Twins of Magic
Summary: When Morgana was knocked unconscious, she learnt two things from Uther. First, Uther is her biological father and second, Merlin, the boy who poisoned her, is her twin brother, separated at birth. What will happen now? AU of series 3 onwards.
Disclaimer:I do not own Merlin. Merlin is property of BBC!
Chapter seven: The Eye of The Phoenix Part 3:
After what felt like forever, according to Merlin; the young warlock and Gwaine arrived at the border of the Perilous Lands. Merlin's magic tingled with wariness as well as anticipation. Arthur was there, he can feel it somehow.
"This is it. On the other side of the forest lie the Perilous Lands," Gwaine said with a grimace.
Merlin frowned. "Doesn't look too friendly."
"That's because it's not. Believe me, it's wretched. I've travelled to many places, Merlin," Gwaine explained
"Not the Perilous Lands, I know that," Merlin muttered with a slight smile.
Gwaine turned to Merlin with a small frown. "Why?"
Merlin smirked. "There aren't any taverns," he joked and Gwaine laughed
"I told you it was wretched," Gwaine chuckled as they made their way through the woods in companionable silence.
….
Back in Camelot, Gwen was hiding behind the screen near the door to the antechamber. She had been waiting for around an hour, maybe more. Her nervous feelings stayed throughout the remainder of the afternoon. Suddenly the door opened and Morgana walked in, looking around cautiously.
"Gwen?" Morgana called but Gwen remained silent as she crept up to the screen.
Morgana smirked slightly as she walked to her wardrobe and pulled out the silver box from earlier. Gwen placed her hands on her mouth in shock as she saw Morgana's eyes lit golden before flames erupted in the box. Gwen bit her lip as she watched her mistress smirk. Morgana has magic, and Gwen has a feeling that she wasn't using it for good.
….
Eventually coming across the same bridge as Arthur had done moments ago, Gwaine and Merlin hobbled their horses, just like the Prince of Camelot had done. Gwaine motioned to Merlin that he was going to scout the area and to stay put. Merlin nodded, but of course didn't really listen and walked up to the crooked bridge. That was when a short man appeared, literary out of thin air!
The man smirked as he saw Emrys approached him. "So, Magic has arrived."
Merlin raised his eyebrow and hesitated in his tracks. "What?"
"There is nothing to be afraid of. Your presence is essential if Arthur is to succeed on his quest," Grettir replied cryptically. Why is it every magical creature, speaks in codes? First merlin Kilgharrah now this!
Merlin frowned. "How do you know about Arthur? Who are you?"
"The Keeper of the Bridge. I only wish to see the Fisher King's lands restored and prosperity reign again. Until your mission is complete, this cannot happen," he said.
Merlin pursed his lips together. "It's not my mission, though. It's Arthur's."
"That's what you choose to believe. It's no accident that Arthur chose this path or you chose to follow him," Grettir added when Gwaine showed up. "Ah, Finally! Strength has arrived, the trio is complete."
Gwaine drew out his sword and pointed it at Grettir.
"Who's he?" Gwaine asked and Grettir turned his sword into flowers which made Merlin smile slightly.
"I mean no harm to either of you. And I'd thank you to mean no harm in return," Grettir said.
Gwaine glared at Grettir. "Where's my sword?" he asked rudely.
"It will return to you when you have reached the other side," Grettir replied and Gwaine grimaced as he looked longingly at his sword before he walked across the bridge.
Grettir turned to Merlin with a frown. "The Fisher King has waited many years for this day. Do not deny him what he wishes," he warned and Merlin nodded and started to walk across, just as Grettir continued, "Remember, nothing is as it seems."
As Merlin and Gwaine finished crossing the bridge, a wind chime like music sounded throughout the forest. As they turned, Grettir was no longer there.
….
Night fell and a small fire in the middle of the woods kept Merlin and Gwaine warm as Merlin explained what happened with Arthur and how it was Morgana who gave him the bracelet that was draining his life away. However, a loud growl made Merlin look around nervously and Gwaine's hand went to the hilt of his sword.
"What was that?" Merlin whispered.
Gwaine looked around nervously as well. "Pheasant."
