? What about what he did to little Anna? Are we just going to stand around bickering? Anna, have you forgotten what your brother is going through because of that demon?"
Anna's face melted into one utter shame. "No. No I haven't."
"Arthur? Would you see Camelot burnt to the ground at his hands?"
The fair haired king physically deflated, averting his own gaze this time. "I would not."
"Then we've wasted enough time," He continued. "Now we need to get to…" he trailed off when he suddenly saw a young boy staring out at them from the bushes. "Oh."
Arthur turned to follow his line of vision and saw the child for himself. Within a moment his experience kicked in and he was climbing back on his horse. "We should go."
"Arthur he's a child," Merlin laughed. "Maybe he's lost or needs help."
Arthur considered the boy as Merlin dismounted and walked over to him, every cell in him shaking with suspicion. "Merlin, there's a camp right behind those trees up ahead. He probably came from there, and if he did then he could be a child of a smuggler."
Merlin smiled at his king over his shoulder. "Don't be a prat."
Fifteen minutes later…
Merlin struggled to free himself from the rope that bound them to the tree, an unconscious Anna and a fed up looking Arthur tied up next to him.
"I hate you Merlin."
Imogen held onto James for dear life as the two sailed through the air, the sights encompassing them seemingly incapable to register. They were horrifying yet magical. Impossible yet real. At the moment they were soaring over a river of fire, skin curdling shrills and screeches echoing from within the flames. Each one sent a shiver through her entire being. Every shrill feeling like a cold blade was being repeatedly speared into her flesh, her heart aching for the souls beneath her. There were people down there. People who were being tortured, their flesh roasting in the flames for an eternity, and there was nothing she could do. Balling James shirt in her clenched fist she pulled her now sodden face up into his chest, unable to withstand it any longer.
It was true. They were in hell.
The orange glow from the flames illuminated his concerned expression as he looked down at her, feeling everything she felt. "Not everyone ends up here Imi," he sighed, but she didn't pull her face away from his chest. She just wanted the screams to stop. "This is called the river Phlegethon, the river of fire. Only those who have led lives of true evil end up here. People who murder families in cold blood or get their kicks from abusing the innocent. All those screams you hear, all those shrills are from the most evil of men to have ever soiled the earth. Their punishment is to forever be burnt alive until the end of time-"
"So you're saying they deserve it?" She interrupted with a fierce glare up at him.
He sighed and looked away from her. "I…think it's a matter of opinion."
"Opinion?" She spat. "Who could ever do something to deserve that?"
He looked back down at her at this, eyes confident. "Malum. I'd want him down there. Forever."
She kept her stare on his angered features for a while after he looked away, unsure of what to make of his words. If there was one being to have earned a place down in the river of fire then it would be the demon lord.
"You didn't have to come at all," he murmured, his tone betraying his annoyance at her following him yet again. "You're Mother's going to kill me. Like seriously kill me. Pardon the pun but what in the hell possessed you to follow me again? Did you not learn your lesson from the last time?"
She breathed out a sigh of frustration. After all this time he still didn't get it. Genius her foot. "When was the last time you even talked to a woman?"
He looked down at her. "I've forgotten sir."
Before she could help it a small amused puff of air escaped her, before she quickly wiped all humour from her face. "I don't like being told what to do."
"Right," he hummed unconvinced. "Well just shut up and do as I say from now on, otherwise neither of us will survive this."
She huffed. "You shut up, crazy moron."
He smirked down at her despite himself. "I just don't want you to die down here, Imi. I only brought you with me because I knew that if I didn't, you would probably just follow me anyway and get into more trouble. But I need to know that if I tell you to run away and leave me then you will do it, no questions asked."
She wasn't sure if it was his words that sent a cold shiver down her spinal cord or whether it was because they were in a world that contained hell, but something had caused it. She frowned and looked down as the screams began to dissipate, noticing how they had now cleared the flames. Maybe it was just her, but she had a hard time condemning anyone to an eternity of boiling alive, even Malum. It simply wasn't in her nature.
However her thoughts were soon consumed with another thought. As they glided over the vast darkened landscape, the sight before her this time made her climb even closer to the sorcerer king. At the sensation James looked down himself to see what was frightening the girl this time, and had to admit it was not without good reason. For there, just beneath them, was the guardian of the underworld itself.
Cerberus.
The three headed God of all hell hounds followed their travels with its red, glaring, dangerous eyes with a distinctly predatory intelligence. The giant black furred hound merely bared its strangely white fangs as they flew overhead, its giant muscular form entirely too ready to pounce should they be stupid enough to get closer. Needless to say James dared not to take his eyes off of it.
"What…what in all that is good is that?" Imogen breathed, the fierce tremor in her throat confirming her terror.
James indulged in a large breath before answering, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. A sensation that seemed to please him. "That is Cerberus. The Guardian of the underworld. Even I would never entertain the thought to challenge it, I fear not even the Gods themselves would either."
"Why isn't it attacking us?" She whispered. She simply couldn't take her eyes off of the great beast, and she had the most unsettling feeling it had the same problem with them.
"Because we're alive," he answered. "I don't think it's ever seen the living before. This is new territory for it, something we should not take for granted." He wrapped his arms tighter around her, something she was all too pleased about. "Come on, let's speed up."
She managed to briefly pry her locked gaze from the giant hound to look up at him. "You're afraid. I thought you couldn't feel anything but rage."
"With Faery you assert your authority, with mermaids you use fire and dry them up. With Cerberus you just run. You run and you never once look back – not ever," he pulled her tighter to him and shot off through the air at double the speed, getting as far away from the mighty Cerberus as possible. Imogen buried herself into his warm shirt, feeling the need to suck up the security he installed in her, and firmly shut her eyes. She didn't want to be here anymore. Enough was enough. Why could she never just listen to James when he told her to leave him be? She had been doing it all her life, most recently getting stabbed by the masters in Zao. He had then had to sacrifice himself, to come to this hateful place forever, only escaping by the skin of his teeth and all because she had been too ignorant to heed his words. She hadn't even thanked him for that, in fact she remembered slapping him instead. And now here they were again, and he was once more willing to do whatever it took to ensure her safety.
"Imi?" His voice interrupted her discouraging inner thoughts. Opening her eyes to look at him, she was shocked to see him smiling. "I think you'll want to see this."
At his nod she forced herself to look down, feeling a powerful sense of foreboding. However as soon as she did she felt her eyes boggle with relief. Water falls fell down as far as the eye could see, the streams glistening like diamonds as they flowed. There was an overwhelming amount of green that blanketed the supple looking ground, rich varieties of gleaming flowers blooming and reaching for the skies above sprouting from within the greenest grass she had ever seen. Golden walls stretched around the area and threatened to blind her with their sparkle, their magnificence only shamed by the sky above them. That had to be the most exquisitely glorious sight she could ever hope to dream. The ground beneath them was glowing as if the sun was out, and it was; only the sky was not the vast blue it had always been. Instead the sun shone in a night sky that was blanketed in a wide tapestry of shooting stars, leaving a trail of silver dust in their wake. Massive, immeasurable spheres sat in the endless darkness, ignited only with the celebrated beams of the burning sun. Multi-coloured streams of gas streaked across the majestic sky with more variations of pigment than a hundred rainbows.
