Author's Note: Thank you for the favorites and follows and reviews! I really appreciate it! I'm going to try to keep consistently posting a chapter a week. I'm challenging myself to post in both my current stories at the same time, so I think that might actually keep me on track. I'm slowly getting ahead on my writing in this story too, so hopefully no long gaps between chapters!


-Eighteen-

The End of Magic

"Morgana?" The voice stopped Morgana in her tracks. The dark corridor didn't allow for any light, so she used magic to light the fixtures around her.

A man with dark hair and familiar brown eyes was standing before her. It must have been late – or early – but he was fully dressed. Morgana recognized him in an instant, the memory of their last meeting igniting her mind with pain. He had every reason to hate her and therefore every reason to stop her. She readied herself for a fight. She would not be kept here. She couldn't trust herself with her powers saturating her senses.

"Get out of my way, Lancelot," she told him. "I don't want to hurt you." Of course she already had. He wouldn't have forgotten even if it was centuries ago.

"You're not safe here," was all he said. He didn't move closer to her, but he didn't seem afraid either. She thought he would have learned.

"You're the one who isn't safe," she told him. "I can't control my magic right now."

"I know. It's all overwhelming. I remember when I first woke up."

"You remember your past though? How? Before tonight I was Morgan."

"It's a long story," he said with a sigh.

"Why do I even have my memories back?" Morgana asked. "Why now?"

"Something's happening," Lancelot replied. "I need to get you out of here."

Morgana's magic flickered, dimming the halls for a moment. "You're going to help me?" she asked. "Why?"

"Because right now you're a danger to yourself and being near Uther isn't going to help that," he said, this time taking a step forward. Morgana backed away.

"Don't you mean I'm a danger to you and everyone else?" she asked, unable to keep the note of derision out of her voice.

"Morgana, you've always been more of a threat to yourself than anyone else," Lancelot told her. "Now, come with me before anyone wakes up."

"Why are you working with Uther?" Morgana asked as she followed Lancelot down the corridor. She doused the lights and let him guide her. When they rounded a bend, the halls were suddenly flooded with moonlight from the windows set in the walls.

"It wasn't my choice," Lancelot told her. "I was forced."

"Why are you helping me? You have every right to hate me after what I did to you."

"I do, but I don't. I don't hate you Morgana." He looked at her, brown eyes brushing her face. "You changed, and that's what matters. Right now everything is confused. People are waking up with purposes they don't understand or with no memory of who they used to be at all. Everyone is scrambling to find allegiances, but they don't yet understand that the world doesn't work that way anymore. We're not a big enough part of it anymore."

"Then how do you think things should go?" Morgana asked as she and Lancelot headed down a flight of stairs.

"I think everyone should get along," Lancelot told her simply. "But I know that isn't possible."

"Only because none of us ever tried to make it possible," Morgana said softly. "But everything has changed, you said it yourself. There is no kingdom for Uther to rule, there is no army waiting at his beck and call."

"Some of the other knights did come back," Lancelot told her.

"And they work for Uther?" Morgana asked. Were they really talking about armies and war already? So much for second chances.

"No. They work for Arthur," Lancelot said firmly. "They believe in the new world Arthur was trying to build. We were all awakened with a purpose – find Arthur and protect him."

"So you weren't planted with false memories?" Morgana asked bitterly.

"No. Somehow we woke up with the knowledge of this modern world and our old memories. In death we were given a purpose though – the same purpose we always had. This world is nothing like what Arthur is used to. He'll need guidance and help to adjust."

"Do you know why he's coming back?" Morgana asked. "Is it really all about second chances or is there something more than that?"

"It's about uniting Albion," Lancelot said. "It always has been. Arthur is the key to that, but so are you."

"Me?"

"Two sides of the same coin. You and Arthur, sister and brother, magic and non-magic."

"But before, in our last life, we did make peace," Morgana said.

"You did, but magic began to fail anyway. The peace came too late and it was unstable. You left Camelot after a time and hid away from the world. A few generations later Camelot was overtaken by Saxons. Without magic, none of us have a place in this world. Uther doesn't see that."

"I knew he was lying when he said he didn't care that I had magic anymore. That he wanted to love me as his daughter no matter who or what I was."

"It's not that," Lancelot said. "He does accept who you are. But that isn't going to stop him from trying to eliminate what he thinks is the problem once and for all."

"What do you mean?"

Lancelot paused, turning to face her. "Uther wants to destroy magic," he told her. "Once and for all."