Merlin looked at Gwaine as if he was trying to figure out if Gwaine was joking. "Pheasant?"
Gwaine nodded. "A very big one," he added.
Merlin breathed out a sigh. "You can turn back if you want," he suggested.
Gwaine laughed nervously. "I'm not scared of Pheasants."
"I don't know... Why do you want to do this?" Merlin asked.
Gwaine turned to him. "Same reason as you, to help a friend."
Merlin smiled. "Arthur's lucky to have us."
Gwaine shook his head. "Not Arthur…"
"I'd do the same for you," Merlin assured him.
Gwaine smirked a little. "Well, I'd hope so. You're the only friend I've got," he replied seriously.
Merlin chuckled. "I'm not surprise," he joked and the two of them laughed when several roars came louder.
Merlin bit his lip as he looked around the campsite. "They sound like three Pheasants," he noted.
Gwaine shrugged. "Well, when we catch up to Arthur, we'll also have three," he said making Merlin chuckle.
They then sat back to back, guarding each other. It looks like neither one was getting any sleep tonight.
….
Three pounding knocks on his door woke Gaius up. As old as he was, he got up as quickly as he could and opened to find Gwen standing there, looking scared and nervous.
"I'm sorry to wake you," Gwen apologized.
Gaius smiled gently and allowed her in. "Don't be silly," he scolded lightly.
Gwen was wringing her hands together. "I'm not sure who else to turn to."
Gaius frowned. "What is it child?" he asked.
Gwen sighed. "It's Morgana," she replied, biting her lip.
Gaius raised his eyebrow. "What's happened?"
"She, she had a box, and...her eyes, it was like they were on fire. What do I do, Gaius? She's using magic," Gwen said hysterically.
Gaius pursed his lips. "Everything may not be as it seems, Gwen."
Gwen shook her head. "No, no. I know what I saw. I've known Morgana for so long, I didn't want to believe it, but she...she isn't the person I knew. She's changed, Gaius. I don't think she means well to any of us anymore!"
Gaius sighed and nodded in agreement. "I wish I could say otherwise, but I fear you might be right."
….
Arthur felt utterly exhausted. It was like all of his energy was slowly being drained from him and he couldn't understand why. Maybe it's because he was in magic territory and it sensed he was a Pendragon? Whatever the reason, he was still determined to find the Fisher King and find the trident. What he didn't realise as he made his way to the Dark Tower, was the two figures rushing towards them in the heat.
Gwaine glanced upwards to see two dragon-like creatures. "What's that in the sky? They're not birds."
Merlin frowned. "I never saw creature like them," he admitted before becoming distracted by a flash of light in the distance. "What was that?"
Gwaine shrugged. "A sword," he answered.
Merlin smiled, relieved. "It's Arthur."
...
As Arthur ran towards The Dark Tower while trying to defend himself against the creatures, Merlin and Gwaine started to run to catch up to the Crown Prince.
Gwaine looked at the creatures up close and scowled. "I should've known," he said bitterly.
Merlin turned to look at him. "What are they?"
"Wyverns. Distant cousins of the dragon. They're creatures of magic, so be careful," Gaius warned, missing Merlin's smirk. The smirk vanished when the portcullis was locked shut.
Merlin sighed and rolled his eyes. "Arthur must've locked it," he guessed and Gwaine, to Merlin's surprise, lifted the portcullis enough for The Warlock and himself to crawl through.
"We should split up," Gwaine suggested and Merlin nodded in agreement.
As Arthur moved further into the castle, trying to keep out of the way from the Wyverns, Merlin and Gwaine were searching for Arthur. It felt like bad luck when Arthur fainted as the Eye of the Phoenix glowed brightly just as the Wyverns burst into the room. Merlin's eyes widened and jumped in front of Arthur protectively.
"Stad do ionsaigh! Lean me, agus hiersume mo ordu! ...Fiancht!" Merlin yelled dominantly and the Wyverns stopped their advances on Arthur, bowed their heads and removed themselves out of the room.
Merlin sighed as he turned to look at the Prince. Once satisfied there were no serious life-threatening injuries, Merlin removed the bracelet and quickly put it in his pocket as Arthur groaned and stared at his manservant.
