My love
Find me in the open spaces
Where lilacs rest

Kiss each of my fingertips
With your petal lips
Brush them slowly over my heart

If i shut my eyes too long
Dear one
I fall asleep and dream of you

How your wrists looked against the grass
Your black hair twisted around my thighs
My fingers drumming
On your hipbone

Maybe if i whisper your name
I will get to keep you

—amy van der merwe

There is an island in the northwest of Britannia that is the land of shadows. On the island, which no humans can reach, is a cave that is the home of Belialuin. Those who are brave or foolish enough can approach by boat to see the towering mass as the waters flow inside the gaping hole that serves as entrance to Belialuin's kingdom. None ever return.

Zeldris lands on the rock at the entrance, fury in his heart and his sword in his hand. It all started here, stretching back to the day Merlin had come to the Underworld and asked him for a favor. He peers inside to see how deep it goes, but it is impossible, even with the sun at his back. The shadows are too long and powerful to see any further than the entrance itself.

"I wouldn't do this," a voice says beside him.

His sword clashes against an axe, and when Zeldris plants his foot he is face to face with Escanor. "You," he seethes, "you, false king, Belios, whatever you are. I'll have your head next after I take hers."

Escanor's brow raises. "You? Threatening a god?"

Zeldris pushes off the axe and swings his sword in a downward slash. They face one another warily. "A god?" he laughs. "I thought you wanted to be a king of men? Isn't that why you killed Arthur?"

"Believe what you want, but I did not kill him," Escanor replies. "He saw the truth for what it was: the kingdom of men is nothing more than a dream. He killed himself rather than face it."

"You lie."

"If you had gone to battle, you would have seen him run himself through with Excalibur for yourself."

Shame flares hotly on his neck. "You don't know anything!"

"I know I was the last to speak to him. I know I told him that his campaign was doomed from the beginning." Escanor lifts his chin. "It was his pride that won in the end. Rather than bow to the inevitable, he took his own life."

Zeldris laughs bitterly, shaking his head. Arthur, filled with pride? "Now I know you are a fool," he says.

"Are you saying it was not his pride that was his undoing?"

He narrows his eyes. "Only one as arrogant as you would see that sin in others. Arthur is not prideful. He is…" Zeldris takes a deep breath. "Why are you here?"

Escanor sighs. "I've come to ask you a favor."

"A favor-!"

"Do not kill Merlin."

Now his laugh turns wild, leaning over to catch his breath for a moment. "You ask me to spare her? Do you have any idea of the evil she has caused?"

"I do," Escanor says. "But I love her. Let me take her with me, and I will make sure no more harm comes to you or anyone else."

Emotion simmers under his skin, unwelcome. "No more harm," Zeldris echoes sadly. "You should have stopped her already."

Escanor gives a deep sigh and looks away. "She is not well. She is possessed by Chaos. I can help heal her."

"So you would watch Arthur die and then ask for Merlin's life. You have come for your lover, yet you stand at the door like a coward," Zeldris scoffs. "If you want her, go take her for yourself!"

"Impossible," Escanor replies. "I can't enter Belialuin."

"Why not?"

"Belialuin is more than my brother, as Meliodas is yours," he says. "We may not be of the same blood, but our magic is that of twins. He is my counterpart. You balance Meliodas' decisions, and he balances mine. One cannot live without the other. If I go in there…" Escanor's expression turns grave as he gazes into the nothingness of the cave. "He will not survive. If he dies, then so do I."

Zeldris looks at him coldly. "I don't care."

"He will not allow his daughter to die at your hand."

"Then I will kill him, and we will see who is truly strong."

Escanor turns sharply. "Kill him and let the world suffer?" he says sharply. "You know better than most that light is harsher than darkness. Without Belialuin, Belios will consume the world. Everyone will suffer."

"Suffer?" shouts Zeldris. "Arthur has suffered. I have suffered. Why is our suffering allowed?" He raises his sword and points it at Escanor's neck. "Do not speak to me about suffering."

Escanor studies him for a long moment. "Have you met Belialuin before?"

Zeldris thinks back to the day the old god arrived in the Underworld and demanded Gelda return to Edinburgh. "Once."

"Then he will be easy to find. Go inside and get your answers. But leave Merlin to me."

He feels Escanor's eyes on him as he walks towards the cave's opening, sword still held tightly. Within a handful of steps he enters the shadow. The sound of water flowing guides him deeper into the cave, his footsteps making a soft echo as he walks. There are small reflections of light that bounce off of the water from rays that sneak through the rock. But other than that, there is no light or movement. Just Zeldris in the dark, hunting for the one who killed his love.

