Title: Into the Future
Description: A child Merlin is brought to the future and with him, many questions. The only question is... Will Merlin have answers?
Word Count: 3,611
Part: 1/1

Sorry the title kinda sucks, I couldn't think of anything else :)

Gwen's day was alright. It wasn't the best, but she'd had worse days. It was the anniversary of her father's death. She'd turned up for work that morning, only to find that she'd been given the day off in remembrance. With so much time on her hands, she decided to pick some flowers and visit her father's grave. Now, Gwen couldn't ever truly get over her fathers death, but she has had years for the pain to fade. So, when her afternoon was interrupted by a crying young boy, she wasn't at all upset.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

The boy, who had been sitting with his back to a tree, his arms hugging his knees and his head in between them, looked up. He had dark hair, blue eyes, and large ears. He reminded Gwen a little of Merlin.

"Who are you?" he asked after a while.

Gwen smiled warmly.

"My name is Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen."

The boy only sniffled in response, so she continued.

"What's your name?"

There was a short pause.

"Mummy says I'm not supposed to tell strangers my name."

"But, how will I know what to call you?"

The boy briefly paused again.

"You can call me Will, if you'd like."

"Is that your name?"

He only sat there, not even shaking his head in reply.

"Okay, Will. Are you lost? I can help you find your mum."

"Nothing looks familiar! I don't- I don't know where I am," he wailed.

"Hey, hey. It's okay! I can help you find home. If you'll come with me?"

The boy, Will, sat thinking for a moment.

After a while, he decided that she was trustworthy, and wiped his tears away before standing up and taking her hand.

"Okay," he said and then she led him back to the castle, hoping the boy lived there.

He didn't say anything, although the way his eyes grew wide with wonder made Gwen worry that he might not live here after all. She'd thought to take him to Gaius at first, but then decided to go to Arthur instead. Arthur would be happy to help this child find his way home.

When they'd finally made it to Arthur's chambers, she knocked before Arthur called for her to enter.

"Ah! Guinevere. What brings you here?"

Arthur and Gwaine were in the room, neither in their armor.

"I found a child all alone while visiting my father's grave. He said he's lost."

"Hello!" Gwaine exclaimed, "My name is Gwaine, and this is Arthur."

The boy didn't speak and only looked at them, hesitation and something not unlike fear in his eyes.

"Has he spoken to you?" Arthur asked.

Gwen nodded, "Yes. He said I should just call him Will, although I'm not sure if that's his real name or not."

Arthur nodded before turning to the boy.

"Is Will your name?"

He shook his head.

"Would you tell me your name then? So that we might bring you home."

Again, he shook his head.

"Will you at least tell me where you live, so that we can get you back to your mother and father?"

"I don't have a father. Mum never talks about him, but Wi- my friend's momma says that he was an awful man for leaving her. My mummy disagrees."

Before anyone could speak again, however, the boy spoke again.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You're in Camelot, sweetheart," Gwen told him.

His whole body tensed up. His eyes darted around for an escape before he dropped Gwen's hand and ran towards the door.

Merlin was headed to Arthur's chambers. He had just dropped Arthur dirty lunch plate off at the kitchens. As soon as he walked in the door, however, he was bumped into by a young boy.

"Woah! Hang on there kid. Where are yo-"

He stopped mid-sentence when he finally took a good look at the boy, who was desperately trying to escape. He was crying now, and Merlin made an attempt to calm him.

"Hey, you're okay. No one is going to hurt you."

The boy still struggled.

"No! No, let me go. Let me go! I don't wanna die! Please, I don't wanna die!" he sobbed and it broke everyone's hearts, even if they were more than a little confused.

"You aren't going to die. Nobody is going to hurt you," Merlin repeated, getting down on one knee to be face to face with the boy.

"But-"

"Look at me."

The boy stopped struggling and looked at Merlin, who was still keeping a firm hold on his arm.

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

"B-but, I'm in- in-" the boy sobbed louder, not able to say "Camelot." Merlin knew the reason to be fear.

"Listen, I don't know how you got here, but you need to trust that I won't let anything happen to you."

"I don't trust you. I can't trust you. You're-"

Merlin interrupted him.

"I know why you're so scared, and you have every right to be. I understand."

Merlin pulled up his sleeves to reveal a series of burns on his arm, "I'm sure you know where these are from."

The child stared at him.

"Did your mother do that to you too?" he asked, to which Merlin nodded.

