Disclaimer: Don't own Merlin. I wish!

Author's note:

I got no reviews for the last chapter. Sadly, it looks like no one's reading my story :'(. Still, for the sake of those who favorited, here's the latest chapter.

The Great Dragon had been playing with Aithusa when he first felt it.

Faint tendrils of pain were climbing up around his heart. Kilgarrah stopped chasing Aithusa for a moment. He knew it couldn't be his pain; his mate had been dead for a long time for that pain to resurface. Plus he was the only surviving adult dragon left (Aithusa wasn't old enough yet for him to feel his emotions). That left only one other option. The pain he was feeling was an echo; echo of the pain felt by his soul's brother – Merlin's.

Leaving Aithusa to gambol around, he took to the skies, his huge wings covering leagues within seconds and followed the tug on his heart, leading him straight to Merlin.

Kilgarrah found the young warlock curled up on himself in the same clearing where he was always summoned by him when in time of need. Ironically though, when Merlin was the most in pain, he didn't summon him. That showed how little the young man, holding the destiny of the entire Albion in his hands, cared about himself. He was too good, too selfless, and that was the reason for his current state, Kilgarrah mused to himself as he watched him critically.

Gently settling beside the slight form, Kilgarrah folded his majestic wings and spoke, "What is troubling you so, young Warlock?"

It seemed Merlin was even more out of it than he had thought, because he jerked up at the sound of his voice and stared up at him blearily. Kilgarrah frowned to himself. He hadn't even felt the dragon's approach? Usually he was able to tell from miles away. He focused more intensely on the young warlock, and saw the still-wet tears tracks in sharp focus across the pale high cheekbones.

"Kilgarrah?" Merlin said in shock. "How did- I didn't summon you!"

"No you certainly didn't," Kilgarrah admonished gently, the but you should have implied at the end. "Whatever is troubling you so much alerted me to your sorrow."

Merlin looked down then, face twisting in misery, and Kilgarrah knew he was blaming himself for disturbing him. "Do not fret so, young warlock. You know I will fly to the ends of the earth for you, at your slightest command. I couldn't not come when I felt your pain, especially if there was something I could help you with."

Merlin half-smiled at that, and looked up at the majestic beast again. "I do know that, Kilgarrah, and for that you have my eternal gratitude. But I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."

"Never mind that, Merlin. Now tell me, what seems to be the problem?"

Merlin didn't reply for a long time, looking down at his twisting fingers in apparent nerves. Instead, he finally took a deep breath, and then looking into his eyes, opened his consciousness to him.

Kilgarrah reared back in surprise, not expecting the sudden onslaught of feelings and emotions rushing to him from the link formed with Merlin.

Pain.

So much pain- choking him up. Betrayal, anger, guilt, jealousy, want, longing, painpainpain…

With a roar Kilgarrah broke the link. He breathed out fire steadily for a minute, pointing towards the sky to avoid harming the man below him. After a moment, he turned his head to look at the broken soul he'd come to think of as one of his own. For so long he had no one and when Merlin came, it was like a breath of fresh air. A being with power and magic thrumming beneath the surface, magic powerful enough to defeat even a dragon. He hadn't known that he was Balinor's son; else he never would have tried to harm him. Balinor had been a friend, through and through, and only Uther's treachery had managed to break the bond between the dragonlord and him. Even then, at the risk of his own life, Balinor had saved him. And now, his son was hurting and that pained Kilgarrah more than he could express.

"Merlin," he said as softly as he could (which still came out as a rumble much to his consternation), "You have to stop punishing yourself, or blaming yourself. Arthur cannot be the king he has to become, unless he has you by his side."

"I know," Merlin wept, "I know that. That's why I have to leave now. I can't stand to see him now. Both of them. It makes me want to hurl and use my magic to show him just how much he's hurt me. But the fact is he doesn't even know that I love him. He doesn't even know that he has hurt me so much. He doesn't even know…" he trailed off, staring past Kilgarrah with a sheen in his eyes.

Kilgarrah sighed deeply, wanting to comfort Merlin more than anything. It had been so many years since he had last experienced the trials of love, and he doubted his were the same as that of Merlin. Lifting one wing, he covered the young warlock and gently pulled him to rest against his side. He couldn't help the wave of affection and fondness that washed over him when Merlin curled up against him, one arm clutching tightly against the scales.

They stayed like that for a long time, both just breathing and taking comfort from the fact that they had each other. He knew Merlin was feeling the loss of his guardian very strongly, and felt slightly guilty that he had not come to see him earlier. Still, he was here now, and he made a promise to himself that he'd take care of him from now on. He was the same as Aithusa, young and vulnerable, and it was his duty to protect them from any the harm that could possibly hurt them.

Merlin was special, not only because he heralded the coming of a new era. He was special, because he was strong and loyal- like his father- and also had the compassion and kindness of his mother (Balinor had told him about Hunith). He was the best of both of them, and was the most powerful warlock alive, yet he was innocent and had the purest heart and soul. That made him the man he was now. He was special, and Kilgarrah was determined to see that he once again became the cheerful lad he was when he had first met him. He would help Merlin regain himself back. For Albion. And most importantly, Kilgarrah would help for his own sake.

A/N: Review please, even if it's a single word!