She almost cried at the beauty of it all.
"Welcome to the Elysian Fields," James laughed. "The home of heroes."
The Elysian Fields James he called it. However Imi knew, truly knew what it was. It was heaven. It was heaven on Earth, the eternal paradise sparkling in all its glory before her unworthy eyes. An emotional smile shook onto her face, her eyes tearing up. "It's beautiful. It's beyond beautiful it's…"
"…usually the last thing people ever see," James finished for her when it seemed she couldn't find the words. She tore her eyes from the scene so she could view his radiant expression. "No one at least to my knowledge has ever been into the underworld and made it out alive. Ever. People actually die willingly just to get a glimpse of this place, to get even the slightest chance to meet the virtuous fallen."
She simply gawked at him. "No one has ever made it out alive? And you just thought you'd wonder in?"
"Oh come on, I have a summons remember?" He grinned. "Besides where would you rather be?" And with that they began descending onto the almost glowing green grass before she could reply. They landed with a gentle grace as if respecting the ground now underneath their feet before he put her down, his brilliant green orbs now gazing around in a wistful silence.
"Alright, so now what oh mighty dense one? Is there another guard we need to slay or do we summon something?" She quizzed, slightly peeved that he was going to come here all by himself without telling anyone. Without telling her.
He shrugged. "I guess we wait," he answered honestly. "I mean this is the underworld, I'm sure whoever dwells in it knows far more than I…" he trailed off as his eyes seemed to suddenly focus on something behind her. She frowned in confusion. "Than…I do…"
Unnerved by the now quivering expression on the man she once thought untouchable, she spun on her heel to glance at whatever could be so horrifying to him…and her own features burst into one of incredulity before her jet black locks could even fall onto her pristinely white dress. For there, walking toward them, was Queen Elaine Regus. She was a spirit of course, but as the once Queen walked toward them her clothes and body began to solidify before their very eyes. With a wide, fearful gaze Imogen did the only thing she could. She performed a graceful curtsy and bowed her head, keeping her gaze on the ground until told otherwise.
Elaine reached them, and ignoring the trauma on her sons face she turned her attention to the respectful girl on the ground. A warm smile graced her features. "Rise child, we are all equals here," her voice was soft and almost lyrical, but Imi did not move.
"I do not bow because you were Queen, my Lady," she replied in her most respectful voice. Normally James would have mocked her, but given the circumstances he was too busy trying to blink.
"I know why you do it," Elaine continued in that serene tone, kneeling down herself and placing a warm hand on the girls chin. With a soft lift of her hand she elevated Imi's gaze to her own. "And you never need bow to me again. Do not make the mistake of thinking I have not been watching you and appreciating everything you have done for both my children," She smiled again and leant into whisper something in the other woman's ear. "I can think of no one better for my son than you, Imogen. You make him the best that he can be."
At this Imi released a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding, a shaky smile making its way onto her pretty features. "Thank you, my Lady."
"Soon you will realise that it is, and always has been, your destiny," she continued, earning her a look of puzzlement from the younger woman. "It is in your blood as it is with his. The Divine grace."
Imogen looked at her suspiciously. "My Lady?"
"You must call me Elaine," She responded, rising to her feet and guiding Imi to her own. With one more smile at the girl she finally turned her attention on to her son, her smile fading at something in his eyes. A heavy silence hung in the air, for once the sorcerer king having no idea what to say. "Hello James," she finally spoke when it seemed he wasn't going to.
His face didn't change as he snorted. "Hi Mum," he breathed, before seemingly forcing himself to continue. "Not a bad place you have here, do you pay tax?" A fleeting smile made an appearance but soon disappeared.
Elaine's smile however did stay put as she shook her head good naturedly. "Still making jokes when you're scared I see. It was cute when you were a child, whereas now it's just yet another annoying quirk."
An amused breath escaped him at this. Almost immediately though all humour was forgotten as the former Queen took a bold step into her sons' personal space, placing a hand on his cheek and staring straight into his eyes. "My baby Jamesy," she said with a smile, using the nickname he once hated as a child. "You're so handsome."
He grinned and hung his head bashfully. Imogen raised her eyebrows. Since when was he bashful? "I know. I keep telling people but…" he trailed off as he looked up at her, his grin melting away. "You told me the same thing in the Maze of Avalon."
"Oh sweetheart, that wasn't me," She stated, if possible shocking her son even more. "Whatever that unfortunate creature was it did think it was me, but it wasn't. Although I happened to agree with everything it said."
He nodded, understanding. "The same thing happened with Dad. I guess I just wanted it be you too much."
Elaine smiled at him. "What are you doing here?" She breathed, sounding as if the question pained her when it passed her lips.
He nodded and hung his head once more, summoning the strength to speak without breaking down. "I need your help, Mum," he finally answered. "I failed. I haven't fulfilled any of the promises I made to you. I've done horrible things to innocent people – I almost burnt a little girl alive! I couldn't prevent the release of Malum and I have not done everything I can to help Emrys…and all because of the first promise I broke…." She waited patiently for him to continue, allowing him time to once more summon the courage to speak. "I lost her Mum," his voice trembled as he admitted his crimes to his mother, tears gathered in the base of his eyes. "Anna's dead. Malum took her from me right under my nose. I'm so sorry."
"You did no such thing," Elaine demanded, now bringing both hands up to either side of his face. "I made you promise to love her as if she was your own and you did it in folds, more than I could have ever hoped you would. I should never have asked a fourteen year old boy to become a parent, no matter how much better you did than I could have ever dreamed-"
"It wasn't enough," he interrupted in a harsh whisper. "And now I'm being punished by the Gods. All I can feel is rage, and it's taking every waking moment to keep it concealed. I can't sleep because of the nightmares, I can't eat because I still feel empty afterwards – I'm lying to the only friends I have left because I don't want them to know how dead I feel," he shook his head and averted his gaze. "I can't even feel that confidence that makes me who I am anymore. I can't stop Malum like this and pretty soon everyone will know it just as I do. Please Mum, I need to know if it was my fault. I need you to judge me because no-one else can, please."
Elaine tilted her head to the side, lips parting a little as her eyes shone with Empathy. "My baby boy," she murmured, now brushing her fingers through his hair. "I cannot give you the forgiveness you seek."
Both James and Imi snapped their heads up to look at her in surprise. "Wh…what?" James finally managed to stagger out; her motherly smile his only clue.
"But I know someone who can," she finished. Smiling at the frown on her son's face, she pulled away and stepped to the side…to reveal none other than Anna Regus in all her child-like glory.
James gasped as he felt all the wind in him vacate his body, almost as if he had been wounded. His legs very nearly gave way underneath him, his green eyes boggling to widths previously thought impossible, and he actually stammered backwards away from her. Little Anna merely continued to smile at him with that ever innocent charm, perhaps the very thing he missed most about her. With extreme difficulty he managed to shake his head, barely daring to believe his broad eyes. Imi next to him had much the same expression, only she could manage a smile.
"Anna?" She quizzed, her voice weak.