Arthur sighed, irritated before thumping his head gently on the floor. "I should've known you'd turn up," he muttered.
Merlin's relief dampened and instead he scowled. "Can't you say thank you for saving your life?" he asked, rolling his eyes.
Arthur glared at Merlin. "Thanks!" he incredulously. "What? For completely ruining the quest?"
"Well, it's a good job I was here, otherwise you'd be wyvern fodder by now!" Merlin replied, rolling his eyes.
"How many times do I have to get it into your thick skull? I am supposed to be doing this alone!" Arthur said, annoyed.
Whatever rebuttal that Merlin was about to say was interrupted by a growl of another Wyvern.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Great. This just gets better and better. Are Gwen and Morgana here too? Are we going to have a surprise party?" he asked rudely, giving Gwaine and Merlin pointed looks
"There're more wyverns on their way. We need to get out of here," Gwaine pointed out.
Arthur shook his head. "I'm not leaving without the trident. It was the whole point of this quest," he said as he ran out of the room.
Merlin couldn't help smirked as he stood where he was. "Do you want us to help you, or do you want to do this alone?"
"Merlin!" Arthur yelled, irritated as Merlin laughed and Gwaine shaking his head as they raced after the Crown Prince. They began to climb the stairs when a thought came to Merlin.
"Arthur, do you actually know where the trident is?" he asked slowly.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "If I did, there wouldn't be a problem, would there?"
Merlin sighed. "Any clues to where it is then?"
"Merlin, this is a quest. Not a treasure hunt," Arthur replied bluntly.
Merlin smirked. "Well it sort of is…"
"Merlin!"
…..
It felt like hours as they climbed the stairs and Merlin was frankly exhausted! Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin noticed something on the ground and placed his foot on the step, causing a secret room that looked like an abandoned throne room to appear.
"Look at this. Looks like a throne room," Merlin muttered as Gwaine suddenly pushed him into the throne room. A stone door slid down and blocked the doorway.
Merlin got his breath back as he banged on the door shouting "Gwaine, Arthur?" but couldn't hear anything. After a while of silence, Merlin looked around the room. A lone gold chair stood in the middle of the room and was covered in spider webs and dust. His magic didn't sense a threat so Merlin proceeded to move towards the throne where whispers emerged.
Merlin moved cautiously around the throne to see the Fisher King covered in spider webs and was breathing. Merlin gasped and bowed his head in respect.
"So you are alive," he breathed in awe.
The old king smiled, looking tired. "For now," he corrected.
While Gwaine and Arthur tried to claw their way through the door, Merlin heard the door crumble a bit. He glanced at it before turning his attention back to the King.
"That'll be..."
The Fisher King smiled. "Your friends Courage and Strength, I know. Without their help, you would not be here," he said simply.
Merlin frowned. "What is it you want?"
The Fisher King sighed. "I want an end to my suffering," he replied.
Merlin's eyes widened slightly. "You want to die?" he repeated.
The Fisher King nodded. "I have been waiting all these years for the arrival of a new time: the time of the Once and Future King."
Merlin bit the inside of his lip. "I remember hearing those words from someone."
"And you will hear them again. For that time is dawning, and my time finally can come to an end. This is why you were brought here. For this is not Arthur's quest, it is yours. Arthur thinks the prize is the trident," The Fisher King said and dropped the trident to the ground with a loud clang. "But the real prize is something far greater," he added and a beautiful carved hourglass filled with water appeared in his hand. "Water from the Lake of Avalon. I've kept it safe these years, waiting for the right person to claim it. And that is you. You are the one chosen."
Merlin continued to frown. "What are you talking about?"
"Albion's time of need is near. And in that dark hour you must be strong, for you alone can save him. Your powers are great, but you will need help. And that is what I'm giving you," he replied.
Merlin reached out and slowly grasped the hourglass in his hand, feeling the magic within the object. "Thank you…"
The Fisher King looked at him. "I have given you a gift. Now you must give me one in return."
Merlin blinked. "But I have nothing to give you."
The Fisher King stood up and moaned softly. "I think you do," he said, giving him a pointed look.
