So I watched the finale.
.
.
.
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After the ending I literally collapsed on the floor and sobbed my soul out for at least ten minutes until my parents realized that I was crying instead of laughing. It's been a hard few days... But... I'm... getting better. There are times that I'll go through huge amounts of withdraw, when I'll have to watch a bunch of Youtube videos to get better (I'm still to sensitive to watch the actual show). I feel like I'm coming to terms with the ending, that I can accept it for what it is, and yet still build my own version on top of it.
*Ahem*: It's been a month since then, and now I feel that I'm ready to post this. Here it is.
Title: The Reunion
Summary: Merlin was going home
Words: 519
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
The withered old man stumbled, falling to his knees at the shores of an ancient lake. He reached out with trembling hands towards the water, wetting his lips with anticipation as the sun shone on his too-white hair.
He had waited for so long.
All of his friends had come and gone—and not just his first ones, either—all the ones he had made along the way as well. Finally, to spare himself the pain, he had isolated himself, and began to live only to protect the small amount of magic left, hidden deep within the place where it had been born.
Not that he could die.
He had tried—he had tried so many times that Gwen be horrified and Arthur would have punched him before ever looking at him again, but life was so damn painful and if had ever wanted to die while Arthur was still alive than it was nothing to what he felt now.
But he couldn't die, so he had waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
He had been waiting for longer than anyone should ever have to wait, making use of himself, helping humanity in every war, slowly dying of grief and anguish and time.
But now he could go home. The ghost of a man felt a tear escape, the last one he would ever shed, felt the sun flood his fading vision.
"Go home, my child, my last faithful servant. Go home."
-:-
He woke up in Avalon, on the shores of his home. Strength surged through his veins, more strength than he had felt in a long, long time—strength and youth and magic. He blinked.
"Took you long enough."
The laugh escaped his lips even as tears began to flow down his now-youthful face.
"Forever late, eh sire?" Arthur grinned, his own eyes watery as he stretched out a hand to his former servant. Merlin took it, and Arthur pulled him into a hug, both men shaking with tears and laugher, parting only when other joyful figures raced towards them, laughing and cheering, to finally reunite with their one last friend.
"Just... be... you."
"Merlin, is there anything you are really capable of doing?"
"Putting up with you?"
"I do it because you are my friend, and I don't want to lose you."
"Threatening a king is treason, Merlin."
"What about threatening an ass?"
"I heard that!"
"All those jokes about you being a coward... I never really meant all of them. I always thought that you were the bravest man I ever knew."
"Some men are born to plough fields, some to live to be great physicians and others great kings. Me? I was born to serve you, Arthur. And I'm proud of that. And I wouldn't change a thing..."
"I came back because you're the only friend I have and I can't bare to lose you."
"I swear I'm going to rescue my men. Or die trying."
"And I swear that I will protect you or die at your side."
"Idiot."
"Prat."
"I want to say... something I've never said to you before."
"Thank-you."