The little girl beamed at her. "Hi!" She chirped, throwing her an exuberant wave. "Mummy said you'd be here-"
She was interrupted by her big brother suddenly wrapping his arms around her small frame, having charged forward and thrown himself to his knees. The little girl smiled as he proceeded to squeeze all the wind out of her, burying his face in the crook of her neck and refusing to show any sign of letting her go anytime soon. Imogen brought her hands up to her mouth when she heard the sorcerer king laughing through a series of incessant tears that could no longer be contained. Without another word James rose to his feet, taking his little sister with him in his arms, and spun around – grinning like a moron despite the obvious tears streaking down his tan cheeks.
"Oh," he breathed out with a certain shudder in his voice, still clutching her considerably smaller frame to his. "Oh princess. I've missed you," he breathed, fleetingly pulling away so he could plant a big wet kiss on her young forehead. "I've missed you so SO much. So much."
Little Anna chuckled as her brother shook her in his arms, the sensation of embracing her so fiercely simply not enough. "You're starting to hurt me-"
"I'm sorry," he interrupted, pulling back so he could look directly at her. "Not for hurting you – never – but for not being there when you needed me the most," he chanced a glance back at his smiling mother before turning back to her. "Are you Ok here? I mean…I mean are you happy and safe?"
She nodded with a massive grin. "Yep! Mummy has been taking me to meet ALL the heroes that have died, it's really fun here," she finished and proceeded to slap him on his chest. "Why are you so sad? You get all pathetic when you're sad."
He laughed harder than he had done since she had died, his smile never once wavering. "Sorry, guess I missed you that's all. It's your fault though; you made me love you too much. Shame on you, Anna."
This time it was her turn to laugh, but it was soon wiped from her pretty little face. "Me and Mummy have been watching you," she said quietly, almost as if she were ashamed of herself. James own smile faded from his face at this. "I don't like to see you upset."
He nodded, biting his bottom lip. "I know."
"Mummy says it's because you miss me so much?" She asked, rewarded by the sad smile that grew on his face with a nod. "But…I'm happy. I get to do whatever I want for the rest of eternity she says. I like it much better than I ever did up there. There's just so much going on that you can't see down here, endless fun and laughing. The other day I laughed so hard I almost choked!"
His grin returned, genuinely pleased. "I can't tell you how much that means to me, princess. Although can you choke when you're dead? Interesting question."
She nodded. "Uh-huh. So…can you stop being so sad now and be the way you used to be?" Anna asked, looking at her big brother through her eyelids. "For me? I just want you to be happy again. Please?"
He hung his head at her plea, leaving her wondering if he had even heard her properly. However just as she was about to ask again her brother lifted his gaze with the smirk he was known for, playfulness dancing in his eyes. "For you? Oh yes! Ha!" He yelled insanely, spinning around on the spot and making the little girl chuckle just like he used to. "You see because now I know you're happy AS happy can be then I have a world to save!"
Imogen's grin threatened to split her face in two. "Really? You're not pretending?"
"Absolutely not sparkles," He grinned, leaping forward toward her and planting a magnificent kiss on her lips. He yanked himself away, placed a grinning Anna on the ground and spun a full 360 degrees. Imi however remained frozen on the spot, having not expected such a reaction at all. "Now mother dearest – dearest mother in fact – just a small question really MINISCULE it would appear but just so we're all clear how long of those three women been staring at us?"
Elaine Regus frowned at her only son before turning around. Sure enough three beautiful women were floating over to them, although this was not the strangest thing. Their hair continued to flow behind them, physically changing its colour as they glided across the magnificent spectrum. Imogen felt her finger tips begin to tickle as if being prodded with a cold metal needle, her breath catching in her throat. Their black fluent dresses danced in the non-existent breeze, much the same as a flame would elegantly sway in the wind. It might be beautiful, but if you torched it you would get burnt. All three women were completely identical in pose and appearance, only feeding the unsettling knot in their guts. Elaine froze at the approaching women's icy aura. "The-"
"Sisters of fate," James finished for her, bounding forward. "Mum, you have to go. I don't want what's about to happen here to affect yours and Anna's paradise. Take her and go back."
Elaine shook her head, her lips moving without sound. "No…no I can't…"
"You have to," he demanded. When his mother still did not move he turned his neck to face her, his well-known smirk stretching onto his face. "Don't worry about me, because this is what I do. I told you once before Mum…I can do anything."
"You have to listen to him," Imogen urged, now leading a flustered Anna and Elaine away from the scene.
James now turned fully to face the three most important women in his life. With one desperate lunge he seized his mother by the shoulders and led her away. "You have to leave, now," He barked. Throwing another glance over to the approaching Muses he realised they were now but a stones throw away. With a growl he whipped his gaze back to his mother. "Go! Now! You keep Anna safe! You keep her in paradise do you understand me? Nothing else comes first!"
Elaine eventually gave a reluctant nod, seizing her daughters hand in her own. "Of course."
"Good," Her only son said with a smile. However his eyes were sad, something he could not hide from the three women around him who knew him so well. He sniffed in an attempt to hide his true remorse at the situation at hand. "I wish we had more time. This wasn't how I wanted to say goodbye, but Anna, she is all that matters. She's all that's ever mattered."
At this little Anna's eyes began to well up, and before anyone had noticed the small girl had wrapped her arms around her big brother. Everything seemed to freeze as the scene took place. The former princess of the Venemagus kingdom buried her face in his stomach, her watery eyes closed and her smile content. With a gradual ease his hand came down to rest on her head, his fingers stroking the little girls hair, every sense more alive because he knew this would be the last time he would ever touch her again.
"I love you," Anna whispered. Her voice was muffled by her big brothers shirt but they all heard it, and they all felt it. "Daddy," she finished with a happy sigh.
James own eyes closed at the title, not sure how long he could keep this up. Brushing her hair behind her ear he knelt down and enveloped her in a warm embrace. With firm resolve he sucked in the air around her, her smell and all the memories it brought with them. The first time he had held her. All the times he had stayed with her on those bad nights, those many bad nights, singing her to sleep. All those weeks he had spent being tortured in her place because he knew she deserved better.
"Ooooooooh…" he breathed out, tightening his hold on her. "Oh I love you so much more, but you have to go now princess," he stated, ripping himself away from her. They were running out of time. "Go on, go with Mummy."
Little Anna nodded, sharing one last look with the man who raised her. "Thank you," And with that she grabbed her mothers' hand and made to move off.
Elaine offered her son the most charming smile either Imi or James had ever seen. "My boy," she whispered proudly, before blowing him a small kiss. He smiled in response. "Look after this one, Jamesy," she continued, nodding her head in Imi's direction. "You'll thank me one day." And with a small wave they faded into the air before their very eyes, never to be seen by either of them again.
James closed his eyes as tight as they would go. It was a heart breaking moment, yes, but a satisfying one in some odd way. Like putting a pet to sleep and stopping its pain. What was important was that he got to see them at all, he told himself. He was privileged to even hope for such an opportunity. He could now say goodbye to them forever and continue with his life, should any of them survive the war that was coming. With a gradual calm his eyes drifted open, a small smile stretching onto his face. For now he had bigger fish to fry. Reaching out he grabbed a hold of Imogen's hand and offered her a nod, one that told her they would do this together, and turned to face the three sisters of fate.
A sickening feeling vibrated in his gut. This was not going to end well.
Merlin, Arthur and Anna galloped side by side away from the horde of smugglers chasing after them, all three looking more than a little dishevelled. With necessary brazenness the three cut through the woods at high speeds until they reached a safe distance enough to trot along.