Eventually the cavern widens into a large, open space. The air is thicker here, and cold, but he knows immediately he has found Belialuin. The shrouded figure sits on a throne made of the rock, head bowed and unmoving. "Belialuin," he says as he approaches. "King of shadows. Do you remember me?"

The figure does not move. "You and I do not need to quarrel. I am here for Merlin. Bring her forth, and I will leave you to your kingdom."

Belialuin does not speak, yet he does turn his head to the right. Zeldris follows his gaze to see Merlin smirking in the corner. "We meet again," she says.

Zeldris adjusts his grip around the hilt of his sword. "Are you that pleased to meet your death?"

"My death?" Merlin tilts her head. "Are you certain?"

"Your actions led Arthur to his death." Zeldris takes a step forward, his arms nearly shaking with fury. "You set him on that path. You gave him a fake prophecy and made him a fake sword and sent him marching with an army of humans to face a god. And for what? To set up a puppet king?"

Her laugh sounds strange in the cavern. "Still so blind to what is in front of you."

"I see a liar. A god who has broken an oath. I am here to pass your judgment."

Merlin nods. "Strike me if you can."

He moves like a streak of lightning through the cave, but is stopped when his sword clashes against another. In the next moment he realizes it's Belialuin, risen from his throne. Zeldris explodes away, his boots skidding on the wet rock, and the god holds his sword up to defend Merlin. It is wrapped in shadow, as is his cloak, but Zeldris can see the sharp edge of the blade. He tries again to dart towards his target, but again Belialuin knocks him backwards.

"My fight is not with you!" he shouts. "But I will kill you if I must!"

"Kill? Me?"

Zeldris' eyes go wide and he stumbles at the sound of his voice. He sinks to his knees as his sword clatters against the ground, watching in horror as Belialuin's hood falls back to reveal Arthur's face. He looks the same as he last saw him, strong and sad and in the spring of youth, although his eyes are dark with shadow. "You will kill me?" he asks again.

"Arthur?" Zeldris' voice trembles, and his eyes dart to Merlin. "What evil is this?"

"He has become the king of shadow," Merlin says evenly. "The sword unlocked untold power when used to kill a god. Did you not pay attention?"

If it is taken—if he is slain by that sword—his time in this world is over.

"Arthur?" He feels his chest grow unbearably tight, slowly rising to his feet, watching as Arthur the king keeps his position to defend. "He… he's not a god…"

"What is a god, Zeldris?" Merlin asks. "Power made flesh? Perhaps for the old ones, but for you and I, and your brothers, and Escanor, and now even Belialuin, we are humans raised by power. So who created that power? Who created the first gods, who then bestowed their power on humans?" Zeldris shakes his head, still staring unbelieving at Arthur. "Chaos," she answers. "It is the source of all power. And it lives in the shadows."

Zeldris rises shakily to his feet. "I don't care. I don't—" He starts forward, his sword forgotten as he reaches for Arthur. "Please, Arthur, come with me—"

Arthur twists the sword and strikes. Zeldris panics for a moment, remembering: What makes your claim legitimate?

Excalibur.

It is a sword gifted by the gods. It slays evil and banishes darkness. The one who can wield it is destined to rule Britannia. If Excalibur should fall, then Britannia will fall into darkness.

He is yanked back, and Zeldris gasps when Meliodas steps between them. "I can't let you kill my brother," he growls.

"Meliodas!" Merlin angrily shouts. But she is stopped by seven blades that hover in the air in front of her, and Estarossa's laugh as he also steps from the shadows. "Stay where you are," he orders.

Meliodas ignores her and inclines his head towards Arthur. "Lord of Shadows," he says evenly. "It has been a long time since we met."

"Lord of Death," Arthur replies. "A long time."

"I am not the Lord of Death," Meliodas warns. "I am but a judge. I have a duty I must fulfill."

"As do I," Arthur replies. "The gods who were graced with power from Chaos have squandered it. They have allowed it to slip away in their pride and sloth. They hand over their power to humans to do their dirty work. And for what?" He nods over Meliodas' shoulder, towards Zeldris. "To suffer in their games. To wage war for the scraps. I will bring Chaos back into being, and take the power of the gods for those that truly deserve it."

"So that is your plan all along?" Estarossa asks with a laugh as Merlin shoots him an angry look. "What a clever witch."