"She meant well. And your mother means well too. They just want us to understand what will happen. Because it will happen if you aren't careful."

The boy nodded and pulled Merlin into a big hug. Merlin let go of his arm and returned the hug. It didn't last long, before Merlin let go of him and looked him in his eyes again.

"No one is going to hurt you. Okay?"

"Is it- Are we safe here?" he asked, hope beginning to shine in his eyes.

Merlin hesitated and the grin that was beginning to form on the boy's face slipped off.

"Right. I get it. We're in-" he cut himself off and a sad smile found it's way onto Merlin's face.

"I know that being here is scary and it isn't safe, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"Do you- do you live here?" he whispered.

Merlin nodded.

"I do."

"But you're... You're like me."

"I am."

The boy's eyes widened, almost as if Merlin had said something that turned his whole life upside down.

There was an awkward silence for more than a few beats before it was unceremoniously broken.

"Merlin what's-" Arthur began, but Merlin cut him off.

"Not now. I'll... explain later, just let me deal with a few things first. Okay?"

Arthur only nodded so Merlin turned his attention back to the child.

"Can I see your arms?" he asked and the boy nodded before rolling up his sleeves.

As soon as his bandaged arms were visible, Merlin heard Gwen gasp.

"Hmm. I'll want to get some salve to put on that. Will you follow me?"

The younger boy nodded and took Merlin's hand in his own.

"I'll explain tomorrow. Well, I'll explain what I can. There are still some things... that I can't share."

Without waiting for a reply, Merlin turned and guided the child out from the room and down to Gaius's chambers.

Once there, Merlin sat him down on the patients cot and quickly retrieved a jar of ointment for the burns. Merlin sat down in a chair next to the cot and began to unwrap the boy's bandages.

"My mum usually puts salve on my burns too. She says it will help them heal faster."

Merlin smiled, remembering his mother crying and telling him that she didn't want to hurt him. That she just needed him to understand. And he does understand. He has to, after all.

"That it will. Now, it's just on your arms, correct?"

The child nodded and Merlin made quick work of treating the almost healed burns. Once Merlin had wrapped his arms in fresh bandages, the boy was out of the cot and asking for dinner. Soon after said dinner, the boy was asleep and Merlin had time to just think.

When the old physician returned home that night to find a child sleeping in Merlin's room, he was shocked to say the least.

"Merlin!"

The man, who was currently sitting in a chair next to the bed, quickly shushed him.

"He's only just fallen asleep!"

"Why is there a child in your room?"

Merlin hesitated.

"It's complicated. He's sort of... me?"

Gaius's eyebrow was all the reply Merlin needed before he jumped into whatever sort of explanation he had.

"I don't know how he got here, but he's me. From the past. Somehow he got transported here. Gwen found him earlier today while visiting her father's grave."

"Why is it always you who gets into these messes Merlin? All I ask for is one peaceful evening. Just one!"

Merlin smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, well. I suppose we'll have to figure out why he's here and how we can get him back. What is it that you've told poor Gwen? Does she know about..."

"No! Of course not. I told them I'd explain tomorrow."

"Them?"

"Arthur and Gwaine were there too. It was them who Gwen went to with the child."

Gaius sighed.

"Just one evening..."

The next morning, Merlin (the child one) was more than hesitant to go talk to the "two scary men and the lady from yesterday" as he called them. But, when Merlin (the older one this time) promised him that he wouldn't let anyone hurt him, he agreed to go. Still, Merlin didn't want to throw the fact that he's in the future on him in front of everyone, so he decided to fill the kid in before they left. However, destiny seemed to have other plans because just at that moment, there was a knock on the door before it was slowly being pushed open.

"Hello?" he heard Gwen call.

"Good morning Gwen!"

She smiled.

"Good morning. Arthur wants you and Will to meet in his chambers. We're all quite curious about the... er, situation."

Right. Obviously this would happen right now.

"Of course, we'll be there shortly."

"I- he told me to not let you dally and lead you straight there. You know I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to but..."

"I get it Gwen," he said, turning his attention to the little boy beside him, "I guess I'll have to explain it to you when we're in there. How are you doing."

The younger Merlin was quick to reply.

"Fine," he answered in a meek voice and Merlin bent down so that they were face to face.

"Hey, I mean it. I'm not going to let anything happen to you should something happen. And nothing is going to happen anyways. You're, what, six? You should have a great deal of control by now. Just keep your emotions in check and you'll be fine. I promise."

