Notes:

I am so sorry it's taken me so long to update!

I don't really have any good excuse other than I just haven't felt as motivated to write lately, but the past few days I've been more inspired to write, so we'll see how long it lasts. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out because honestly, I don't have a plan for what's going to happen in the next three chapters beyond which characters they'll be about. Also, I started another fic (because I hate myself) so I'll be working on that and my other WIP.

It's a short chapter, but please enjoy!

Merlin shivered slightly as he was blasted with ac and the smell of plastic as he walked through the doors of PetMart. He took in the familiar layout, the pile of dog beds in the front, the large advertisements full of cute cats and dogs, the murmur of the fish tanks in the back mixed with the sound of the fans.

"Hello sir, can I help you with anything today?" A young woman asked as he walked past the entrance.

Merlin smiled politely. "Thank you, but I'm fine," he replied. He walked towards the back of the store where they kept the fish and reptile supplies. He looked at all the fish swarming in the tanks, some following him as he passed. He made his way to the caging supplies isle, looking for more bedding for Freya.

Merlin

A voice called out and Merlin stopped and looked around. There was a man at the end of the wall of fish tanks, but he seemed absorbed in the fish. He looked around more but there was nobody.

Merlin

It came again, but this time Merlin realized it wasn't being said out loud. It was directly in his head. A druid?

But that voice. That voice was so familiar. It was a voice that he hadn't heard in hundreds of years. Hadn't expected to hear it ever again.

Merlin, the voice called a third time.

"Don't tell me there's an underground cavern under the pet store," he muttered to himself.

He was just about to look around again, maybe find a back door, when he stopped. A few isles down were the cages that held the lizards. And one was staring right him.

Merlin

"No way."

Merlin walked toward the isle, walked toward the lizard. He thought he must be imagining things, that this lizard just happened to be looking in his direction, that it was just a lizard. It couldn't possibly be...

But when was anything just what it seemed?

He stopped in front of the tank, looking around to make sure no one could see him trying to talk to a lizard like an idiot. He looked back to the tank, at the lizard staring back at him. The lizard opened its mouth.

"Hello, young warlock," the lizard said, raising his head and chest proudly.

"Kilgharrah?" he asked hesitantly, though there was no doubt in his mind.

"Yes, it is I, your old friend," he replied serenely, seeming to puff out his chest. Almost...preening?

He couldn't help it, he really couldn't, but it was too much. Merlin burst out laughing. He tried to quiet himself, to not seem like a crazy old man laughing at lizards in the pet store. He was soon reduced to giggles that just wouldn't stop.

"Why are you laughing?" the lizard demanded angrily. "What is so funny, Merlin?"

Merlin tried to talk through his laughter. "I-I'm sorry, I, it's just…you…" He couldn't finish.

"What!" Kilgharrah cried.

Merlin forced himself to stop laughing. "You're a lizard," he said through chuckles.

Kilgharrah stared for a moment. "Yes, I'm quite aware that I'm a lizard," he spat, as if Merlin were simple.

"No, it's just, you're the 'Great Dragon,' big and mighty, and now you're just...a lizard." He started laughing again. Kilgharrah seemed to huff in annoyance.

"Just because my form is different does not mean that I am any less great," he stated defensively.

"Yeah, but you're huffing and puffing your chest out and posing only you're not a dragon anymore, you're a lizard and it's just, it's a little silly."

"I am not silly," he roared. Or, it would've have been a roar if he were a dragon. Now, it lacked the same impact. "This is no time for laughing, young warlock. You must get me out of here."

Merlin started cackling all over again.

"What is it this time?" Kilgharrah bit out.

"You're a pet. You are a lizard living in a pet store, there is nothing about this that isn't funny," he replied, nearly doubling over from laughter.

Kilgharrah hissed-something which might've been quite scary a thousand years ago, but only served to make Merlin laugh harder. Kilgharrah stared at Merlin, looking as unimpressed as a lizard can, until he eventually got his laughter under control. "I'm sorry, I know I'm being very disrespectful. I'll get you out."

Merlin looked for the sign for his cage and froze.

"What?" Kilgharrah asked worriedly, seeing Merlin's face.

"Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh…" Merlin chanted under his breath.

"What? What is it?" Kilgharrah demanded.

Merlin looked at him, biting his lip to repress a smile. "Trust me, you don't want me to say anything."

"Just out with it already."

Merlin cracked a smile. "You, um...You're a...a bearded dragon." Merlin laughed. "A bearded dragon!" Kilgharrah sighed as Merlin started a new laughing fit. "Come on, that's funny," Merlin claimed, "Fate sucks but sometimes it has quite the sense of humor." He laughed. He could barely get his next statement out. "Maybe in your next life you'll be a dragonfly."

"Merlin!" Kilgharrah shouted.

Merlin held back his laughter. "Sorry, sorry. Let me go ask one of the employees about you." He walked back towards the front of the store. "I've never had a lizard," he muttered, thinking about all the things he would have to buy now.

Gaius stood, looking down at the cage where Kilgharrah sat. It was a nice cage, very large with lots of rocks and mounds, a bright sunning area, a small pool.

Gaius was giggling. He was giggling which in turn caused Merlin, standing right next to him, to giggle, which in turn caused Kilgharrah to be very cranky.

"That is quite enough giggling," he snapped. "Yes, I'm a lizard. Yes, fate has quite the sense of irony. There are more important matters to discuss." He raised his upper body in a defensive pose. Probably meant to be intimidating.

Both Merlin and Gaius sobered up at that. "Yes," Gaius agreed, "There are more pressing matters. Do you have any idea why we are all coming back? What we might be facing? Anything at all?"

Kilgharrah was silent. "...I'm afraid not. I have lived a very short life in this body and been in captivity the whole time. I have very little knowledge of this world."

Merlin sputtered. "But you're you, you always know everything. How can you not know?" he exclaimed.

"Nobody knows everything, Merlin," the lizard chided.

"But you must know something!"

"Merlin, as you have remarked earlier, I am not a dragon anymore. I do not have the same powers I once had," he intoned. "I can help you with all the knowledge of my past life, but I cannot provide any new information."

"So you're useless, then?"

"Merlin!" Gaius chided.

Merlin looked to Gaius. "I don't need some lizard giving me vague advise anymore! I need to know what's going to happen!" he shouted. "I need to find Arthur," he finished quietly.

Kilgharrah sighed. "All will reveal itself in time. Patience, young warlock."

Merlin opened his mouth to reply, but Gaius put a hand up to stop him. "If he doesn't know anything, there's nothing we can do about it but continue on as we have before."

Merlin took a deep breath. "I just want to be prepared, but there's not much I can do until I know what we're up against."

"We all want that, Merlin," Gaius replied.

"But I can do more than you, more than any of you. I can prepare spells and potions and charms and all manner of things, but I can't prepare if I don't know what I'm preparing for."

"Well, you'll simply have to do what you can until you can do more," Kilgharrah said.

Later, after Gaius had left, Merlin sat next to Kilgharrah's tank. He rested his face on his arm on the side of the tank, putting in crickets. "You know I'm happy to have you back, right?" he said. "What I said earlier, I mean it's not untrue, but I am happy you're here. You were one of my closest friends. It's very...comforting to have you back. To have everyone back."

"I know, young warlock," Kilgharrah replied kindly. Merlin smiled. "Though I suppose I can't call you 'young warlock' anymore, can I?"

Merlin chuckled. "No, it's not very accurate anymore. But you can still call me that if you like."

Notes:

Thank you for reading, comments and kudos are much appreciated! :)

The next chapter will be Elyan.

Come talk to me on my tumblr, it's the same username