"An impossible plan," Meliodas snaps. "Who are you to decide who is fit and who is not? You are Belialuin. You rule the shadows, nothing more."

"The old gods must die!" shouts Merlin. "The king and queen must move on. They have ruled for eons, but why? Why must we serve them? Through Chaos, anyone who wants power can take it!"

"You can't do this," Meliodas warns Arthur. "You'll kill everyone."

"If that is what it takes."

The room begins to change, the stones moving and the water swirling. It is difficult to see in the dark, but as the ground gives way Zeldris lunges at Arthur, grabbing him by the arm. "Stop!" he calls. "Please, stop this!"

"Don't you see, Zeldris?" Arthur's eyes sparkle, and Zeldris wonders where the light is coming from. "I can free Britannia. No more gods, no more games, no more suffering." A hand slides along his face, and Zeldris winces at the soft touch. "I will deliver all of us to Chaos. Then we can be together."

"Arthur, please," he pleads. "Fight against this. You don't deserve this."

He pushes away, but Zeldris holds onto his arm. "Deserve! You don't know what I deserve. I deserve a kingdom. I deserve Britannia." Chaos throws the world around them into a storm of rock and wind, but Zeldris hangs on as Arthur tries to throw him off. "They took everything from me! My home, my kingdom, my friends, even you! You… you betrayed me, Zeldris…"

"No." Zeldris takes hold of his shoulders, forcing their eyes to meet. "No. Listen to me."

"I wanted you. I would have given it all up for you. But you could not be loyal."

From somewhere, Merlin's voice shouts, "That's it, Arthur! Release the power you hold!"

"No!" Zeldris shouts. "Arthur, stop this! It will destroy you!"

"You already destroyed me," he accuses. Zeldris gasps as his eyes turn solid black, the glimmer now gone.

"I love you," he says, his fingers gripping Arthur's shoulders.

Arthur blinks, and for a moment, the blackness subsides. "Zeldris?" His voice makes Zeldris' chest squeeze. "Zeldris, I don't know what to do."

"Stop this," he breathes. "Take control."

Arthur cries out, and he pulls him into an embrace, his body convulsing in his arms. Zeldris feels panic rising, wondering how much a human can withstand. Will he even survive this? But Zeldris had, when he became a god, and he cries out with Arthur as he remembers the pain of being remade into an immortal.

They slam against something, and Zeldris spies Estarossa for a brief moment before they go careening into the side of the cave. Rock falls in a shower around them as they crash to the ground, and he rolls to his back in pain, his ribs shattered. His magic begins the repairs immediately, but he finds it hard to breathe as he struggles to sit up.

Arthur is on the ground, Estarossa's daggers poised against his body. To the side, Meliodas holds Merlin against the edge of his sword, a look of fury on his wild face. "Enough," he says. "This ends here."

"Allow me," Estarossa says.

"No!" Zeldris pitches forwards, crawling to grab Arthur's leg. He can see a dagger press against the man's throat, and he glares up at his brother. "Don't kill him," Zeldris pants. "Please."

"He is Chaos now," Merlin says. "He cannot be controlled."

"You're lying." Zeldris grits his teeth as he pushes to his hands and knees. "He is special. He can wield Excalibur. He can control it."

He moves to look at Arthur's face. His eyes are closed, and Zeldris presses his hair back from his forehead. "Arthur," he murmurs. "Wake up."

"Don't wake him!" Estarossa complains. "We just got him to stop!"

"How do we fix this?" Meliodas growls.

The three brothers look at Merlin. The majority of the cave is now destroyed, whole sections collapsed, revealing the sky and sea beyond. Light streams in as the dust and debris settle, revealing the mage watching Arthur carefully. "Chaos has subsided," she says. "It will erupt when he awakens."

"And then consume the world?" Meliodas is cold in his anger, the sword sliding along the side of her throat. "You stupid bitch."

Footsteps echo against the rock, and a moment later, Escanor appears. "I must ask you to let her go," he says simply.

"You." Zeldris stands, holding his hand out for his sword, which materializes in his palm a moment later. "You are just as complicit. You helped her conspire against the gods. Against the king and queen."

Escanor's eyes turn to Merlin. "Is this true? That was your plan?"

Merlin's expression is stoic. "It's the only thing to bring down the king and queen," she says. "Chaos will make everyone equal."

"Everyone is equal when they are dead," says Estarossa flatly.

"No, they are not." Meliodas scowls at Merlin. "They must still pass judgment. Even the gods must answer one day."

