I'M STILL GONNA SAY IT, GUYS. JUST TO BOTHER YOU SLASHY FANGIRLS; NO SLASH
Disclaimer : I only own the Floofs. And the unicorn. I swear I'll put Merlin and his friends back in the box when I'm done.
Warning : Set after season four, Reveal fic, A band of Floofs, UNICORNS, Terribly written spells, Cliffhangers to annoy the heck out of you, Aithusaaaaa (and Kilgharrah), Catboy!Merlin, King Arthur Pratdragon, the Knights of Camelot, GWAINE, and a whole lot of MAGIC~
I'm really sorry if anything seems out of character!
Well, this is basically a filler chapter. Sooooo much dialogue... Stuff will happen later. Now everyone gets to get acquainted with the Floofs! Yay!
You have no idea how much I want to name this chapter Meeting the Floofs.
When Arthur had got over the preliminary shock of seeing Merlin use magic so openly (and so easily) he surprised the young warlock by asking him to show him something else.
"What do you want to see?" Merlin asked, shrugging.
Arthur paused for a moment. As much as he dealt with the subject, he knew very little about magic. "Move that rock over there," he finally decided, pointing towards a small egg-sized stone a few metres away.
Merlin frowned, a little disappointed. "That's it? I don't even need a spell for that..."
Arthur sighed dramatically. "Fine, then, make that rock," he said, pointing at a much larger one, "explode into dust, and make the fragments swirl up into the air and create an image of Guinevere's face." He meant it as a joke, and was fully unprepared for the moment Merlin began chanting in the Ancient language, eyes flashing gold.
"Heall þegn formolsnian," he said softly. The boulder silently melted into thick dust, suspended in the air. Merlin waved his hand at it. "Fægerre þéodcwén." The fragments of rock swirled up into the air, forming a large circle. The rock crumbs were packed thickly in the darker areas, and thinly in the lighter areas, to create a striking image of Gwen's smiling face. Arthur gaped at it.
"That's... but... Merlin, I was joking."
The cat grinned lopsidedly. "But it was more interesting than making a little pebble simply move."
Arthur narrowed his eyes in speculation. "Alright then, Merlin, let's try something a little harder."
Merlin smiled and allowed the dust to fall back to the earth.
"Get rid of your cat parts."
"What? No!" Gwaine screamed, running over. "Arthur, you can't do that! I mean... Merlin, tell him why."
Merlin stared at the pair bemusedly. "Arthur, it's a permanent spell. I can't really get rid of it that easily."
"What did Kilgharrah mean by that, anyway? Can you fix it?"
Merlin huffed. "It's nice to see how much faith you have in me. Well, no, I can't get rid of it entirely. But I can bend it and submit it to my will, so I won't have to be a cat all the time."
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Arthur asked, as Gwaine sat down next to his friend.
The cat in Merlin caused him to scoot away from the knight. "Because I still don't know how."
"That's okay, Merlin," Gwaine said, slyly swinging an arm across Merlin's shoulders. The warlock tensed. "We can just keep you as a cat; I'm sure no one will mind. Besides, there are some lovely ladies at the tavern I know who just love cats. They would adore you, and me by association. It's a great idea. And you could maybe do a few little tricks, make them go all starry-eyed. And then we could-"
"Erm, that's alright, Gwaine," Merlin mumbled.
"We can't just waltz back into Camelot with Merlin like this," Arthur ranted, "The city would panic."
Merlin pouted. "I'm not that ugly."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, Merlin. Can you figure something out before we get there?"
"How far are we?"
"Half a day's ride on a horse."
He nodded, cat ears flickering in anticipation. "There's something I can do, but I don't want to do it just now; it's a little difficult, and it doesn't last very long." He could get excited over the fact that he was discussing magic with Arthur, of all people, later.
"What's going on?" Elyan asked curiously, striding over.
"Merlin's going to... What's wrong with the unicorn?" Arthur said, staring at it from over Elyan's shoulder.
The unicorn was snorting and walking around in shaky circles, shying away from the knights. Every few seconds, he would let out a very un-unicorn-like whine.
Elyan glanced back and sighed. "I don't know. Merlin?"
Merlin frowned. "He's... saying you're... impure...?"
Elyan spluttered and turned around to face the proud beast. "What's that about being impure?"
Fethryn tottered nervously on his hooves. Merlin, these impurities are swarming me...
Merlin rolled his eyes. I'm not helping you with that.
The unicorn snorted. Merlin!
