Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin. I only own my brain.
A/N I wrote 1,567 words of this, then my computer was a prick and I lost everything. So here is me, being really annoyed that I had to re write it and blaming my computer for me not saving it. Anyway. Enjoy.
WARNING: I think I used a bit more naughty language in this chapter, but if you get offended then you must be about ten or a really old person since it's hardly graphic.
Chapter 3
Merlin scratched his head and remained staring at the sky. The dragon had been useful in some respects but how was he going to find Arthur? How was he going to stop Morgana?
He wouldn't have been worried at all if he had his magic, not that Merlin was big headed but he knew he was better than Morgana and Arthur was an idiot who would have been easy to find if Merlin could have used his magic. Merlin sighed again even more loudly, but there was no one around to offer him any form of pity. It was very irritating that saving the kingdom had yet again come to rest on his shoulders, he was a servant not a hero. Yet he seemed to be disproving that more and more as of late.
Morgana just couldn't let things lie, her plans had failed so many times and now it seemed she might just succeed. She had turned to a path that was of the darkest and most evil of magic and the last shred of hope that Merlin had of her ever turning back was now gone. No one could commit such evil magic and remain with an unchanged soul, blackened as Morgana's soul had been it was repairable but now… nothing would ever bring her back. Her bitterness would result in the destruction of the entirety of Camelot and there wasn't much Merlin could do about.
He had no magic and no Arthur. Without which he was a scrawny peasant with no power whatsoever and Kilgaharrah expected him to change all of this. Well he couldn't this time it was just impossible. Merlin thought of Camelot of Gwaine, Gaius and Gwen. He couldn't let them suffer without at least trying. He had to try.
Merlin began to stumble back through the woods, tripping every now and again on roots and rocks. His lack of magic increasing his clumsiness. Before long he was at a small village just on the outskirts of Camelot. It was small but slightly larger than Eldor but it was the same sort of community. A farming village with little money and little prospects- a simple life.
The road through the village was a dirt path and because of the recent rains was sloppy and muddy, sucking Merlin's boots into it as he walked. He nearly lost a boot more than once, it was when he reached the far side of the village that he noticed the man.
He nearly didn't see the man at all as he was so bland, so ordinary that at first he fit into the surroundings like some sort of ornament on a shelf. But for some reason that Merlin wasn't aware of he did a double take.
The man was shovelling hay from the floor and into a small beat up wagon. The man was tall and had the body of a man who had worked his whole life- beefy and strong. Merlin's eyes narrowed as he took in the man's blonde hair and with a jolt of familiarity he took an urgent step forward.
He now knew why he had looked back. Although dressed in peasant garb, shovelling hay and looking dishevelled. The figure was a man that Merlin would never be able to forget nor not recognise so attune to his King.
"Arthur?" Merlin called, his voice sounding uncertain. It was too strange- too illogical that Arthur would just happen to be here directly in his path. Coincidences this large were rarely so. The man turned and it was most certainly Arthur, his King and most trusted friend. He stepped forward again his face breaking into a giant smile. "There you are! I was almost getting worried."
"I'm sorry… who are you?" The voice was Arthur's but the uttering was not. It was said with no power, with no strength and it was not the voice of his King. Morgana had changed Gaius, changed himself and now Arthur was the last blow.
"Can you not remember me? I need you to think Arthur." Merlin said desperately as he came to a stop just in front of Arthur. He held back the urge to grasp Arthur's arm as he had before, a sign of comfort and of friendship. He couldn't though, this man wasn't his Arthur- not really. He would not appreciate nor understand such a greeting.
"I'm sorry, I do not know you and I must return to my work." Arthur's voice was quiet and his face neutral as he turned back to his work but he was stopped.
"I need you to think Arthur, someone has cast dark magic it's why you can't remember me or who you are. You are stronger than this Arthur I need you to concentrate." He begged.
"I do not know who you think I am, but I know who I am. You are getting in the way of my work." His voice had an edge, the angry indignant edge that was so frequently used by Arthur.
"I know who you are." Merlin cried desperately, he could not and would not face Morgana's force alone. "You are King Arthur, ruler of Camelot." Arthur stared at him, and Merlin thought that maybe he understood. But then Arthur doubled over and started laughing.
"That's a good one, pull the other leg." He laughed waving his hand dismissively towards Merlin.
Merlin closed his eyes. Desperate situations he was used to, they happened often. He was not however used to not having Arthur or Gaius to aid him. And it hurt. It hurt that the man he considered his best friend could not remember him. It stung and made his heart heavy. He had to get through to him.
