Hello and welcome to yet another Merlin one shot. This one started off a lot less serious than it ended, and I really didn't intend for half of the stuff in it to happen, but hey.

Anyway, I don't own Merlin, and I hope you enjoy!

"So" says Gwaine, as the last fires of golden fade from Merlin's eyes and his hands return to his side. "Magic, huh."

"But…" Arthur splutters.

"Uh, sorry." Merlin shrugs sheepishly. "I did mean to tell you."

The other knights are studiously avoiding Arthur's eyes, and are instead choosing to glance around at the dead bandit on the forest floor whose body lies still.

None of them can quite believe what happened.

Arthur swears that he was perfectly capable of handling the bandit on his own, he had been doing quite well, but the man had a large pointy sword, and had knocked Arthur's own sword out of his hands some time ago. Merlin, being the idiot that he is, had taken it upon himself to defeat the bandit using magic. Because Merlin can do that.

Arthur blinks and pinches himself. "Nope." He mutters. "Not dreaming. Damn."

He forces himself to look up into Merlin's eyes, big and pleading as they are. He sighs. He should run the man through where he stands, but there is something in him that can't, no matter how hard he tries to push it down.

"Ok." He says. "Come on. Let's get back to Camelot."

Merlin frowns. "You're not going to… you know… kill me?"

"What? No." Arthur says. "Don't be an idiot, Merlin."

On the way back, Merlin complains even louder than usual, until Arthur snaps at him, suggesting that he conjure up a cushion for his sore behind. He means it as a joke, but then Merlin does just that. When Gwaine requests one for himself, Arthur buries his head in his hands and scowls.

The next day, Arthur wakes up before Merlin comes barging in, mostly because he has been up all night trying to connect the idea of magic with Merlin.

So, when the man of the hour rushes in, Arthur is sat up against his pillows and raising one eyebrow a la Gaius. Merlin raises one back, and he is much better at it than Arthur. Maybe Gaius has been giving him lessons.

"You woke up but you couldn't be bothered to dress yourself?" Merlin questions insolently. "Honestly Arthur. You're such a clotpole sometimes."

"Idiot."

"Cabbagehead."

"Magichead."

Merlin's eyebrow rises further up his forehead. "That's a new one. I like it."

"Sorcererous prat."

"Prat's my word!"

"Not anymore."

Merlin smirks. "Ok then. Shut up, idiot."

Arthur chucks his pillow at him, and Merlin lets it hit him.

Later at training, Arthur gathers his most trusted knights and takes them aside. "Right men." He whispers.

"Why are we whispering?" says Gwaine the comic relief guy.

"Shut up Gwaine." Arthur barked. "As I was saying, Merlin has agreed to let us go up against him and his magic."

"Sire!" Leon cries. "You can't be serious?"

"Oh he is." Merlin saunters out of the tent to the side of their training area with a smirk.

"Merlin!" Gwaine grins. "Are you going to go up against the scary knights with your magic?"

Merlin just continues to smirk.

"Are you powerful?"

"Fairly." He replies carefully.

"Alright!" Arthur calls for attention. "Let's begin! Merlin, hit us with your best shot."

"Really?"

"Unless you think you can't beat us?"

Merlin laughs, and suddenly his hands are lit with flickering flames, dancing about on his palms. Arthur gulps.

Five minutes later, the knights are all on the ground wondering why on earth they agreed to this. Merlin is doing a victory dance above.

"So." Arthur says a few weeks after that when they are out on patrol. "Anymore secrets you've been keeping from us?"

Merlin jumps and he laughs nervously. "No. why would you think that?"

"He is totally keeping something from us." Giggles Percival. "Come on, Merlin. What is it?"

"Nothing!" Merlin insists, trying to edge away from the campfire. "Absolutely nothing."

Arthur narrows his eyes. "You're lying."

"Am I?"

"You are. I can always tell – you get all shifty."

Gwaine raises his hands and points out, "You couldn't tell he was lying about magic for like seven years."

"Shut up Gwaine." Arthur growls.

Merlin shrugs. "technically," he says, "I wasn't lying. I never actually said that I didn't have magic."

"He's right." Leon adds. "Remember when he admitted to curing Gwen's father with magic?"

"Wait," Arthur turns to his servant, eyes wide. "You actually did that? you went up to my father and admitted to having magic, and it was true? If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead!"

"Or maybe the other way round." Merlin mutters under his breath. Arthur deliberately ignores him.

At that moment, Gwaine decides to provide a welcome distraction in the form of a burnt sock and an accompanying dance. Arthur glares at Merlin, who gives him a wide grin.

"Seriously though," says Gwaine the next morning as he pulls on his one sock and his boots as they prepare to depart for Camelot. "Is there anything else you were hiding?"