Merlin's eyes widened and pulled out the Eye of the Phoenix bracelet from his pocket. "If I give you this, you will die."
The Fisher King nodded and held his arm out in response. Merlin nodded before he dropped down on his knees and placed the bracelet on The Fisher King's wrist. The Eye of the Phoenix glowed brightly and The Fisher King vanished.
"Thank you" The Fisher King whispered.
The stone door opened partially and Arthur rolled underneath. When he saw Merlin, he ran up to him; relieved that she wasn't harmed. Merlin sighed as Arthur patted his shoulders. Gwaine came in and hugged Merlin.
Arthur's chuckle made Gwaine and Merlin turn to him.
"Ha! Look at what I just found," Arthur said before walking out. "Now let's get out of here."
Gwaine scoffed quietly and Merlin smiled. Arthur will always be a prat, no matter how much he has grown into the Once and Future King.
….
Birds chirping filled their ears as Arthur, Merlin and Gwaine rode silently to the border of Camelot. The Prince, the hidden Warlock and the rouge swordfighter stopped their horses and looked at the field in front of them.
"This is the border. By Uther's decree, I can go no further," Gwaine said.
Arthur frowned at his father's decision. "I'm sorry Gwaine. There's nothing I can do about that."
Merlin shrugged with a small smirk on his face. "Maybe when you're king you can change that and make Gwaine a knight," he suggested.
Gwaine laughed. "Yeah. The Princess makes a half decent king," he teased.
Arthur glared. "Careful... that's my father you're talking about…"
Merlin chuckled and looked at Gwaine. "Where will you go now?"
Gwaine licked his finger and held it up to the sky to find the wind direction before he shrugged. "I think I'll go south," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.
Merlin's face fell slightly. "You can't keep living like that."
Gwaine laughed. "Yeah," he agreed. "But it'll be fun trying," he added with a grin which made Merlin shake his head fondly.
Arthur nudged his horse forward and didn't say anything which made Merlin sigh.
"You could say goodbye you know?" he called out to the Prat but got no response. Merlin turned to Gwaine. "Thanks, Gwaine, I owe you," he said and followed Arthur.
"I'll never forget this Gwaine," Arthur yelled which made Gwaine smirk as he rode his horse south.
….
Green blue eyes widened as the King of Camelot's Ward took the sight of Arthur, who was riding into the Main Square alive. Morgana felt her fingers going limp and the goblet full of water fell to the ground with a loud clatter. Morgana could barely breathe. Just how was Arthur alive?
Gwen looked up when she saw her mistress staring at the window and the goblet on the floor.
"My Lady?" she asked and got up. The maid looked out the window and saw Arthur dismounting his horse. She sighed happily. "Arthur's alive. Thank God…"
Morgana nodded and forced a smile on her face as she turned to Gwen. "I know. I'm relieved he's safe," she lied before frowning at the window, leaving Gwen suspicious.
"I'll clear that up," Gwen said as she picked up the goblet, biting the inside of her lip nervously. Now that Gwen knew the truth, she could easily read Morgana's expressions. Morgana wasn't happy with Arthur coming back. Now her only question is why?
….
"It's from the Lake of Avalon?" Gaius asked as Merlin showed him the hourglass The Fisher king gave him.
Merlin nodded. "That's what he told me," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Interesting."
Merlin raised his eyebrow. "You think?" he asked as she took the hourglass carefully in his hands.
Gaius pursed his lips together. "Well, it must have some significance," he pointed out.
Merlin nodded in agreement. "Maybe... Do you believe his warnings?"
Gaius shrugged. "Well, we already know of one enemy within our walls," he reminded him.
Merlin frowned. "Morgana," he sighed.
Gaius nodded. "His magic is growing stronger every day. Whether the Fisher King is right or wrong, we'd be foolish to ignore his words."
Merlin closed his eyes in annoyance. Why was being Arthur's saviour always hard? And when can he have a holiday?
A/N: Hello my beloved readers. I'm sorry for the wait. My father recently died due to medical negligence in hospital so we are in a middle of a court case. I just recently started writing again to take my mind off of things. So what do you guys think? Did you like this chapter? Hopefully it would take as long to get chapter 8 out.
Thank you so much for reading!