"Arthur, I am telling the truth. This magic, this thing that Morgana has done can't have taken everything from you. It's still there- it's just trapped" Merlin thought's turned to his magic "Those memories, that part of you is still there and you need to find a way to access it again. I just need you to trust me Arthur."
Arthur thought for a long moment "Look you're crazy." He said staring at Merlin in disbelief. "There is no way in hell that I could be your King. Just look at me!" He gestured to himself. "I'm a farm hand, a simple country boy. I am not a King- I really do think you need to seek some sort of help."
"I'm not bloody crazy, it's you! I'm going to tell it like it is Arthur. Morgana is gathering her forces and she is going to attack Camelot now that is weak, she is going to win. Unless you and I find a way to destroy the source of the magic Camelot will fall and thousands will die all because you couldn't get your head out of your ass long enough to listen to me!"
"While you sound certain- I have no memories of whoever you think me to be. I can't believe you because what you are saying is ridiculous. If this Morgana woman is so powerful why wouldn't she just kill me if I'm your King, why would she bother to make me into some sort of farmer? It makes no sense."
Merlin shook her head "Camelot is too powerful, you are too powerful for that the only way she could weaken us sufficiently is through a sneak attack when we least expected it. By getting you out of the way it weakens the citadel. It will be far easier for Morgana to assume the throne if the people aren't loyal to you."
"Why would the people not be loyal to their King?" Arthur asked curiously, his brow furrowed as if this was just an interesting chat rather than a life or death conversation.
"She made the people forget about you, it's part of the dark magic I suppose." Merlin shrugged helplessly, he didn't understand much of it either and he doubted he ever would. Although his 'ever' was looking more reduced at the present moment.
"So not only can I not remember being King, neither can any of the people in Camelot. The only person to believe me to be King is you." Arthur looked him up and down before snorting. "And you look like some sort of fool or court jester." Merlin narrowed his eyes angrily.
"Okay, so you aren't the King I made it all up. Haha bloody ha." Merlin said before deciding on a different tact, taking on a more innocent tone, Arthur would be too much of an idiot to notice what was going on until he set the perfect trap "So you lived here your whole life huh?" Merlin asked picking at his fingers.
"Yeah, I guess so…" Arthur trailed off thoughtfully, his expression pained as though he was trying to remember something. Merlin let out a mental sigh of relief, his assumption had been correct.
"So do you have any family here?" Merlin looked around pointedly.
"No" Arthur frowned
"What about you Mother and Father?"
"I don't… I can't remember" Arthur was looking confused and quite scared. Merlin supposed it would be quiet scary to not remember the very things you should never forget.
"Where do you live here? What is this village called?" Merlin again questioned but Arthur finally smelled a rat.
"What is the point you are making?" He growled.
"That you can't remember a single thing about yourself or the life that you live. If you can't remember that then what's to say you can't remember being King?"
"Merlin that's a completely different-"
"You called me Merlin" Merlin interrupted his grin coming back full force, Arthur frowned at him.
"It is your name isn't it?"
"Yes, but I haven't told it you which means you subconsciously remember. So maybe you remember everything else as well."
"I'm not sure, what you say makes sense but it just can't be true. I can't be some King- I have no idea how to be King."
"You are King, trust me. You are the greatest King this land will ever see, you are the once and future King of Albion. You just have to believe it." Merlin told him earnestly, unable to keep the pride out of his voice. Suddenly the situation wasn't looking so dire.
"For some reason, the less sense you make the more I believe you. You almost sound… wise."
"I've been told that more than once" He replied with a wry grin. "So will you help me to destroy the source."
Arthur considered it for a long moment before throwing down his pitchfork with a grin "Why the hell not, it's not like I've got anything better to do and someone has to keep you out of trouble."
"It's you that needs your but rescuing daily" Merlin said crossly "Just because you've forgotten doesn't mean I have."
"Like I believe you could save anything." Arthur's face lost the humour "So what do we do?"
"We head to wherever Morgana is and destroy the source." Merlin said as he turned and began to walk back towards the woods.
"How the hell do we do that?" Arthur asked as he half jogged to keep up.
"Hell if I know."
A/N This chapter was nice to write, Arthur is a bit quick to agree with Merlin but his real memories and real feelings still exist and therefore he will still act on them subconsciously. Plus Merlin is pretty persuasive when it comes down to it. The next chapter will be up when it's done, maybe a week but I make no promises as I tend to break them. Thank you to all those who have read, favourited and reviewed I really appreciate it.
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