Merlin took a long, deep breath to steady himself, a smile splitting open across his face. "Well…that was funny."
"No it wasn't," Arthur quickly interjected.
The young warlock scoffed. "Oh come on, it was a little funny."
"There was NOTHING funny about what just happened," The king answered resolutely. "We almost died."
Merlin nodded. "Yes – but, we also smuggled horses from the smugglers. It's almost poetic."
"Merlin!" Arthur yelled, before seemingly thinking it over. "Actually that is pretty funny. How did we escape anyway? It's all kind of fuzzy…"
Merlin looked away with a sheepish expression. "Oh, well, you were brilliant as always sire."
"I thought as much," Arthur said with a proud lift of his chin.
Anna rolled her eyes next to them. "Merlin performed a spell which untied the ropes binding us and then set fire to their camp."
Merlin and Arthur whipped their heads around to look at her. This wasn't how this conversation usually went. With a begrudging sigh the fair haired kind gradually turned to look at his former manservant. "Merlin?"
"We were in a rush!" The young warlock hurriedly explained. "And no offence but your genius plan of cutting the ropes with a small twig wasn't so genius."
Arthur nodded. "Fantastic."
"Did you not get suspicious when fire erupted from nowhere?" Anna quizzed her disappointed cousin.
The King shrugged. "Not really. That kind of stuff happens all the time-"
"It happens because Merlin is always with you," she corrected him in her harshest tone before shaking her head. "What a moron," She whispered, causing Merlin to snort when he tried to control his laughter and earning him the glare of death from his sovereign.
With a purse of his lips Arthur decided it best to change the subject. "It can't be much further now."
Merlin nodded. "The lake should be just over that mound up ahead," And with that the three wasted no more time and began galloping over the small hill. If Merlin was honest he wasn't even sure if the sword would just present itself or whether he would have to dive into the water and search. Arthur certainly wasn't going to do it and he wouldn't send his beloved cousin in to ruin her precious hair and make-up, so it was pretty obvious who would have that duty.
However that wasn't what worried him the most. What worried him is after all this time, after everything he had imagined would happen once Arthur first seized the sword in his hands, he felt like he didn't actually know what would happen. Would it simply recognise him as its master or would it reject him? After all both Uther and himself had now handled the awesome blade and had had a taste of its raw power, would the sword now not know its' true owner after such corruption?
His thoughts were soon cut short though when they cleared the mound that concealed the beautiful lake. Without stopping the trio soon made it through the trees and to the waters' edge, the clear sapphire water almost humming as the small waves lapped at the horses hooves. Merlin was the first to dismount, his eyes transfixed on the delicate yet powerful water, watching as the surface reflected the golden glow of the sun from above. He started to realise he was becoming entranced by the whole thing. For he knew what this moment meant, he knew what lay at the nethermost region of this beautiful lake. He knew that with it, Arthur would become the greatest king the world has ever and will ever know.
"So then where is it?" Arthur's tired voice sounded. Clearly he wasn't aware of just how great this moment was. That it would be remembered throughout time as one of the most magical experiences to have existed. But that was ok. Because one way or another the fair haired king would soon realise just what all of this meant.
"At the bottom," Merlin murmured back, stepping past his king and walking right to the waters' edge. He gazed across the glistening stillness with complete focus, the light breeze playing with the small strands of his hair.
Anna arrived next to him with a stern expression on her features and, surprisingly, grabbed his hand. He looked up at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "Why does this feel so…weird?" She croaked out, now turning to look at him herself.
He smiled and shot a glance at Arthur when he arrived next to him. "Because this is destiny," he finally answered, a tiny smile fighting its way onto his face.
"How do we get it out?" Arthur said just as quietly. There was something in the air, something thick with mystery and mystical energy.
Merlin's thin smile only grew. "Sceawere, folgie min bebeod," He whispered and paused, taking a deep breath as he did. "Geondlihte gesweorce min… Thurhdrife hi ec!"
At first nothing seemed to happen, and for a moment Merlin thought he really would have to go diving down into the lake, but that was when a thundering explosion erupted from the very recesses of the water. With a sharp burst of Gold that threatened to sever their sight forever, Excalibur rose from the still waters with nothing short of a royal grace before proceeding to hang weightlessly in the air. Merlin, Arthur and Anna brought down the hands that once shielded their eyes to stare, in wistful awe, at the shinning blade in all its magnificence.
Arthur frowned at it, and almost as if instinct had fired through it his arm rose. Like a whip of lightening the legendary sword shot through the air and clasped into his gloved hand. Instantly as his fingers encircled the hilt and he felt it almost melt into his hand, like an extension of his own arm, which the wind around them thrust into life and whirled around the young king. Merlin and Anna took a step back in shock, not only surprised at the connection between man and blade but stunned by it.
"Whoa," Arthur exhaled, the hairs on his arm, neck and head standing on end. "Do you feel that?"
The young warlock and the sorcerer princess nodded as they felt the magic hit them, like a physical boulder slamming down on their head. "Oh yeah," Anna answered with a hoarse laugh.
Merlin allowed a brief smile to stretch across his face. "Arthur?" He tried to gain his friends attention, watching as the king swished and spun the blade through the air. Eventually he looked up at him, his eyes dancing with confidence.
"We're heading back to Camelot," He stated. Both Merlin and Anna nodded. Neither dared question him at this moment.
Merlin took a step forward and nodded. "Long live the king."
Morgana snapped her head into the air, a power surging through her that she never could have dreamed existed. Her whole body tensed and threatened to burst at the mere pressure building within her.
"Morgana?" Gaius questioned, more than a little concerned. After all they had just been eating a small snack with Gwen, Lancelot and Gwaine when the woman had seized up. "My lady what is it?"
When she didn't seem able to respond Gwaine shot up to his feet. "I'll take her over to the bed."
"I'll help," Lancelot added, now rising to his own feet. "Gaius? Perhaps you should begin your treatment."
Gwen was now on her feet too, her features showing her concern. "What is it? What's wrong with her?"
As if on cue Morgana suddenly fell limp, luckily being caught by a ready Lancelot and Gwaine. "Oh," she gasped before panting as if she had run the full length of the kingdom. "Righteous power," she exhaled.
"What?" Gwen asked, now feeling even more confused at the other woman's behaviour.
Sweat dripped down from the lady Morgana's forehead as she turned to look at her friend. "I felt something surge through me, like a fireball of righteous power and hope," she breathed out. "I think…I think Arthur has the sword."
James and Imi's heads snapped up to the glorious sky above the Elysian Fields with awe present in their expressions, so caught up in the surge of power firing through them that they didn't even notice the three sisters of fate do exactly the same.
"What was that?" Imogen asked, sounding almost scared of the feeling.
James shook his head. "Your father must have found the sword," he murmured. "Arthur has it now."
The three sisters already luminous skin seemed to brighten as their mood changed. "The once and future King has Excalibur," One of them hissed, bringing the duo's gaze back down to them. "This is his doing, the sorcerer king."
James eyebrows hit his hairline. "Hang on, what did I do?"