"Zeldris?"

Arthur's voice is broken, and he looks down to see his eyes opening. Zeldris falls to his knees, leaning over to study his face. "Arthur? Can you hear me?"

His eyes blink open again, and Zeldris sighs in relief to see they are their normal shade. "Arthur…"

"Why is there fighting?" he whispers.

"Merlin did this to you," hisses Zeldris. "She used you to bring forth Chaos."

"No." Arthur moves to sit up, and Estarossa gives a warning. But with one swipe of Arthur's hand, his blades disappear, and Zeldris exchanges a surprised look with his brother.

"Well, fuck," Estarossa says.

Zeldris helps him to his feet, and with his support, Arthur manages to stand and raise his head. "Merlin," he says, and she glances over. Zeldris is surprised to see her composure begin to crack. "You could have asked me," Arthur says simply.

Meliodas keeps his sword poised as he asks, "Do you still have Chaos?"

"Yes." Arthur flexes his fingers. "I can feel it. But it… it's holding."

Escanor steps closer, and Zeldris moves to step between them. But the god nods his head respectfully. "You are now Belialuin. I welcome you, brother."

Arthur nods in reply before turning to Meliodas. "Please. There is no reason to fight."

Meliodas lifts his chin. "We were all nearly killed."

"I will take responsibility for that. I didn't know what it could do. But I do now." Arthur takes an unsteady step on his own and gives a slight bow. "I must ask you to spare her life. Just this once. I owe her my own."

"Arthur?"

"She rescued me from despair. She taught me how to use my powers. She gave me hope in the darkness." He looks up at Merlin, who seems chagrined. "I promised her I would be a good king. I cannot let my rule start with her death."

A long moment passes before Meliodas relents. "Brother!" Zeldris pleads, but Meliodas shakes his head.

"I will allow it this one time, as a request from the king of shadows," he says. "For sparing the life of my brother's love, many years ago." Zeldris feels heat on his neck as Meliodas sheaths his sword. "Now we are even."

"She still did this," Estarossa argues. "She has committed more than one crime against us. She deserves punishment."

Arthur turns to him, and Estarossa narrows his eyes suspiciously. "Many do not get what they deserve, for good or evil," says Arthur. "With this, my debt to Merlin is also repaid."

"And my debt?" Estarossa growls.

"I suppose I will owe you instead," he replies.

With a curse Estarossa turns, storming away until he disappears into the shadows. They watch him leave until he is out of sight, and Arthur turns to Escanor. "I will trust her to you then."

Escanor holds out a hand to Merlin, and Zeldris braces himself for an argument. "A new beginning, then," Escanor says. "The god of shadows can walk in the light. And the god of the light will have the daughter of shadow."

"Arthur…" Merlin steps towards him, but hesitates with Escanor's hand stretched out towards her. "I would have protected you with my life."

"Then do so now," he replies. "Obey this command, and serve the light and shadow, as is your fate."

She nods, taking Escanor's hand, and together they disappear. Only the three are left now, but Meliodas also takes his leave as he says, "Don't delay, Zeldris. The hour is late."

Now that they are alone, Arthur turns to Zeldris. "I'm sorry, I—"

He falters for a moment, and Zeldris reaches out to steady him. "This power," he chuckles. "It will take some getting used to."

"Arthur…" Zeldris cradles his palm against Arthur's cheek. "You didn't have to do this. We could have… I could have…"

Arthur flashes him a smile, and he looks almost like himself. "Don't apologize. I made this choice."

"You've given everything up. Britannia, the humans—"

"I've saved them," he murmurs. "Chaos could destroy everything in another's hand. I will protect it, for all those I love."

"But—"

"I made my own fate." He sighs, and Zeldris feels a surge of emotion at the smile on Arthur's face. "I had thought I was bound to my destiny. But I wasn't. I could make a choice."

Zeldris nods. He hangs his head, fighting back tears of sorrow and relief. He thinks of Gelda, and how they had been set on the same path before being torn apart. Fate had played with all of them, but for the first time, it does feel like they have chosen something for themselves.

"You will come and visit me?" Arthur presses his hand to Zeldris' arm. "When you can get away. You will come to Belialuin and keep me company?"

Through his tears, Zeldris nods, pulling him into a kiss. They stand in the broken ruin of the land of shadow, a new fate now created for both god and human alike.

A/N: After more than a year, I did it! The final chapter is here.

There is one last story to write, for the last of the three brothers. Until then, thank you for reading.