"Um, yeah," Merlin said, turning back to face Elyan. "Fethryn doesn't like you."
Elyan sighed and walked off. "Well, then I don't like him."
Leon chuckled as he heard the juvenile reply.
Gwaine pushed himself up and walked up to the dazzling creature, looking into its long face.
"Gwaine," Merlin called, suppressing a laugh, "He says you should leave him; you smell bad."
Gwaine glared at the unicorn, insulted. It merely gazed back. Gwaine was about to speak, when two birds landed in his hair, surprising him and wiping the expression off his face.
"I guess Mala and Enzo like you," Merlin said helpfully.
Gwaine frowned. "Hello, Mala and Enzo." The birds tittered happily. Gwaine stumbled away with a grin on his face and two birds in his hair.
Leda remained on Fethryn's back, still wary of the burly knights. Elyan came back over; ignoring the way the unicorn stepped away. "Merlin, what's this one called?"
Merlin glanced up. "That's Leda."
Leda, receiving a nod from Merlin, hopped off Fethryn's back and bowed in greeting to Elyan, shocking the knight.
Merlin snickered and looked back at Arthur. He was not prepared to see the black rabbit climbing up the King's face. Merlin spluttered.
"What's this one's name?" Arthur asked half-heartedly, deciding it best to get acquainted with the animals, as the other knights were doing.
"That's Peter." Peter slipped slightly and pawed at Arthur's hair.
"Could you tell Peter to get aaaaagh," he tried to say as Peter used his bottom lip as a climbing step, "To get off?"
Merlin smiled, though Arthur couldn't see over the wall of black fur in his face. "I don't want to ruin his fun, Arthur, he's almost at the top!" Sure enough, as he said it, Peter climbed to the top of Arthur's blond head, sitting purposefully with his front paws on Arthur's eyebrows, ears straight up in the air. Arthur sighed.
"The look suits you, Arthur," Gwaine drawled, walking past with two little blue birds nesting in his hair.
Merlin blinked, feeling something missing. "Where's Ayleth?"
"I found her," Leon said, inclining his head respectfully to the rabbit-hatted King and sitting down. He had Ayleth in the palm of his hand, raising her up so she could see.
So, Merlin speculated; Mala and Enzo were having fun in Gwaine's hair, Leda was following Elyan respectfully, Peter was claiming Arthur's head as his own, and Ayleth had quickly made friends with Leon. Fethryn, being the pure unicorn that he was, dared not approach a single knight. But where were Percival and Tinnig?
He saw Percival out of the corner of his eye, and stared at him. He was calmly approaching Fethryn, yet the unicorn didn't seem the least bit bothered.
Gwaine followed Merlin's gaze and saw Percival, rubbing Fethryn's neck. And Fethryn seemed to like it. He spluttered. "What? Why does the unicorn like Percival more than me?"
Merlin grinned, ignoring him. That left only Tinnig. Tinnig? Merlin called.
Oh, sorry, coming! the owl called back, flapping up from where he had been perched on one of the horse's faces. He landed on Merlin's shoulder.
"Well, that's everyone, then," he stated.
"Wait, Merlin, stop." Arthur stood up to face him, looking strangely intimidating with a rabbit sprawled across his brow. He gently plucked Tinnig from Merlin's shoulder, letting the owl perch on his finger.
Merlin frowned. "What?"
"You can't have one of the little animals, Merlin," Arthur stated, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
The warlock frowned in bemusement. "Why not?"
Gwaine caught on quickly. "Mate, you can't have one of the cute little animals, because you are one."
Merlin stared. His ear twitched twice before he seemed to understand. He turned slightly pink, looking flustered. "That's not fair; I saved them!"
"Merlin, didn't your mother ever teach you not to bring home stray animals?"
"You don't seem to have a problem with it," the cat answered, gesturing to Peter. "Give me back Tinnig."
"Is that his name? Hello, Tinnig," the King said, smiling slyly at the little owl. The bird seemed delighted at the use of its name and hooted happily.
"Tinnig!" Merlin exclaimed. You're betraying me, he stated half-heartedly.
The owl twisted its minuscule head and stared at him. Am I?
Merlin sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. The knights regarded him oddly, not having heard the silent conversation. "Well, it's not fair that I have to be alone now."
A few of the knights snickered, but Gwaine stepped forwards. "Well, you could-"
"No, Gwaine," Merlin interrupted, not looking up.
Percival let out a guffaw, earning a glare from the other knight.
