Author's Note:

Hiya!

So Teekalin commented saying that I should put who's point of view I am writing from at the top of the chapter, which is a good idea which I didn't think of, so thank you!

So that is why 'Merlin' has just appeared at the top all of a sudden! (Just to make sure you all realised)

Chapter 28: The End of the World

- Merlin

Dusk had fallen hours ago on what looked, to the unassuming eye a mound of earth, but in fact to the human race it held their last hope; their salvation.

Many world leaders had gathered in that place and been lead to a table: round in shape so that no person was presented as higher than the rest. Their places were mixed too, communist leaders stood next to capitalist and what had been opposing religions chatted seemingly calmly to each other. Not that any conversation could be truly calm. Not now.

Now was the 31st of December. Now was the day that the decision would be made. Now was the day it would all be over, for better or for worse.

"Everybody!" Arthur announced "It is nearly time, may you all please take your places."

Everybody did, standing in an orderly fashion behind the thirty chairs that had been tucked in beneath the table.

Merlin stood in the background; he was not needed for this.

"As you know our world has never been peaceful, we have never all seen eye to eye. But to save our planet, we must show that we can. So…" He prompted, offering his hand to Morgana; who took it, her body language still withdrawn.

The others followed suit and soon an unbroken circle of hands had formed around the table.

At that very moment a hooded figure materialised directly opposite Arthur, it stood in silence for a few seconds before removing the hood and revealing its face.

The figure was Freya.

The automatic joy that always hit Merlin whenever he saw her was quickly replaced by another feeling: unease. She looked different; she was holding herself like she was of the upmost importance, not like the shy girl he knew at all.

"Well what have we here?" Freya smiled "This is very good, better than we expected"

"What do you mean; we?" Merlin asked moving towards her, but she stepped backwards, away from him.

"The Old Religion of course" Freya sighed, manipulating her voice like she was talking to a child and suddenly Merlin was sure: this was not the Freya he knew at all; her manner was too patronising, too cruel.

"She was the one who promised me that witchcraft could be saved!" Morgana exclaimed, staring at Freya like she was some sort of mould growing on the wall "She was the reason I did it all in the first place!"

"What?" Merlin hissed.

"Ah yes" The girl chuckled "I do like our little tricks… of course it couldn't happen like that, wizards have let us down just as much as anyone." She shrugged "Not that it makes any difference anymore; you're all going to die."

There was a stunned silence; she had said it so plainly, like it was no matter, and in those few words all hope had been shattered.

"Well don't look so shocked, did you really think holding hands round a table was going to fix anything? Although…" She paused "however hopeless you think it is there is always a chance… until the clock strikes twelve of course." She said her last sentence like she hadn't realised she was saying it, staring absentmindedly into space, her eyes glazy.

Somewhere a clock began to strike, signalling the approach of midnight – dong, dong, dong – it rang out in the silence: one, two, three.

"What do you mean?" Merlin croaked.

Freya snapped awake again, staring straight at Merlin and for a moment she looked flustered. Did she give something away? Merlin wondered. Something the Old Religion wished to keep a secret?

The clock was still chiming: six, seven.

"Oh now, now, you didn't think I'd be so charitable as to tell you would I?" She cooed, lifting a knife that no one had seen her produce – she had done it so delicately – but they saw it now as she raised it, mumbling some sort of ancient prayer.

Panicked, Merlin's mind raced, what was she doing?

With a shout Freya released the dagger, sending it flying straight forwards; towards Arthur.

Merlin saw the knife spinning, saw it fly, destined for the king's heart, and with a cry he realised he was too late to stop it, too late to do anything.

On the strike of nine, the blade found soft flesh. But not, Merlin realised, Arthur's. Morgana instead slumped to the floor, blood trickling out of her mouth. Arthur caught her, a tear dripping from his eye.

At the last moment she has dived in front of Arthur; giving her life for his.

Morgana rapped a hand around her brothers shirt and Merlin realised she was trying to say something. He took a step closer; wishing to hear what she thought was so important.

"Forgive me." She whispered, before slumping into Arthur's arms. The king buried his face in her chest. Since the spell on Christmas day the two had become very close. Arthur had just got his childhood friend back after so many years of her being lost, and now she was gone; taken from him.

Furiously, Merlin looked around for Freya, but she had vanished from view; no sign of her ever existing.

And then the clock struck twelve.

Merlin felt the earth rumble; tossing him from side to side so that he fell, but even on the ground he was still thrown back and forward with the tumbling of the earth. It was like a massive hand had picked them up and started shaking them like they were inside a baby's rattle. The noise that came with it was louder than anything he had ever heard before; it thudded against his eardrums relentlessly.

All he could think was: this is it; I failed and now everyone's going to die.

His head hit a bolder and he could feel himself losing consciousness, the noise dimmed and the thudding of rock against his skin no longer bothered him. He was at peace, finally, after a thousand years.

He had had his eyes closed for what felt like seconds when he felt the tipping of his world grow harder, more frequent. It was like someone had hold of him and they were the reason for the shaking.

Wait, Merlin thought. Someone did have hold of him. He forced his eyes apart and saw Arthur leaning over him. His awakening brought tears to his friend's cheeks and he was consumed in an embrace that squeezed him so hard he gasped for breath.

"I thought I was going to lose you too." Arthur murmured.

Merlin looked around, confused. The trembling had stopped and the room was still. People were stumbling amongst rubble, covered in dust, but no less alive.

Light streamed in through an opening were the door had been.

"Is that?" Merlin croaked – he could barely believe it.

"The sun!" Arthur grinned, "Harry blasted the door open a few minutes ago and there's not a cloud in the sky. It's like even the air tastes different… cleaner maybe. Come on!"

Merlin let his friend pull him off of the ground and followed him through the opening. He was right, there were no clouds in the sky and the sun glittered on the snow like billions of tiny diamonds.

Merlin felt someone jump on him and hug him from behind.

"We did it!" Hermione exclaimed "Happy New Year! We're still alive!"

Merlin smiled "We did it" he murmured.

Harry, Ron, Ginny, Nevil and Mordred joined them, all smiling.

"Morgana died though" Arthur sighed "She saved us you know; when it came to it she saved us all. She made the ultimate sacrifice" He laughed "Typical, just as we got her back."

Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder and they all stood there for a while, staring into the distance, the sun bathing them in a warm, thankful glow.

Author's Note:

It's not the end yet! I may not be able to upload the next chapter as quickly as I've been uploading these last few but please don't leave me quite yet! :D