Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters
This is a sequel to "The End?"
"Arthur!" Merlin called out, twigs snapping as he entered the clearing. The prince was facing away from him, watching the birds in a nearby tree.
"Merlin. What a surprise." Arthur said, still looking in the opposite direction.
"You wanted to talk to me?"
"You must be a real idiot if you haven't caught on already. So much for the all-powerful warlock."
"What are you on about?" This ended in a gasp as Arthur turned to face Merlin, a fireball in each hand.
"Don't you know who I am?" Arthur's voice changed. It became higher pitched and more feminine.
"Nimueh!" breathed Merlin, drawing on his remaining dregs of magic as he spoke.
"Ignis!" shouted Nimueh/Arthur, throwing the balls of flame.
"Contego!" Merlin threw up a shield. The flames wrapped around it but did not penetrate. The warlock reached for his magic again to retaliate, but lost his hold on it. The Arthur that stood before him may be Nimueh in disguise, but she still looked like Arthur. Every instinct in Merlin's body told him that he mustn't hurt the prince. It was so bad that there was no way he could even touch a hair on Arthur/Nimueh's head.
The real Arthur watched in anguish as Nimueh/Arthur threw spell after spell at Merlin, who got slower and slower and slower at deflecting them.
"I can't let him die. I can't lose him!" Arthur told himself. He had been working one of chains loose, when he wasn't watching Merlin. Now anger gave him strength. He pulled on the chains so hard that, one by one, the links snapped. Then Arthur ran, blood dripping from his wrists and ankles where the manacles had cut him. He ran in a straight line; his heart knew where Merlin was.
Merlin flew backwards as one of Nimueh/Arthur's spells finally penetrated. He crashed into a tree and slumped to the ground. The sorceress advanced on him, chuckling cruelly.
"There's no one to save you now. Poor little warlock." Lightning crackled between her/his fingers as she/he stood over the boy. Merlin closed his eyes.
WHUMPH!
He looked up to see Nimueh/Arthur staggering backwards, clutching her/his stomach, as a man with a scraggly beard and a dirty red tunic stood over him.
"Arthur?" Merlin croaked out. The man turned and smiled at him before turning his attention back to Nimueh, who had removed the glamour of the prince. Arthur advanced on her, swinging the chains that still dangled from his arms. One hit her in the legs, the other whacked her shoulder. Nimueh retreated, limping and holding her shoulder.
"You beat me this time, but next time you won't be so lucky." Shouting an incantation, she disappeared in a blinding flash of light.
Short but sweet. Please read and review. Only one chapter to go, which contains some A/M slash especially for DementedViper.