Morgana blinked at him. "But he can't do that, can he? It's not some corporeal object he can strike down with his sword."

"I don't know how he's going to do it," Lancelot admitted. "He doesn't tell me much. But I know he's confident he's found a way. He thinks he can cure you like magic is a sickness."

Morgana was quiet for a long moment. A world without magic. What would her life have been like if she'd never been born with it? She wouldn't have been so frightened of Uther finding out her secret. She might have stayed in Camelot. She might have lived a happier life. But then she would never have had the confidence to stand up to Uther. He might have kept her true parentage a secret.

"We need to warn someone," Morgana said. "Take me to my sister, please."

"That's where I was going to take you," Lancelot said, surprising Morgana. He held a door open for her and they entered a garage. He motioned to a black sports car and she got in.

"Why?" she asked. "Isn't that the last place you'd want me?"

"It's the last place Uther would want you, but he doesn't know you've left your room." Lancelot gave her a small smile as he backed the car out of the garage.

"Why are you helping me?" Morgana asked again.

"Because I want this life to be better than the last for all of us. Right now you need to be around people who can help you control your magic. You haven't used it in a long time. Right now it's like when you first realized you had powers."

"I kept setting my curtains on fire."

"I figured your sister might be the right person to make you feel safe."

"Thank you." She was surprised that he'd thought of that. Surprised that he was helping her. "I'm sorry for what I did," she told him. "When I summoned you as a wraith. It was cruel."

"It was a long time ago."

"But I haven't forgotten it, and I'm sure you haven't either."

"Morgana, this is a second chance for all of us," Lancelot said, glancing at her for a moment before turning his eyes back to the road. "Just don't mark your father off just yet. He thinks he can fix everything, fix you, but he needs to realize that nothing was broken in the first place."

"Good luck convincing him to change," Morgana said derisively.

"Oh, I'm not going to change his mind," Lancelot told her. "You are."

"I just realized something," Ryll said as they neared Avalon. "The man who came looking for me in the White Dragon – that was Lancelot."

Merlin glanced at her. "Lancelot?" There was hope in his voice. "Did you see him again after that?"

Ryll shook her head. "No. But if he was looking for me, does that mean he had his memories?"

"It might."

"I still don't understand why some people have their memories but others don't. Especially if I'm the one who was tied most directly into the second coming."

"I hope that will all be cleared up sooner or later," Merlin said. "I should know more too, but I don't."

"Something just occurred to me. If you retained your memories because you were alive this whole time and Morgana forgot hers…" There was a heavy silence for a moment. "What happened to her? Did she…did she die?"

"I don't know," Merlin admitted. "Not that I knew of, but after she left Camelot I never saw her again."

"If she has her memories back, then she should be able to tell us. I just wish I could talk to her."

"She'll be all right. She's strong," Merlin assured her.

"I know that. I'm just not sure she knows it."

As it turned out, Uther had been keeping Morgana in the restored castle on the hilltop in White Castle. He'd found a castle to lord over after all. Lancelot drove Morgana down into the sleeping city, pulling up outside of the A.V.A.L.O.N. Agency.

"Just be careful," Lancelot told her as Morgana opened the car door. "I know Morgause and Nimueh would never harm you, but I'm not sure what their motives are yet. They still see Uther as a threat just as he sees them as a threat."

"A threat to what? This isn't our world anymore," Morgana said bitterly.

"Not yet," Lancelot replied. "Just don't let old hatreds ruin your chance at happiness."

"I won't," Morgana promised him. "I've had enough of hatred for one lifetime. Maybe Uther deserves my hatred, but I don't deserve what hatred does to a person. Not anymore. I want to be different."

"If anyone has the strength to change, it's you, Morgana," Lancelot told her.

"How are you so sure?" she asked softly. There was nothing cold in his brown eyes, just an understanding. They hardly knew each other. How could he know that she was strong?

"Because I remember being a wraith, and I remember seeing a girl who was pretending she had no heart when really it had just been broken by the ones she'd once cared about. Someone who's stopped caring altogether doesn't hurt the way you did."

"But I hurt other people in return for that hurt I felt."

"Don't let them turn you into someone you're not, Morgana."

Morgana finally tore her eyes from his and got out of the car. He waited until she'd knocked on the door and been let in. Despite the late hour, Morgause was there to greet Morgana.

"Nimueh saw you coming," she said in way of explanation. "I should have known Uther would try something like that. Are you okay? Why was one of his men driving you here?" Her eyes were daggers, but Morgana could see she was just worried.