"You, always you, spout the plans that bring about fates demise," Another sister growled, sleuthing forward. "You shall pay for your ignorance-"
"Take one step closer, Sisters, and it shall be your last," he warned. Shocked Imi turned to face him, her eyes questioning his sudden certainty that he could destroy such mythical Gods. All three sisters merely continued to gaze at him, unafraid, but halted their ascent nonetheless. "Good. Now, moving on from my cousins activities, why have you summoned me?"
Imogen pressed herself up against his side to whisper in his ear. "Uh James? Perhaps a little respect is in order? They are Gods after all."
"Well put," Slithered the sister to the right, her pale skin actually becoming luminous. "You should listen to the Daughter of Calibor."
James eyes widened at her words. "Calibor?" He rounded on a pouting Imi. "No…"
"Calibor, as in the Old God?" The girl from the future questioned. "What are you-?"
"Hush now hush now HUSH!" The sister in the middle spoke weakly. "The Son of Thunder and the Daughter of Truth mesh together for the bloom of youth."
James turned back to them at this. "What? Seriously what?"
"His plan so long his plan so great, showing his proof to the sisters of fate," The Sister to the left hissed. "He will come for he shall splendour, becoming his majesty's mighty born saviour."
"And all shall see, all shall wonder…" The luminous sister in the middle continued, a surprisingly bony and long finger extending in the two's direction. A gradual yet menacing smirk split onto the Goddesses face. "How they ever could have missed it, his own mother and father."
James sighed. "Yeah I can do that too, watch. The sisters of fate sure can jabber, unfortunately most of it seems to go on forever."
"He thinks he can destroy us, Sisters," Hissed the Muse in the centre, her voice slithering out of her like a talking snake. Imi couldn't stop the gulp that occurred at the tone.
"He speaks to us as he would anyone else," The sister to the left drawled, leaning forward ever so slightly to view the duo. Imi abruptly gasped as the Fate darted forward, her movement barely visible due to her speed. "…Let's kill him now and be done with his stench."
"Are you thirsty or something? Because I think your voice is like that because your throat is dry," James stated with a note of dry sarcasm evident. Imi gawked at him as if he had gone insane. "If it helps I have a bottle of old bite me in my cupboard at home. It's rather spicy but deeply satisfying," he suddenly spun around and grabbed a hold of a frankly terrified looking Imogen, bringing her head up to whisper something in her ear. "Get everyone to mount the war at the gates of the Venemagus Kingdom, that's where Malum is."
Imi brought her head back so she could look at him, her beautiful blues rife with cold concern. "What?"
"Just listen to me for once," he growled. "Now we haven't got much time so listen carefully. I think I've worked some of what's going on here out which means our three girls here are going to kill me-"
"What!" She screamed, her jaw hitting the ground as she shoved his shoulder.
He firmly darted forward and seized her shoulders once again. "I said listen!"
"And I said what!" She shrugged off his hands with a brutal jerk. "You cannot do this to me again! James, I can't take it any more…" she finished weakly. James studied her for a moment. She looked tired, exhausted with this life they lead…and he felt his heart sink into his gut. For the very first time she was saying no to him. However it was more than that, because that no was lined with hidden meanings. She was stating in no uncertain terms that if he left again then she would not wait for him. That she couldn't wait for him, and she couldn't follow him, not this time. It was an odd yet vicious reminder that he cared about her approval far more than he ever let on. His thoughts were interrupted when she grabbed his arm, her eyes wide and desperate. "Let's run away."
His eyebrows creased over his confused eyes. "Pardon crazy lady?"
"Come on, just this once," she begged him. "Let's run back to my Mum and Dad rather than trying to prove how brave you are. I mean don't we all get it by now? You're the fearless James Regus ok? We know. Now, please, let's just run. Please."
She needed him to run with her. There was simply no other way. She felt like they had skipped over a page since Elaine and Anna had disappeared back into paradise, because there was no way in anyone's mind that this was making any sense. It all felt so rushed and unexplained. But what she did know was that they were talking to the three sisters of fate, the Gods of fate, and yet James was talking to them as if they were the muck under his shoe. Almost like he knew he wasn't going to make it out alive so why not have some fun in the process? And sure enough here they were, with the sorcerer king once again about to sacrifice his life for something she didn't even know yet and she just knew she couldn't go through it again. She couldn't hold on to her sanity if he were to die once more, to hold on to that small slither of hope that they would be as they were in her time, because they never would be. She was the same but he wasn't. That would be something she would have to accept if he didn't go with her now. She would have to accept that the man she loved died before she even came back to this time. That the boy in front of her was nothing but cheap copy of him.
A thin smile journeyed onto his face at her words, his gaze turning downward. He was no fool. He knew what it meant if he didn't go back with her now. "This is what you do when you get out of here," he murmured, watching as her heart broke right before his eyes. "You tell your father that I'm sorry but he has to use the platform of time if all else fails – which by the way it will. Even with the sword and the stones Malum will probably be too smart for them. I knew that a long time ago. You ignore your mother when she tells you not to jump in, you ignore every bad thing she says about me because that is her right do you hear me? You let her slate me because believe me she will. You tell Arthur to get the army together – from the Empaths to the masters – and to march on my kingdom to face Malum after everything else fails. Whilst the war is going on you have to slip into the kingdom and head right to the heart of it, to the volcano where the platform is hidden. Now you take your father, your mother, Arthur, Anna and Gwen with you. When you get there you all jump right in together understand? Not just you, but all six of you MUST jump in. That way they will remember everything and not forget all that has happened – perhaps not at first but eventually they will. If it's just you then they will forget everything that happened to them since your arrival. Do not dilly around or say your goodbyes you just jump, and I'm sorry. I really am so very sorry, but it means you're going to have to die…sort of die…well you'll be sent into the void which is like dying."
Imi felt the warm air inside her turn cold at his words, the rest of her insides turning vile and clammy. "What are you saying?" She breathed out, feeling herself buckling at the knees. "Are you telling me I have to die?"
James sighed. "Imi, you are an anomaly! You shouldn't exist, so when and if – though there doesn't seem to be much if about it – you have to use the platform of time it will send you into the void because there is no place for you anymore. You don't belong in the future or here with us in the past so you'll be sent there, where all impossible things dwell-"
"No!" She halted his explanation, now feeling that horrible sting of tears dawning on her. "The man I love just suddenly tells me he wants me to die and you think you can explain that to me!"
He feverishly shook his head. "I don't want any of this! Do you think I want to die down here? Do you think I want you to get as much as a bruise on your pinkie toe? Well I've got a surprise for you Imi, I don't want to die! It's painful and it's cold, useless work but I don't have a choice…and neither do you."
"He does it for you, the sorcerer king," one of the sisters stated with that horrible whispering hiss. Imi snapped her gaze round to glare down the glowing beauty. "James Regus dies now for you despite his heart aching-"
"Yes thank you very much, give her a side order of guilt why don't you? Do me a favour and shut up!" James barked at her. He whirled around to face Imi again to see her devastated; rolling his eyes when he knew what she was going to say. "Look they're not going to let you out of here alive if I don't comply. So do everything I told you and we'll be even ok? Know that this is not your fault. If I had come down here alone I would have died alone too. So I would instead like to thank you, Imi, for always believing in me even when I didn't and for ignoring me when it mattered." He cleared his throat, his body language turning awkward. "I want you to know that it might have taken some time, but I do think I love you. I think. " She shook her head when he simply just straightened Arthur's coat and nodded. "So there we are, now go. Run."