"Alright, Merlin, if you're done being a little girl, we should head off," said the unmistakably arrogant voice of the King.
Merlin sighed, standing up. "Yes, Sire."
He hauled himself onto his horse, instantly feeling its thoughts. Oh, the little human is back... he looks like a cat. Huh.
Merlin smiled in bemusement. Yes, I do, because I got a spell put on me.
The horse whinnied in alarm. He speaks!
So do you, Merlin replied, grinning, guiding the startled equestrian to the others.
Hey! Guys! The human on my back speaks!
They all speak, Dear, Percival's mare said gently, as if speaking to a child.
No, I mean he speaks and he can understand us! Merlin couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at the amazement in his horse's voice.
Leon's proud horse snorted and looked him up and down. I don't believe you.
Merlin's horse twisted its head awkwardly, trying to see him. It ended up trying to bend its neck straight back to see him upside-down. It didn't really work. Say something, please? the horse asked timidly.
Merlin gave a lopsided grin. Hello.
All the horses reeled in shock, turning to stare at the warlock. He's a cat, a few of them whispered. The others were still too amazed that he could talk.
Arthur had been trying to control his usually obedient horse so it would move, but it did nothing; it simply stared dumbly at his manservant. "Merlin, what have you done to the horses?"
Merlin smiled sheepishly. You'd best start obeying your riders, he warned quietly. "Nothing, Sire." As soon as he'd said it, the horses resumed moving naturally, trotting in an orderly cluster into the trees. Arthur stared at him suspiciously. Merlin grinned back.
And they set off, back to Camelot; four knights and their King with various small animals clinging to them, a strange little cat-warlock-manservant on a horse beside the King, and a graceful unicorn following behind.
A few hours later, they stopped to rest, at Merlin's prompting, in a small clearing from where they could see the tips of Camelot's towers.
"I should hide my ears and tail now," the warlock said easily.
"Right," Arthur said uncertainly, getting off his horse. Merlin stumbled off his own with a little less grace. "What exactly are you going to do?"
"I can create a veil that will hide my ears and tail, and make myself a couple of human ears. It won't last too long, though, so we should hurry."
"With... magic?"
Merlin rolled his eyes. "Yes, Arthur, with magic."
Arthur grimaced. "Do what you must, then." He turned away and sat down. As much as he was aware of Merlin's powers and that he had to accept magic, he wasn't quite used to the blatantly obvious use of it.
Merlin looked a little crestfallen as he realized what was going through the King's mind, but he straightened and prepared his magic inside him all the same. He closed his eyes, trying to think of the right words. When again he opened his eyes, they were golden. "Efenstálian mín scíngedwola... eormencynn," he uttered clearly. He closed his eyes as he felt the magic pulsing through and around him, concentrating on his ears and tail. He soon felt a strange coldness spread out from where they had been, and then nothing. His regular large human ears sprouted from behind his temples. He opened his eyes, back to their regular blue, and felt his ears experimentally. They were definitely there. He felt almost back to normal... there was no more strange twitching. But he could still hear the animals as they whispered to each other in awe. Merlin felt behind him. He grinned at the absence of a tail. It had worked.
He glanced up at Gwaine, who had walked up to him. Gwaine reached out a hand and rubbed at his hair, ruffling it all over the place.
"No ears..." he mused.
Merlin grinned. "Nope, but it won't last long, so we should go."
He was about to step towards his horse, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. It was Percival. "Merlin, what about your eyes?"
"What about my eyes?" he asked nervously, frowning.
Gwaine glanced at his face and snickered. "You've got slanted pupils, mate."
Merlin winced. "Oh, well, yeah... Eyes are a little complicated to work with, so I'd rather leave them as they are. At least I can see better this way..."
"Whatever you say, Merlin. Now can we go?" Arthur asked exasperatedly, if not in relief, from where he sat proudly upon his horse.
Merlin rolled his eyes and climbed back on his still-excited horse.
And four knights, the King, and his manservant trotted back to Camelot. It was almost normal; only the slanted pupils, the many animals following, and the thoughts of magic spoke otherwise.
Next chapter : CAMELOOOOOOT!
And the Floofs shall remain for a while, if you don't mind :3
The idea of impurity bothering Fethryn was stolen from xXMistressMadHatterXx. Yes, I am aware that I've said the same thing maaaany times. But the ideas keep BOMBING me, so. (though I don't mind o3o)
WHOO magic :D OMG I can't wait to write about Camelot and Gwen and... and... YEAH.
Please review!