"Yeah." Elyan grins. "Wouldn't it be great if you were a really famous sorcerer."

"Ooh!" Gwaine seems to like the idea of that. "With a secret identity!"

"You could be worshipped!" Percival adds. "like Emrys from the druid legends."

Merlin winces.

"Who's Emrys?" asks Arthur.

Percival smiles. "I'm glad you asked. My family grew up around druids, and they used to tell stories to me and my brother. They told us about this incredible sorcerer who was meant to be the most powerful man to ever walk the earth. Apparently this guy can move oceans and control the weather. He's rumoured to be immortal and simply being in his presence is supposed to make you feel truly alive." His voice dips down to a whisper. "Emrys is magic incarnate."

Gwaine whistles. "This guy sounds scary… I bet he could magic me some ale."

"Shut up Gwaine." Merlin groans. This causes everyone to look over to him and see his increasingly red face.

"What's up, Merlin." Arthur teases. "Scared of this Emrys?"

Merlin frowns. "I'm not scared of him."

"Then why do you look like you want to bolt like a startled bunny?"

"No reason."

"There is something. Do you know this Emrys?" Gwaine suggests.

"Maybe." Merlin crosses his arms and turns away.

"Merlin!"

Merlin sighs. "Fine. I do know him."

"Really? What's he like then? Is he all mysterious and wise and powerful?"

"Can we change the subject?"

"Absolutely not!" Gwaine crows. "This is hilarious!"

"Gwaine I swear to the gods, if you don't shut up…"

The knight laughs, cowering mockingly. "You'll what? Get Emrys to deal with me? I bet you two are best friends."

"Gwaine." Merlin groans again. "Shut up."

The Emrys thing is forgotten soon, in lieu of things like training and patrols and ale. Life goes on as it always has in Camelot for a few weeks, and Merlin begins to worry that something must be wrong, since there hasn't been a vengeful sorcerer in a good while.

That is until Morgana decides it is a good idea to turn up with her magic and her smirk.

Merlin sighs.

"What is it this time?"

She growls. "I am the rightful heir to the throne of Camelot!"

"And?"

"I should be on that throne. Not Arthur."

Arthur pipes up, "I think I'm doing a pretty good job."

"Yeah." Gwaine agrees. "Princess is an annoying person, but he's a great king."

"Hey!"

"Gwaine is right." Says Leon. "Arthur is a very good king, and you, my lady, are not suited for the throne."

"Silence!" Morgana screams, and her voice is like ice. "I have lived under this roof as long as my brother, I have had the same lessons, and I would be a better ruler in every way!"

"A good leader doesn't rule through fear." Says Merlin quietly "That's what you do. Your army follows you because it is scared of you and your magic. Your allies have the same reasons. That is not something to build a kingdom on."

"Shut it, you." She snaps. "Didn't Uther do the same thing?"

"He did." Nods Merlin. "And you are just like him."

Her magic flares up around her in a deep red haze of anger. "I am nothing like that man. He murdered thousands."

"As have you." Arthur reminds her. "I can agree that our father had his flaws, and it loathes me to say it, but he did wrong many people. I want to help those people."

"Yet you still see magic as a crime." Morgana snarls.

Gwaine, who has been uncharacteristically quiet, pipes up with, "I think magic's pretty cool." He pauses thoughtfully. "And honestly, I think this whole thing has gone on too long. Merlin, could you…"

'Merlin?" scoffs Morgana. "What could Merlin do?"

"I could annoy you to death?" suggests Merlin. "I've been told I'm very annoying."

"You know that's not what I meant." Gwaine rolls his eyes.

"I know." Merlin smiles. "Sorry, Morgana, but…"

"That's enough!" she shrieks. "Either you fight me and I take over, or you stay still and I take over. Pick one."

"I'd rather you didn't take over." Arthur puts in. "I thought we'd already established that."

"Well I'm afraid you give me no choice."

"Um…"

"Bael abrecan!" she shouts, and a ring of fire erupts in a giant flaming circle around the knights and Merlin. Merlin rolls his eyes.

"Lêoran!"

The fire flares up around them, growing and growing until it forms an impassable wall, barring their vision and making it completely impossible for them to reach Morgana.

"Can't you do something?" Percival asks Merlin, wiggling his fingers.

"I suppose." Merlin muses. "I don't really want to reveal my magic to Morgana right now. I mean, there are more badass times to do it."

"I reckon you could make this pretty badass." Gwaine says. "Just go out there, summon some fire, give a speech and then fall over. That's what the sorcerers usually do."

Merlin raises his eyebrow. "They fall over because I knock them out. Not because its badass."

"You could still do the fire thing?"

By now, Morgana's fire is getting really hot, and the knights, all of whom are in their chainmail and cloaks, are overheating somewhat. Arthur glares at Merlin, wipes his forehead and tells him to hurry up and do something. Although slightly less harsh, Elyan and Leon echo that sentiment.

