Taking a deep breath, he cast a glance at his companion, waited for the answering nod. When it came, Merlin pushed the door open with a wave of his hand, pleased to see Morgana startle for a moment before her face twisted in hatred.

"Emrys," she hissed. She glanced next to him, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Sir Gwaine?" She looked around frantically. "Where's my brother?"

"Currently occupied with wiping the floor with your puppets," Gwaine answered smoothly, his eyes locking on the other occupant of the room. King Lot stood off to the side, his sword drawn, but clearly waiting for Morgana's command. There was no question they were working together and no question either of who was in charge.

Lot snorted. "Even with your so-called Allied army, we outnumber you."

"That's all right. Princess only has to keep them busy until we're done with you lot, Lot!" Gwaine chortled at his own humor. Merlin rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop his own grin. He could always count on the rogue. The more dangerous the situation, the more the Knight insisted on treating it as irreverently as possible. It warmed his heart.

"It's a trick!" Morgana hissed. "My brother would never send Emrys from his side at a time like this. Finish the Knight and then go find him!"

Gwaine glanced at Merlin for permission, received a nod in return, and drew his sword, advancing on the King of Essetir even as Merlin walked toward Morgana.

"You've underestimated Arthur, again, Morgana. It's becoming a habit, it seems," Merlin pointed out.

"You won't trick me, Emrys. You wouldn't leave him any more than he'd leave you. If Lot fails, I'll hunt him down myself, show him your still beating heart in my hand!"

He looked at her, saddened by the hatred in her voice, the joy in describing the pain she would cause them. "We can still end this. We can work together to achieve all you've dreamed of. A life where magic is balanced, equal." There was a part of him that would always feel responsible for what she'd become, believing his actions had driven her. He wasn't unaware of the strain of living under constant fear of death- and that had been Uther- not him. But he'd played his part in adding to it if only by staying silent, by not offering her the kind, supporting words to let her know she wasn't alone.

He could see that his plea never penetrated the madness in her eyes. There was nothing left of his once friend, and in his heart he mourned the passing of that vibrant young woman for the last time. There was nothing left in her to redeem, no part of her still capable of forgiveness on any level. He let tears track down his cheeks, whispering in his mind a silent goodbye even as she goaded him, giving voice to the poison inside her. He had loved her, once.

"There are no great powers that send you this time, Emrys, no message that can stop me," Morgana spat. "You don't even have your precious Arthur to protect you this time. I will take your life." She threw up her hands, throwing fireballs from them. He deflected easily enough.

"I have no wish to take yours," he replied, needing her to know that, deflecting another volley. Even as he spoke, he gathered his resolve. There was no part of his friend left in this creature. "But I will do whatever I have to, to protect my King, to protect Albion, I will pay any price."

"I will destroy you!" she screeched at him. "I will destroy everything you are, everything you care for!" Her insanity let loose in all its glory at long last, driven by the curse that was foreknowledge of one's destiny, one's end. He could find nothing but pity in his heart, but she was a threat to everything he loved, and there was no part of him that could allow that threat to continue.

He rolled deftly out of the way of an energy push she sent at him. "So be it," he said quietly, letting the molten gold bring his eyes to life.

MERLIN101010101010MERLIN

Arthur nearly fell when the sword he'd parried dropped away, its wielder having come to a stunned, complete stop. He looked around- saw all the fighting had stopped- then followed the gazes upward, knowing in his heart where it would take him. Through the windows of the tower came flashes of light, of fire, of lightning. Great booms echoed in the sudden silence of the battle. One part of him breathed a sigh of relief that Merlin had made it that far. The rest of him tensed, anxious for his lover, though he pushed it aside when he saw the largest of his Knights running up to him.

"Sire," Percival spoke to him in the break. "The citizens have been evacuated. There shouldn't be any left in the City."

Arthur nodded at the tower. "It's begun. Be ready." Be steadfast, Love, he prayed to the tower.

Then the Saxons seemed to overcome their surprise, raising their weapons once again as slowly sounds of steel began to once again carry through the city. Their brief respite was done, Arthur raising his sword just in time.

MERLIN10101010101010101MERLIN

Merlin sagged. He'd been right in what he'd told Arthur. He was inherently more powerful, but Morgana knew things he did not. His side burned where a bolt of lightning had stuck him- something he was unaware could be done inside, thinking always it needed access to the energy stored in clouds. He'd been barely dodging attacks he hadn't even known were possible, and already he was trembling with exhaustion. She knew so much! He had tried flinging her back, but that trick didn't seem to work on her anymore, not while her defenses were strong. How had she countered it?

Vaguely he could hear the clash of steel as Gwaine and Lot continued their fight on the other side of the large room.

"You're getting tired, Emrys," Morgana gloated, and he barely had time to roll out of the away of another bolt, panting as he came up on one knee, channeling his own bolt- he was a fast study, if nothing else- toward her.