"But- What if I can't? What if something happens? What if-"

"I think it's best not to dwell on the "what if's" in every scenario. Just trust me."

The child nodded slowly and Merlin took his hand as he and Gwen led him towards Arthur's chambers.

"We're here!" Merlin called, just walking into Arthur's room.

"Hey! You're supposed to knock!"

Merlin scoffed.

"Yeah. Anyways, we're here, so you might as well sit down so I can explain some of what's going on."

"Some of it?" Arthur asked.

"Well there are a few... specific things I can't share but I'll tell you what I can."

"Can't or won't?"

Merlin hesitates.

"Technically speaking, I won't. But it's not that I don't want to I just can't. But I won't."

"Mate, that made absolutely no sense." Gwaine buts in, speaking for the first time.

Merlin shrugged, "It's the truth."

"Yeah, okay. So are you going to tell us what's going on? Or..." Gwaine continued.

"Yes. I'll explain in just a minute. I still haven't explained anything to uh, Will over here."

"What is there to explain?" Arthur asked, but Merin just ignored him.

"Do you know where you are?" he asked the kid, bending down to his own height.

"I'm- I'm in the bad place. You know... Camelot," he whispered the last part so quietly that they all had to strain to hear him.

Merlin nodded.

"Yes, that's correct. Do you know who I am?"

Younger Merlin studied him for a moment before shaking his head.

"I haven't met you before yesterday."

"Do you know my name?"

Again, the younger boy shook his head.

"My name is Merlin."

The others didn't quite understand why that name was such a shock to the young boy, although he didn't speak.

"Do you know where I grew up?"

Merlin shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, although this time everyone was sure that he wasn't denying anything. Instead he was trying to dislodge a thought from his head.

"I grew up in a little town at the border or Essetir called Ealdo-"

"No you didn't!" he screamed, putting his hands over his ears.

"No! You didn't! You didn't! Your name isn't Merlin! That's my name! I live in Ealdor. Not you!"

The shock was evident on the three witnesses faces'. This child was... Merlin?

"Merlin, listen to me," the older man tried to calm him down. He slowly took his hands off his ears with no resistance.

"You are me. From the past. Somehow you've come to the future-"

"No! I would never go to the bad place! Someone like us would be crazy to even visit this place, much less decide to live here!"

"Look at me and tell me I'm not you," he demanded and when the child looked at him he couldn't find the words to deny it.

"You know I'm you. You can feel it. I know you can."

Slowly younger Merlin nodded, finally accepting the truth: He is in the future staring at his future self.

Meanwhile, Arthur, Gwaine, and Gwen stood there with their mouths hanging open.

"Sorcery," Arthur whispered and the child looked like he was about to bolt.

"I- I think you'd better start explaining some stuff to us, mate."

Merlin nodded at Gwaine.

"Well, when I saw, uh, younger me yesterday I just knew that it was... me? It's hard to explain. Anyways, I don't know why or how he's here but we are going to get him back. And who knows? Maybe he'll just... be back in the right time."

Arthur scoffed, leaning back onto the table behind him.

"Yeah, fat chance of that happening."

There was an awkward silence for a while before Guinevere spoke.

"Why would your mother burn you?"

Merlin hesitated.

"I- Well, that's hard to explain. She meant well! She was honestly just doing the best she could given the uh, situation."

"The situation?" Arthur asked.

"Uh... Yeah."

When Merlin didn't elaborate Arthur continued.

"And just what situation would that be?"

The younger Merlin visibly shifted closer to Merlin.

"I... can't tell you that."

"Won't."

Merlin sighed.

"Fine! Yes, I won't tell you that."

"Merlin. Mothers don't just burn their children."

"I understand that from your point of view it does seem rather out of the ordinary, but it was the best thing she could have done for me. If she didn't... I don't know what would have happened."

Merlin could tell that Gwaine was about to speak, but he was interrupted by someone talking from behind Merlin.

"Even now you choose to hide. What about the prophecies, Emrys? Do you have so little faith?"

Merlin spun around.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked, standing up straight while reaching for his sword. Only, he wasn't wearing it.

Shit.

"Hmm. I'm nobody important. Just a woman trying to aid destiny by... speeding things up a bit."

"Haha," Merlin said with a straight face, "That's hilarious. Get out."