A tear streaked down her left cheek as she regarded him. That's why it had all felt so rushed and unexplained, because he didn't want to tell her why he was dying. He was doing it for her. Again. "You can't do this to me again-"
"Run and don't look back," He ordered.
"Are you insane!" Imi screamed. "I love you! And just when I find out you might feel something too you want me to leave you to die! No! I won't!"
"If you do not then your parent's will die," he said calmly. "Your Uncle Arthur will die. Anna will die. Everyone, guess what, will die. So run, right now. You run away and you leave me here to do the right thing for once in my life for the only friends I've ever had," he gently grabbed her face and held her gaze. "Let me be brilliant." And with that he brought his lips down up upon hers with such tenderness that for a second, just a second, she was reminded of how it felt to kiss the man she loved back in her time. There was no aggression or fiery passion that this version of James Regus was known for, simply a kiss that not only told her how he felt but also said goodbye. The hairs on the back of her neck became rigid with pleasure as her eyes drifted shut, her skin fluttering whilst her heart begged for it to never end…and wish it had never begun. It told her that the man she loved was in there somewhere. It told her that he was going to leave her and this time never return.
Without warning she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, wanting nothing more than to never release him again. But just as she was fully melting into the embrace he ripped himself away, breathing heavily through his nose.
"You have to go…" He murmured weakly.
She shook her head. "Please don't make me do this-"
"I said run Imi," he interrupted, his harsh tone hurting her more than any blade.
"No," she almost gasped. "Please no, I can't-"
"RUUUUUN!" The sorcerer king abruptly yelled right in her face, and just like that Imi closed her eyes and ran. She ran as fast as she could, all the while knowing that she was leaving James behind to die for the people who had become like family to him because of her. Everything right down to her vibrating skin was trying to pull her back to him, but at the same time she kept running because she knew she had to. If she died down here then everything fell to pieces above. She needed to get the plan to her mother and father if everyone else in the world was to survive. And besides, if she died down here then she wouldn't be able to die up there. She wouldn't be able to save the world.
With a fierce brush of her eyes she arched her back and craned her neck. "DRAGON! Bóta mé beorgan! E male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!!"
"Ok then," James clapped his hands together as he turned to face the three sisters of fate. "Who knew she could command the dragons? Because I sure didn't," he spun wildly around in the direction Imi had just run off. "Might have helped if someone had told me before! Could have come in useful!"
"James Regus," one of the sisters called in a surprisingly soft voice, earning her the sorcerer kings' immediate attention. "Where it up to us your string would be cut, and your life would end."
James took a long, deep breath to steady himself, now turning around to face the three fully. "Where it up to you?" He murmured. "You're the sisters of fate, who can tell you someone's fate? Perhaps you should be called the three sisters of fate except for when it's super important."
"There is but one who can intervene with destiny," Another sister answered.
James smirked. "Is it Gwaine? I bet it's Gwaine. The man has a very unnatural aura of authority about him. It's unsettling."
"YOU SHALL SHOW RESPECT!" The sister in the middle screeched, her form suddenly morphing into five times its normal size. James eyes exploded out as wide as they could, he actually stumbling back and falling onto the ground. "For he is, that he is."
James swallowed, having to find his voice after the unexpected fright. "What? I don't understand."
"He is the majesty," her sister answered, stepping forward. "He is your Lord, and he has plans for you."
"You mean…?" The sorcerer king lifted a slow hand and pointed to the heavens. At their nod he felt his breath leave him. This couldn't be happening. They couldn't seriously be talking about the creator, the master of his ancestors. The master of all could not have plans for little him. It was ridiculous. "But…what could he want with me? I'm nothing I mean-"
"He hears his children's cries for help, and it breaks his heart," one of the sisters interrupted the spluttering immortal. At her words some echoes stirred from within the darkness. They were echoes of voices, more importantly voices he recognised.
"I have never felt so ashamed and as broken as I did today when you were dying in my arms. I have never felt as revolted at anything in my life as I did today at myself. I HATED everything about what I became, and I blame YOU for putting me in that position. I blame YOU for forcing me to choose between one of my best friends and a whole kingdom!" Merlin's voice boomed out from the shadows.
"I'll remember, but I will not live in a world with so much death. I will not live in a world where my Father is not alive, where my own Mother is forced to kill him, where the man I loved sacrificed himself only to stall time. I won't lose anymore." This time it was Imi's voice that struck his ears.
"Why isn't she moving?" James eyes widened as he recognised his own voice, and when he had said it. It was when he standing above his little sisters dead body. "She should be smiling. She has a great smile," James hung his head, the moment still raw in his memory. His insides shook as he relived it.
"And that is just you and your friends," The third sister spoke up, sparing him any more heart ache. "He has heard cries like this for thousands upon thousands of years, and so has delivered onto us a plan. One that will save his children and lead them to a land filled with hope and charity, one free from the eternal pit of despair in a world without divinity and security."
The first sister continued. "And so onto this world he sent his majesty, he sent his Angels to spread his grace. Michael, Lucifer and Gabriel, and for all those years he has waited for a moment that is now so close. For just the right Angel descendants to come together at just the right moment to form just the right unity. For Malum, son of Lucifer, to bring you together. The son of Michael…and the daughter of Gabriel…for James Regus and Imogen Pendragon…for the union of two Angel descendants and for the birth of the sentient power. A child born with the ability to dream the future, to control the beasts of the land, sea and sky, to command the Dragons. To have the compassion of Emrys, the brain of James Regus, the battle skills and honour of Arthur Pendragon, the bravery of Imogen Pendragon and the will of Morgana Le Fay with more power than all of them combined. Such a child will save his children and his infinite heart."
James couldn't help it, he really couldn't, but before he could stop he began laughing like he had never done before. Was it because he found it funny? No. It was because he didn't believe a single word that had just been uttered. The sheer ridiculousness was beyond him. The sisters of fate had gone insane. "Have you…" he trailed off, laughing some more. "Have you gone completely insane? Merlin, and I suppose therefore Imi, are NOT descendants of the archangel Gabriel? That's like saying broccoli is related to spicy chicken!"
"Fine but listen carefully," James immediately stopped his infernal giggling at the sound of Imogen's voice. Much to his amazement he saw a weightless fog gliding in front of him and expanding into shapes and figures. Like magical wisps they morphed into the shapes of Imogen and Arthur before his very eyes. With a heavy set frown he inspected the scene. It was obviously from when they had all been in the Maze of Avalon.
"What is this?" He breathed out. However it was the image of Imogen that answered his question.
"It is written in ancient scriptures that before man had built castles and formed kingdoms, the king of the Gods Regus arrived down on Earth with his two brothers, Tor and Calibor. Of course they were immortal and possessed such incredible power that it was unfathomable. Anyway long story short Regus fell in love with a mortal woman and had a son, Agravain who, though nowhere near as powerful as his father, possessed incredible power. When Regus ascended back into the heavens, after his wife had died, Agravain used his father's name as his last and forged the Venemagus Kingdom."