"Ástríce!"

She managed to deflect most of it, but the tail end caught her on the shoulder, and she staggered back. "So are you," he answered through gritted teeth. The trouble was Gwaine. He was holding back on his more powerful attacks fearing the Knight would get caught in them, and he had so few others in his arsenal. If this continued much longer, Morgana was going to kill him off just pecking at him. His only only saving grace was her confidence in winning, in preserving her strengths to take out the soldiers outside once she'd finished with him. The longer he managed to stay alive, the less of her energies she was saving. It would also leave him wide open.

He had no choice, he decided. As much as he hated to take the fight away from him, he had to get the Knight out of the equation- and Lot seemed more than capable of holding his own against the skilled fighter- being far more rested than the rogue. Taking a deep breath, he turned, sending a powerful fireball toward the traitor King when Gwaine stepped back to defend. Even as it engulfed the King, Morgana lashed out, and Merlin went flying- hard- into the wall behind him. When he fell onto the solid stone floor, he landed on his front, feeling several ribs break from the impact. He gasped as air was driven out of his lungs, squeezed his eyes as pain radiated down his now severely bruised back when he tried- and failed- to push himself back up.

He lost what little breath he'd been able to draw in trying to shout a warning to the Knight, but it was too late. He watched, helplessly, as Gwaine also flew back into the other wall, even as Lot ran screaming toward Morgana for help. Being who she was, she didn't hesitate to kick him out the window behind her, shattering it. Mere seconds had passed, but it all seemed to move in slow motion to the warlock.

Merlin reacted instinctively, reaching out and using his magic to grab at the shards of glass, pushing them at the Witch. Several found their way around her deflection, burying themselves deeply. He forced himself up, pushing away the agony that screamed at him, as she sank down, shaking hands going to one large shard lodged in her abdomen, leaning forward under another large piece that had been driven deep into her back.

"No, no," she was whispering. "This can't be…"

It wasn't enough. She would recover- her eyes were already flashing as she healed herself- and he lacked the physical strength to match blades were her. He knew this even as in her state her hand scrambled for the sword lying close to her. Merlin gathered up the last of his strength, the last dredges of his exhausted magics, called for every source he could reach…

MERLIN101010101010MERLIN

Arthur stumbled as he felt the strong pull. He looked toward the tower again, understanding immediately the source. Without hesitating, he slipped into the Bond, felt the pain, the bone tiredness, the fear, the sadness. Riding strongly alongside all of it, however, was a deep determination. Arthur drew deeper, grabbing at everything the Bond was, gathering it to himself, lending it his strength, then pushed it all along the Link they shared, adding his power to that of his lover's.

He went to one knee when he felt something the echo of something penetrate his abdomen- not his, Merlin's!-, but didn't dare stop as everything he could send was being taken, being absorbed much as his wounds had been. He poured strength into the Bond, his love, his belief in their victory. He dove deeper into the Bond than he'd ever been before, driving all of himself into it, offering up everything. His eyes widened in wonder as everything that made up his lover was made available to him.

"Take it, Merlin," he projected through the Bond, feeling his mind connect as well. "I'm here. We'll do this together."

MERLIN101010101010101MERLIN

Leon watched his King go down, screamed out "Protect the King!", throwing every man he could find into a tight ring to surround the King. He'd seen the black eyes before. He knew Arthur was unable to defend himself in this state, as it was unlikely the warrior was aware of very much of his environment. The Knight understood, to some small degree, that this was needed, that the warlock had called for him. His heart ached for it, knew it meant Merlin was struggling. The younger man would never have risked reaching out like this otherwise.

"Shouldn't we get the King to safety?" one of the Lothian soldiers called out.

Leon shook his head. "Don't touch him! We keep him alive at all costs!" he shouted at the ring. "More than one victory depends on it!"

Even as he fought to keep his King safe, he couldn't help but shiver at the nearly palpable sense of power that crackled through the air, similar to when Merlin had been preparing to let loose his deadly attack on the walls. Something big was about to happen. The clouds gathered and darkened, lit by flashes of light as they thickened and bulged, carefully framing the full moon high in the night sky to focus its light on the kneeling King and the tower. The light never broke as the clouds began to circle the tower as if drawn to it. Leon felt the first drops of rain on his cheeks, and prayed they weren't to represent the tears to come if either King or Warlock failed.

MERLIN1010101010101010MERLIN

Merlin felt the surge, gasped as it flowed into him, added itself to his own gathering power. He vaguely felt something sharp penetrate his abdomen, but he was beyond physical sense now. Moonlight filtered through the windows, and he drew power from it, too, discovering for the first time the sacred energy it cast on the earth. He drew deeply from the clouds he could somehow see gathering above, drew energy from the contained currents of water that fell, thousands of little offerings to answer his Call. He drew from the violence of the storm, and the calm of the earth beneath it. From the raging seas he Called the fury of the waves to him, sensing them breaking against him with every swell.