"I will not return the boy to his own time unless secrets are revealed, Emrys. If your king is truly the Once and Future King, then you should have nothing to fear. If he is not... well he won't be hard to get rid of."

"You are not needed nor wanted here. Leave."

"You will not find another way to be rid of your younger self."

"You messed with time. The damage this could do even if you could get him back to his own time..."

The sorceress then had the indecency to laugh. Loudly.

"Young Emrys will have no memories of his time here once he is safe at home. You will fear nothing from this."

Merlin sighed.

"Unless there's anything else I want you gone."

"I will stay here. So that I might be here to send him back. But remember. The only way to return your younger self is to reveal yourself. The time of the prophecies is upon us. I will not let you pass this up."

"And if I choose not to?"

"Then I will leave. I will not be to blame for the consequences that will inevitably follow."

Merlin sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

Great, just what I needed.

"You remember when I said there were some things I couldn't share?" he asked, turning away from the woman and towards Arthur, "Well, looks like I'm going to have to anyways."

When Merlin said that, the younger Merlin panicked.

"Wait! You have to tell them?" he asked, "Everything?"

The older Merlin smiled.

"Everything and more. So much has happened since I was your age. You don't even know the half of it."

"Is that why that lady called yo- us Emrys? What does that even mean?"

The child's face held a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"I'm not too sure myself. No one's really explained it to me."

The woman spoke up again incredulously. Any hint of a smile that was on her face had disappeared.

"No one talked to you about this?"

Merlin turned back to her.

"Nope. All I had was a manipulative dragon and a frightened... mentor. Or sorts."

The was a pause.

"So what exactly do you know?"

"If you'll let me explain things to them then you'll find out."

He turned back to Arthur, Gwaine, and Gwen, younger him still at his side.

"I-" he cut himself off, taking a few deep breaths before continuing.

"I have magic."

There were several gasps heard from throughout the room and Merlin's younger self hid behind him.

"I was born with it! I've used it for the good of Camelot since coming here."

"Why? Why would you come here?"

"To a place where my existence means my death?"

Arthur gave him a look that said "obviously you idiot what else."

Merlin shrugged.

"She was upset that Will found out about my magic. She was hopeful that coming to Camelot would teach me some responsibility."

Arthur was about to make some snarky reply when the younger Merlin stepped in.

"Will found- finds out about my magic?"

Merlin smiled a sad smile.

"Yes but mother sends us away almost immediately and the next time I see him..." he faded off and a look of horror dawned on Arthur's (and Gwen's) face.

"Oh, Merlin. I'm so sorry," she said much to the confusion of little Merlin and Gwaine.

"What's-" Gwaine started, but got cut off.

"I'll fill you in later. Whether younger me remembers any of this or not it's best not to share everything that happens in the future."

Gwaine nodded.

"What does Emrys mean?" Gwaine asked instead.

Merlin's mouth opened, only to close again when he couldn't figure out what to say.

"I'm not exactly sure. But it's a name in druidic prophecies. He's a... man of the legends so to speak."

"And... they think you're this Emrys?"

"I guess so. I mean, everyone I've come across says so but... it's a little hard to believe sometimes."

They talked for a while longer, before there was little else to talk about.

"Will you return myself back to the past now?" Merlin asked the sorceress, only to get a shrug in response.

"You think I'm powerful enough for magic like that? Hardly."

Merlin froze.

"Then how did he get here in the first place!?"

"The Triple Goddess I suppose. I was sent by the Disir. Only to play up the act and get you to reveal yourself."

"Then how am I supposed to get him back?"

She shrugged.

"I mean, you could ask the Disir, or even the Triple Goddess herself, but I think you're more than capable of doing this on your own."

"I don't- I don't know any spells for this."

She laughed.

"You're Emrys. You don't need spells! Just do what feels natural. Tell your magic what to do, and it will listen. It's a vital part of you after all."

Merlin sighed when the woman disappeared. Her last words were an apology for no one being there to guide him, but those were said through mind-speach.

"Can you really send me back?"

"I guess so. I've never really done this before, but I'll try."

In the end, sending his past self back into the past was as easy to Merlin as breathing. No hiccups, no second tries, not even any extra difficulties. Or difficulties at all for that matter. Just one flash of golden eyes and he was just gone. It was almost as if he had never been there at all. That is, now Arthur, Gwaine, and Gwen knew about his magic. But that was okay. They were going to be okay. He was going to be okay. Everything is just as it should be.

The End