And with that Imi and Arthur blew away like smoke in a mild breeze, leaving James a little stunned. It's not like he didn't know this already but it was like he was hearing it for the first time. Regus, Tor and Calibor. Otherwise known as Michael, Lucifer and Gabriel. His brilliant green eyes snapped open as he remembered what the sisters of fate had said to him and Imi when they first arrived.
"You should listen to the Daughter of Calibor."
James eyes widened at her words. "Calibor?" He rounded on a pouting Imi. "No…"
"Calibor, as in the Old God?" The girl from the future questioned. "What are you-?"
"Hush now hush now HUSH!" The sister in the middle spoke weakly. "The Son of Thunder and the Daughter of Truth mesh together for the bloom of youth."
James turned back to them at this. "What? Seriously what?"
"His plan so long his plan so great, showing his proof to the sisters of fate," The Sister to the left hissed. "He will come for he shall splendour, becoming his majesty's mighty born saviour."
"And all shall see, all shall wonder…" The luminous sister in the middle continued, a surprisingly bony and long finger extending in the two's direction. A gradual yet menacing smirk split onto the Goddesses face. "How they ever could have missed it, his own mother and father."
"Oh…" James exhaled in such a weak voice that it was barely audible, his eyes actually tearing up. This was real. This was actually real, and happening, and to him. They were simply pawns being played on the biggest game to have ever existed, and though the proof was staring him straight in the face he simply didn't want to believe it. Everything that had ever happened to him and his family, to Merlin and his family, had all been a part of this God's plan so one day he and Imi would fall in love and produce a child that would save the world. From Malum's evil to Merlin's good. It was all just a plan. Merlin, had he been raised as he had and received the elixir like him, would now be immortal. His eyes firmly shut as he remembered what his mother had told him all those years ago before her death, and what she had just told him moments ago.
"I need you to promise me first of all that you will never change, because one day you're going to be brilliant and it will be so easy for you to forget to help those who need it most. Promise Mummy that when the time comes you will do everything you can to help Emrys."
James frowned, now in utter confusion. "Emrys? The Emrys? Mum why would he ever-?"
"It is your destiny to help him so just promise me," She demanded of her son, begging him with her eyes to do it until he finally relinquished with a nod.
And then moments ago…
"Soon you will realise that it is, and always has been, your destiny," Elaine continued, earning her a look of puzzlement from Imogen. "It is in your blood as it is with his. The Divine grace."
She had always known. His mother had known this. He suddenly felt sick as a number of realisations hit him. Was this why she had asked him to love Anna like his own daughter? So he could be prepared for when this child of his was born? With his life growing up Anna was the only thing that kept his compassionate side alive, the only thing that stopped him from closing off his heart and the ability to love something other than himself. A skill to be used when he fell in love with Imogen, so he would love and die to protect this child saviour when he was born.
Was this why his mother had not let him save her all those years ago?
He felt the bile rising in his throat, and before he could stop himself he was on his knees vomiting the complete contents of his stomach. His skin shook with disgust. He felt an incredible rage rise up within him. How could she betray him like this? How could his own mother use his life as a simple means to an end? How could she put him through such incredible volumes of agony? The day she had died, all those years in torture chambers on his sisters behalf, making him watch Anna die all for this damned plan.
"And now you know, child," One of the sisters stood above him, looking down upon his weak frame with apparent disinterest. "After all these years you finally know why you've had such an agonising life filled with such horrors and terrible things. Tell me, does it help ease the injustice of it all?"
With groggy, despondent eyes he gradually looked up at her, his mouth open and shaking. "Let me save them," he finally managed to spit out. The sister actually seemed surprised. "Please, I beg of you, if you have any decency or morality in you…then let me save my friends-"
"No," The second sister interrupted his plea with her sharp tongue. "You will stay down here, trapped, whilst Imogen uses the platform of time by herself to restore fate to what it should be."
The third sister knelt down before him when his head dropped, and placed a warm hand on his cheek. "Do not threat, my young king," she soothed in a kind voice. "As soon as she jumps into the platform your friends and you will remember none of this. It will be as if it never happened. They will not know of the pain they went through, Emrys and Le Fay will become enemies like destiny has foretold until the day that they fall in love and create Imogen. They will not suffer any of the memories the girl from the future has installed within them."
"No," James shook his head with fatigued distress. "No you can't do that. This is wrong. They love each other. They're good people, decent people who have given up everything to do the right thing. You have to let me save them; you have to let them make their own choice. For heavens' sake Morgana is pregnant you can't do this to them!"
The third sister sighed, becoming sad in the knowledge that the sorcerer king would never understand the greater good. With unfathomable casualness she rose to her feet. "Take him to his prison," she commanded.
Almost immediately the two other sisters seized his arms and began dragging him backwards, a human sized sphere whisking into existence just like the images of Arthur and Imi had done before. He threw a terrified glance over his shoulder at what would be his prison, where he would remain while his friends died and lost everything they loved. He turned back and fought against the two sisters with every muscle and fibre in his body, only to have it end in nothing.
"You can't do this!" He yelled out. "Please! I can save them! You have to let me save them!" Barely before he had recognised what was happening he was in the globe, his arms and legs suddenly bound by some invisible yet unbreakable force. With eventual ease the globe began sinking into the ground beneath it, taking James Regus and everyone's last hope with it. "I won't let you do this! I won't let you take away everything they hold dear! I swear on everything good that I will save them! I will stop you and your God and then I will save them!"
And suddenly, just like that, the sorcerer king had been swallowed by the ground underneath their feet, his promises and threats sinking with him. His last promise though echoed throughout the Elysian Fields but failed to chill any of the three sisters standing proud on the beautiful green grass. None of them smiled however. They took no pleasure or pain from this. It was simply what had to be done.
"The sorcerer king is lost to them forever," the second sister murmured. "Now there is no threat to Fate."
The third sister nodded. "A shame, really. I think I liked him."
"And now," the first sister spoke quietly. "With James Regus dead Emrys and Le Fay will forget their love for each other, Imogen Pendragon will be sent to the void where she belongs, and fate can finally be restored to what it should be."
Morgana flung herself over a smiling Merlin, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a huge kiss on his lips the moment he strode into the throne room. Arthur and Anna trailed behind him with looks varying from happy to outright nauseate.
"Do we really need to see that?" Arthur murmured, sickened. "I haven't even had my lunch yet which, by the way, now looks even more unlikely."
Morgana strode over to him and smiled, a smile that told him she was not impressed. "I'm glad that you're safe Arthur," She half joked, half stated before kissing his forehead. "And rather annoyingly in one piece I see."
He tilted his head slightly and smirked. "Well as much as the world could benefit by having two of me-"
"And by benefit he means be destroyed," Merlin interjected, now standing adjacent to the smirking black haired beauty.
"…I decided to give it a miss," Arthur reluctantly continued "And more importantly we got the sword. Where's Gwen?"
"She's interviewing potential candidates to replace herself and Merlin," Morgana answered before continuing. "As for the sword I already know. I felt it."
"You felt it?" Merlin enquired, surprised. "Really?"
She nodded. "Merlin I doubt there was a single magical creature alive that didn't feel that. It felt like a wave erupted from the ground and surged up through me, I've never felt anything like it."
"Me neither," Merlin admitted. "But what's important is that we have the sword, we have the stones of Leones and we're all still ok."
Anna grinned at them as she arrived next to her cousin. "Indeed. Speaking of which where are Imi and James? I would have thought they would be back by now."