As from a distance he heard Morgana casting at him, felt her magic being absorbed like light into a deep shadow, adding itself to him. Heard her cry out in frustration, casting more and more powerful spells at him. He absorbed it all, even as his body jerked from the impacts. It didn't matter. He was beyond good and evil magic. There was no distinction, no life, no death... merely pure power, as endless as the skies above them and the vastness of space above that.

'Take it, Merlin. I'm here. We'll do this together,' skittered across his mind, and in it he truly felt his destiny for the first time, felt their connection, seeing in his mind their beginning being built from the earliest of mankind. Even as his life blood dripped from the sword Morgana had put through him, he felt life being poured into the Link, felt it glow, imbued with the will of the Triple Goddess herself. It wrapped him in protective layers of strength and love, acting as a bridge, allowing him to draw deeply of the ancient powers, to balance it within himself even as it grew too much. He cried out, wrapped in agony beyond belief and the ecstasy of being connected to every living thing across every universe, as he offered himself as a vessel to them, sacrificing all he was for this one success.

"I'm ready," he strained to reply to the calmness in his mind. "Together. Tell your men to drop their weapons".

He could give them only a few minutes more before the vessel that was his body shattered, letting loose with everything it had taken in.

MERLIN101010101010101MERLIN

'I'm ready. Together. Tell your men to drop their weapons.'

"Drop your weapons! NOW!" Arthur shouted out as loudly as he could over the brutality of the storm overhead, even as he let loose, pushed everything he had felt being gathered through the Bond, adding his power to that of the warlock in the tower. His words didn't matter. He felt the command echo through every mind of Albion, felt it somehow distinguish from from foe. Purity, it sought. Intent of purpose.

Thunder cracked loudly above them while lightening split the skies, highlighting the torrential rains as Arthur arched on his knees, his head thrown back and arms flung wide, black eyes wide open heedless of the droplets stinging them, as a power ripped through him beyond anything he'd ever seen or experienced, the entire universe at their shared fingertips. The black of his eyes showing him the beauty of the energies being drawn to them both, filtering through the night air like glowing dust dancing in the elements of nature, surrounding them both. The stars themselves glowing so brightly to his eyes as though the clouds weren't there as they offered their own power, the bubbling brooks and streams in the forest sounded crystal clear to his ears as their elements were added. It all flowed from him across the bridge he'd built, connected him to the world of pain and ecstasy that his warlock now existed in. It was too much for his mortal body, and his mouth opened for a scream he was beyond hearing even as he fought to keep that bridge open.

"MERLIN!"

MERLIN1010101010101MERLIN

Merlin cried out as the wave broke from him, a part of him vaguely heard Morgana's scream, was vaguely aware of it abruptly cutting off. He let it flow through him, felt it seek and destroy, felt it heal, felt it expanding in ever greater circles. The power was so immense that he knew he could offer it only one thought. Save Albion, he directed. His eyes burned for the power in them, and he was aware on some level of the skin around them flaring in a sensation he distantly remembered as pain. The power was ripping him apart from the inside but this had to be done and so he gave willingly of himself. He felt each life that was taken as if it were his own death. Thousands of times he died, over and over. A hundred more he Healed, felt those of Albion restored, only to die again at the next touch.

He convulsed as another wave broke from him, falling to one knee, barely holding himself up as power shook the earth underneath him, as stone crumbled around him. Darkness clawed at the edges of his awareness, and still he pushed. He coughed, some part of him tasting the blood that welled up in his throat. He felt the shift of the added power, felt it move along the Link connecting them, felt it offer life even as his drained away.

"Arthur," he whispered lovingly, blood flowing from his lips as he spoke, feeling the strength of his King, knowing it wasn't enough. Not for this.

Merlin glanced up, saw through blurred vision Morgana sitting half up against the wall, her head tilted at an odd angle, blood staining under her nose and ears. Open, vacant eyes stared at him. His heart broke even as darkness crawled closer. Even her death, he'd felt. He really had wished it could have turned out differently. But there was no returning from this. She had been dead the moment she'd begun casting into the vast well of power he'd taken in, she simply hadn't known it. The wave had been a kinder death than the life without magic she would have been forced to endure had she lived. He coughed again, spitting blood.

He could hear someone calling his name, but he was too far gone. His mind had shattered like the glass, splintering into a thousand little shards, knowing for one moment all paths, all futures, and all destinies. He felt those familiar Shields try to protect him but they, too, had given too much. Were too weak to withstand the crushing weight of the endless magics that he had accessed.

He cried out as that immense power leached out of him, letting the physical ruin that was his shattered body slam full force into him. It didn't matter. They'd succeeded. Darkness claimed him, but he knew, could feel it… this war they had won. "Together," he whispered with the last of his breath.