A/N: I apologize for the short chapter. The studies have been killing me lately^-^. But I'm back and will hopefully be able to update next week, too.

Now, on with the story. Enjoy!

Merlin stared, awed, at the white pure being that came through the door to leap, companionably and matter-of-factly, onto Chris's lap. The memory of the heated argument he was having was wiped off his mind quickly and effectively, and he didn't know what to say.

He had only seen the creature once, in one of Gaius's books that contained knowledge of the magic beings. They were extremely rare and never resided with humans, preferring the company of the elves instead. Unlike the unicorns, who could sometimes, if rarely, be found by people in forests, these beings were extremely wary. Graceful, fast and silent by nature, they easily avoided the undesirable encounters. The only reason sorcerers even knew they existed at all was because they sometimes favoured the druids with their presence. The only other thing known about them was that they were gifted with exceptional spiritual awareness, being able to see through the very aura.

Merlin didn't remember the being's name, if there even was any in the book.

"Where did you find her?" – he managed, breathlessly, in a moment of oblivion pointing a finger at her and then quickly withdrawing it, ashamed of his own gesture of disrespect.

The brothers blinked simultaneously, following his hand with stares until they saw what he meant by the question.

"This cat? The elves gave it to me as a present, - Wyatt answered, shrugging his shoulders dismissively. – I'm twenty-one now, so they probably wanted to gift me with something special," – there was a barely noticeable hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Merlin shook his head, his gaze firmly fixed on the cat. She stared back, curious, her intelligent blue-green eyes keeping his gaze firmly but gently. Her small white wings trembled slightly in concentration, then she broke the contact, purring and rubbing her head affectionately against Chris's hand. The sorcerer couldn't believe they referred to it simply as 'cat'. Such a short, unfitting name.

"Do you even know what she is? – Merlin wondered, hostility in his voice completely gone. – These are beings of pure white magic, like the unicorns. They generally don't have much love for humans. If they favour you, there must be something special about you then."

Wyatt rolled his eyes, unable to contain his frustration:

"We are special. Have you even been listening for the last half an hour?"

Merlin just smiled a warm, open, sincere smile, and a small bright golden sunshine lit the room.

"I will help you."

(---)

The translucent crystal glittered, reflecting the sunlight, moving swiftly in regular circles, sliding just a couple millimeters above the map, not touching the paper.

Chris and Wyatt were sitting in front of the map, on the opposite side of Merlin, following the movement of the crystal intently. The sorcerer was pretty good at this for a person who had never done something similar before.

"So, - he began conversationally, - What happened to Camelot?"

The question was sudden, if expected, but Chris's reaction immediate, probably engraved in his subconsciousness and genes already:

"Sorry, can't tell you. Future consequences and so on."

Merlin shrugged, not distracted from his task.

"You would probably wipe off my memory anyway. No, don't look at me like this… You didn't really think I wouldn't guess it, did you?"

Now that he had a reason to trust them, he was surprisingly calm, composed and concentrated, obviously not extremely bothered by the fact that he was torn out from his own reality. And it really struck them as something completely opposite to the first impression they had when they saw him.

"You didn't look particularly intelligent when you appeared here, you know, - Chris said, and received a sharp elbow into his ribs for the rudeness. He rubbed the sore spot and continued, unabashed. – Fell down the stairs and everything."

"I tripped, - Merlin said, as if it explained everything. Then, after a pause, added: - Over her."

The white cat arched her back and yawned, settling back innocently and contentedly to doze off on the pillows.

"I hope she isn't hurt," - Merlin added somewhat guiltily.

Wyatt just stared disbelievingly at him:

"You are such a girl."

Merlin gave him a strange look, but didn't rise to the bait and said nothing. Wyatt was only left to guess what the look meant.

"Are you sure this will work?" – Merlin asked, casting his eyes down on the crystal.

Both Wyatt and Chris nodded confidently.

"Excalibur is protected by ancient magic, - Chris said. – This magic we can't defy. It wouldn't let anyone who's searching for the sword with our magic find it… However, you are different. Not only you possess the long lost sorcery of the Old Religion, the one that sealed it in the first place, you are also the one who created the sword. If you can't find it, no one can. But you can. You are Merlin, after all."

Merlin frowned slightly:

"Why was the sorcery of the Old Religion lost?"

Chris mentally slapped himself. Wyatt rewarded him with a glare that implied he wanted to physically slap him, but refrained.

'Because Camelot fell. My tongue, my enemy.'

"Uh, I can't tell you. Sorry."

"You are going to wipe off my memory anyway. So please do."

Chris shuddered at the way 'please' was pronounced. Not outwardly threateningly, but firmly and sternly, making it clear that the sorcerer wouldn't back down. And would probably do whatever it takes to find out. Although this one was, most likely, the witch's imagination only…

At least he wanted to believe it.

The genetic memory kicked in again, and Chris said:

"We can't risk it. Too much is at stake. You of all people should realize it. It's not like you can change it anyway, and if you do, it will leave the timeline in pieces, possibly creating the reality so twisted that your worst nightmare couldn't be even compared to it. And you know this. So leave it. Please."

In a strained silence that followed Wyatt's expression was clearly saying: 'It was your idea to leave him here in the first place, you idiot. Aren't you being slightly hypocritical?'

Chris glared.

The crystal suddenly fell, as if pulled by a the magnetic power, to point onto the place where the United Kingdom was.