Morgana shrugged at the girl. "I have no idea. Imi didn't tell you where they were going right?"
"No, but that was because she didn't know," Anna said with a sigh. "I do know that they were heading in the opposite direction of the Venemagus Kingdom and therefore away from Malum, so I'm sure they're fine."
That was when Gwaine arrived next to them, placing a hand on Merlin and Anna's shoulders. "Well I say we celebrate-"
"No, Gwaine," Arthur reprimanded, having cleverly foreseen where the conversation was heading. "No more celebrating until after Malum is gone. My system can't handle any more of your fun for a while."
Merlin smiled. "I can't believe I'm saying this but I agree with Arthur. Besides we should all get some rest. Once James gets back we'll get him to cast the breoste charm over the stones and-"
He was interrupted by the doors thundering open behind him, and when he turned it was like he could feel all the previous happiness drain from the room. For there was Imogen, stammering into the throne room, clutching at her stomach and choking on her own sobs. All the colour flooded from his face at the sight and had he looked around he would have seen the exact same thing happen to everyone else. It was like they had all been frozen to the ground where they stood, powerless to do anything other than to watch the girl from the future stumble forwards.
"Oh no…" Anna exhaled, her eyes wide and beginning to glisten with the horrific realisation. After all there was only one reason why Imogen would be in such a powerful state of despair…and why she would be returning alone.
Yet still they all remained frozen. Even Morgana stood dumbfounded by the powerful yet obvious conclusion as her daughter failed in her attempts to reach them, and instead fell to the floor as if made dizzy by fever, clasping at her own abdomen in a fit of sharp gasps for air. Hysterical screeches emanated from the girl now writhing around on the floor, the world around her meaning nothing anymore. He was gone. He was gone and this time he was never coming back. It felt so unreal, like he would step through that door in a blaze of magnificence and dazzle them with one of his many ridiculous sayings and a smile. But he was never going to do that again. She would never feel her heart skip a beat whenever their gazes locked, she would never hear one of his stupid jokes that she secretly adored and she would never ever feel the thrill she felt whenever he did something as simple as enter a room.
James Regus was dead and he was never coming back.
The group watched as her shaking hands travelled unsteadily up to her sodden face, her nails digging into her flesh. Finally the movement seemed to stir the feeling back into Morgana, and with a shuddering jolt she sprang into action. "Im…Imi…" she breathed out at first, walking toward her writhing daughter with slow almost reluctant strides. She didn't want to hear the obvious news. She didn't want to hear why she had come back alone instead of with the grinning, fast talking genius. But despite this every step became faster than the last and soon she found herself running. "Imogen!" She screamed.
The shrill was enough to jump-start Merlin back into the world of the living, and like his wife soon found himself running toward his daughter. He breezed past a stunned Arthur, who slowly turned to view his royal cousin with extreme trepidation. Anna remained frozen, her whole body looking numb, until one large yet lonesome tear slid down her cheek.
"Imi, Imogen," Morgana cried, throwing herself to the floor beside her heaving child and feeling her vibrating skin for the first time. She almost recoiled at the sensation. Her daughters' whole body was physically quaking, and in that one moment of realisation she felt the girls' pain as her own. It invaded her system like a fatal virus and set fire to her insides, causing the black haired beauty to actually tumble backwards. It was true all along. You really did feel your child's every pain. "Heaven help her," Morgana gasped.
Luckily that was when Merlin arrived and seized Imogen's shoulders, Morgana watching as he instantly pulled them back as if scolded. He released a breath of utter remorse before locking gazes with Morgana, his own eyes filling with tears. He had felt it too. A violent throb from Imi though managed to drag him back to reality, and soon he was holding her shoulders again.
"Imi what…?" He began, but wasn't sure he knew how to finish. With a shake of his head he continued. "What happened?"
She looked up at him and he felt his skin prickle, as if struck by a frosty gush of wind. "I…he…the sisters they – they –they…I don't…" Her words caught in her throat as another violent gasp for air shook from her gut.
Morgana shivered at her tone, finding the strength to once again get back on her knees and wrap her arms around the juddering girl. "Imi…where's James-?"
She was cut off by such violent sobs erupting from her daughter that they sent a shudder through the whole room. "Where is he Imi?" Anna's cold, dazed tone seemed enough to earn her best friends adverse attention. "Where's my brother Imogen? Tell me where he is Imogen. Tell me Imogen."
Imi averted her gaze, her eyes darting from left to right, not knowing what to do. "He…the underworld he…"
Anna swallowed the lump in her throat as Arthur slowly arrived next to her, more tears now flooding freely down the sorcerer princesses cold cheeks. "Where's my brother Imi?" She whined this time, her lips quivering and face scrunching up. "Where's my big brother?"
"He's dead," Imogen finally growled out, not meaning to have it come out as harsh as it did but unable to control it.
Anna's mouth fell open and suddenly found it impossible to breathe out, instead just sucking in sharp and sudden intakes of air. Arthur brought his hand up and let his face fall into it. Gwaine behind them gave a small shake of his head and let his gaze turn down to the floor. Lancelot tensed his jaw, resting his hands on his hips and turning glistening eyes on the ceiling. Merlin allowed a single tear to escape his eye and Morgana full out began crying herself, not bothering to try to hide her anguish from anyone there and burying her face on Imogen's shivering back.
"He's dead," Imogen repeated in a tone that was desperately more detached. "He's dead, he's dead, he's dead, he's dead, he's – he's DEAD! HE'S DEAD! HE'S DEAD!" Merlin suddenly bringing her head down to bury it in his shoulder muffled her voice, one of his hands clutching the back of her head whilst the other came round to wrap itself around her upper back. Without warning Imi let out such a screech into her father's jacket that it trembled through his entire body.
Anna felt her knees buckle underneath her, forcing a distracted Arthur to lunge forward and catch her. However he found himself slowly falling to the floor with her and soon had his cousin cradled in his arms, vicious sobs emanating from her. Arthur looked up to the decorated roof of his throne room with unshed tears gathering like pools in the base of his eyes, fighting harder than he ever had done before to hold in his tears, as Anna Regus savagely jerked at the rough fabric of his jacket.
Morgana continued to sob and sniff against her daughters back, idly stroking the girls' hair higher up in a vain attempt to soothe her. But there was nothing she could do and she knew it.
James Regus was gone forever.
So what do you think? A rough ending but after the happiness of the last chapter I couldn't help but, you know, crush it. Also I would love to hear what you thought of my little spoiler there, about the angels and "God's Plan" for the descendants? Hint diddy hint hint. I would like to also take this chance to apologize to any James fans out there. There are a surprisingly high number of you so I am sorry about his rather sudden death as it was, but I have to stay true to my original plot if everything is going to work out and make sense in the end.
Don't forget to catch Merlin tonight people! Although I don't know if it's showing in America at the moment or what's going on there, but hey if it isn't then you have one hell of a series to look forward to. In fact I'm going to go out on a limb and say this has been my favourite series so far (whereas previously it was Series 2).
Anyways, in the next chapter: The war really begins. Arthur leads the charge on the Venemagus kingdom, Merlin takes the stones to the temple of vice with a distraught Anna and Imi, and Morgana's dreams start coming true.