"Fine." Merlin says, clicking his fingers. The fire disappears.

Morgana, too engrossed in her gloating and her smirking, takes an embarrassingly long time to realise that her fire is out. It takes Merlin tapping her on the shoulder for her to turn around, notice the non existence of the fire, and then start screaming.

She screams that Merlin can't have magic. She screams about traitors and poison. She screams spell upon spell, but Merlin, using a rather convenient shield, blocks them all.

"Oh." Says Gwaine when the spells turn back on Morgana. "The shield is reflective."

The witch is bombarded with her own attacks, fireballs, blades, power beams…

"Is that a snake?" Gwaine wonders, watching the barrage curiously.

Once Morgana has dealt with the attack (by summoning her own non reflective shield), she growls and lights her hands with fire.

Merlin glances at the flames and puts them out again.

"Would you stop doing that!"

"Sorry." He shrugs. "It's kind of my job. Can't let Arthur get hurt. Destiny, you know?"

Morgana's eyes widen, and her mouth thins. "destiny." She gives a bitter laugh, just a hint of mania colouring her tone. "I suppose you would know about destiny, Emrys."

There is no question in her voice; there is simply acceptance. She falls to the floor.

"You were always destined to be my end. Just get it over with."

Merlin is quite happily minding his own business trying not to get killed and also admiring the window panes in the council chambers when he registers what Morgana says.

"Wait what?" he yelps. "I'm not going to kill you!"

She looks up in surprise. "So you aren't Emrys? I thought…"

"No, I am." He assures. "I just don't really want to kill you. You were my friend."

"I've been out to destroy you and the once and future king for years." She points out. "It was destined."

"Destiny," Merlin decides, "Can go fuck itself."

"What?"

"Apart from you, Arthur." Merlin turns and grins at the king. "you're the one good part of destiny."

"You…" Morgana stutters.

"Get up Morgana," Merlin says. "The floor doesn't suit you."

She gets up slowly, disbelieving and searching for some hint of betrayal. She finds none in Merlin's kind eyes and the onlooking knights.

Merlin takes a step forward and she blanches, reaching for her magic to protect her.

It's not there.

It's gone.

"Where is it?" she whispers, panicked and strangled.

"It's still there." Merlin explains. "But it's locked away until you can be trusted. We want to give you a second chance. You deserve that at least after everything life has handed you."

"I don't want your pity." She snarls.

"It's not pity." He says calmly. "I want my friend back, that's all."

After that whole fiasco, and when Morgana is making herself at home in one of the towers for the time being while the knights attempt to convince the population that they're not going to die, Merlin takes a moment to sit down and rest. He used a lot of power earlier, and he'll need to get a lot of sleep tonight. No doubt, Gaius will scold him and then feed him too much broth for anyone to handle.

When everything has calmed down and the knights are done with damage control, they all gather in the court room. It's just the six of them, all bone tired from the stress of the day.

"So." Says Gwaine. "In between the taking over Camelot stuff, Morgana mentioned something interesting earlier."

"Did she?" Merlin laughs, scratching his neck. "I didn't notice."

"Yeah." Arthur adds. "Something about that Emrys fellow."

"Really?"

"It really was very interesting." Leon says.

Merlin glares at him. "Really Leon? You too?" the knight shrugs. "Ok." He says, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. "Yes, I'm Emrys."

"Seriously?" Arthur asks. "You're not joking? You're the most powerful man to ever walk the earth?"

"Um, yes?"

Arthur looks to the sky in exasperation. "If there's a god up there, why did you choose this idiot to be your champion or whatever?"

Merlin looks scandalised. "Arthur! You can't just address the triple goddess like that! and besides, I'm sure she had her reasons."

"You're you." Says Arthur by way of explanation. "I still can't get my head around magic, let alone this Emrys stuff. Just give me a few days."

Merlin nods. "Hey, I've had my whole life to process it and I still can't. Take as long as you need, sire."

Leon, at the back of the room, says, "Are we going to address the whole immortality thing? Cause if we are, then I think I've got something to tell you."

"Let me guess." Gwaine laughs. "You're immortal too? Yeah right."

"That would be hilarious!" Percival wheezes.

"Imagine!" chuckles Elyan.

"Yeah. Hilarious." Leon agrees with a completely straight face. "just imagine."

"It would be just like Merlin secretly being a dragonlord as well as the whole Emrys thing!" Gwaine shouts in glee.

"Yeah." Says Merlin. "About that."

The whole Morgana thing really wasn't meant to be in there, and I certainly didn't plan for a fight scene or anything vaguely resembling a serious conversation, but my fingers said otherwise.

Hope you liked it!