"It's all right, really," she said. "I'm just tired. Lancelot kept me from losing control. He's a friend."

"He's working for Uther," Morgause said sharply.

"Against his will." Morgana was feeling suddenly drained, and her sister seemed to notice.

"Come, sister," she said. "Let me take you to your room. You'll be safe here."

Morgana's magic didn't feel so out of control now. She let the tension leave her shoulders as she followed Morgause up to the third story of the building and into a modern room with a wide, comfortable bed.

"I'm right next door if you need anything," Morgause told her.

"Why do I remember who I am?" Morgana asked before her sister could leave. "An hour ago I was still Morgan, but now I remember being Morgana. I remember everything."

"I'm not sure," Morgause admitted.

"Lancelot said that something was happening. Do you think Arthur has been found?" She wondered if Ryll had been trying to call her. Her phone was back at Ryll's flat.

"It's possible."

Morgana sat down on the edge of the bed, and Morgause joined her. When she had been Morgan, she hadn't realized just how much she'd missed her sister. Now she leaned her head against Morgause's shoulder, and her sister wrapped an arm around her. "What happens when he comes back?"

"Then we see if he remembers your friendship or if he sides with his father," Morgause said.

"Why is it always about sides? We've all been brought to this new world, and yet we're already working against each other."

"There can never be peace when both sides fear and hate each other," Morgause told her.

"Do you hate Arthur?" Morgana asked her sister.

"I hate Uther for what he did to you, and Arthur is his father's son."

"But he's not. He's different. He proved that when he forgave me even after everything I did to him. He wants peace too. We had it. I don't remember why I left Camelot now. Ryll was gone, and I guess it didn't feel like home anymore somehow. I don't remember much after that. Just a loneliness that never seemed to disappear."

"Do you remember how you got here?"

"No. I don't remember dying but I don't remember living. Do you know what happened to me?" Morgana asked. She was frightened to fill in the blank spaces, but she needed to know.

"When you realized you were immortal, that you weren't going to die like Arthur and Gwen and everyone in Camelot, you despaired. Aithusa, your white dragon, had been shot down by hunters. You were alone. You cast a spell that took every bit of magic within you. You put yourself into a permanent sleep until the Second Coming came to wake you. You made yourself forget your past, Morgana. You made yourself anew. You were afraid you'd make the same mistakes again, so you forged a new identity for yourself."

"I don't remember that. I don't remember giving up all hope."

"You're back now. You don't ever have to be alone again. I won't leave you," Morgause promised.

"Then you can't fight Uther," Morgana told her, lifting her head to meet her sister's eyes. "I can't lose you again. Please don't go against him."

"I'm here to protect you," Morgause said. "That will always come first and foremost."

"Then protect me from myself. I can't become the same monster I was before."

"Sister, don't ever think you were a monster," Morgause said, taking her hands. "That's not true. Uther was the monster. You did what you had to do."

"Perhaps. Perhaps we both were. I was my father's daughter after all." She'd been more like Uther in her past life than Arthur had ever been. That was clear to her now frightening a thought as it was. "Arthur might have learned from Uther, but he had his mother's heart. I might have had our mother's magic, but I had Uther's cruel ambition and blind prejudice. If my past life taught me anything it was that nothing's ever black and white. It isn't a matter of good and evil. People are more complicated than that. More complicated than the history books and myths make us out to be. They would categorize us as villain or hero, but it's not that simple."

"This new Morgana you've forged is different," Morgause said, giving Morgana a long look.

"I think she still has a little of Morgan in her," Morgana said. "And I don't think that's a bad thing."

Morgause looked thoughtful. "Perhaps not," she said. "Morgan hasn't known hate and loss yet. I wish I could give that to Morgana."

Morgana smiled. "This is a clean slate, isn't it? Maybe I can get that back."

"I hope so. Try to get some sleep." Morgause kissed her temple and stood. "I'll be right next door if you need me."

After Morgause left Morgana remembered Lancelot's words of warning about Uther's plan to eradicate magic. Maybe she should keep it to herself until she knew more. It would do no good to turn Nimueh and Morgause against Uther so completely at the beginning of their second chance. She lay down on the bed, the magic in her veins much calmer than before. As she tried to fall asleep, she made a promise to herself that she would never be lonely enough to want to leave the world forever. This time she wasn't going to push her friends away. They were stronger together. Now she just needed to find a way to unite them and save the magic. If there was any way to save Uther, then she would do it, but if he was determined to destroy magic then he was going to make enemies of them all.