Author's note: Guess what? Since I took so damn long to make this, you get a double update today, which also means you get the rest of the story! I know the last one could be considered longer by number of chapters, but I bet this one's close in number of words, so I hope you won't complain too much. That being said, I've been told by my proofreader that this is not the corniest thing I have ever written and that a little bit of corniness is necessary, and I do believe that the corniest thing I've ever written is my now deleted fem!Merlin fanfic, which I don't even have a file of now, so don't ask. But this is still really corny in my eyes, and I hope that it seems dramatic in yours, because it has a whole lot more weight than this entire story so far.
Is anybody that works for this site reading this? Because I wish I could use line separators like I was able to for a while there, but I can't find it now.
Tell me of any mistakes! I welcome constructive criticism!
.OF MERCY.
The carnage that Morgana had created was devastating. The outer wall had been completely knocked down with the force of her magic, enhanced by her anger. Morgana fumed as she knocked down Camelot's forces with a swipe of her hand, her wrath having not dissipated in the time that it took for her to organize her forces. All the while, she was waiting for the appearance of the king, or his court sorcerer.
Wiping away the opposing army with another wave, she saw them in a flash of light. A shield arose in the midst of her spell, the wave of power hitting her like a blow. Merlin and Arthur stood in the middle of the battle field, Merlin's eyes gold as he stopped the blows of magic with his shield. Morgana stood, shocked, then stormed forward.
"Traitors! The both of you!" she shouted, throwing blasts of fire against the glowing shield. Blue rippled across the gold surface as they hit, repeatedly striking, but not fracturing.
"Morgana!" Yelled Arthur, standing amidst his men and striking down the occasional enemy. The king's men were running outside the barrier as Morgana's army advanced towards Camelot, striking down her men and dying for Morgana's usurper. Wrath burned through her and she sent more magic at the shield, watching for any sign of weariness in the warlock that had erected it.
"You don't have to do this!" yelled Arthur, finally free of his attackers. Morgana laughed, sending down his men one by one. The battle was futile for Camelot.
"I don't? Oh, call off the attack! I'm frightened for my terrible mistake of revenging Morgause and taking my rightful place on the throne! I'm frightened of ending the tyranny that you and your father have released! Forget it, Arthur! So much wrong has been done to our kind by your hand! I'm finally winning this endless war, and you want me to surrender?"
"But Morgana, it has ended! Your people are free- our people are free! I-"
"You say I don't know what I'm doing, but you can barely call them your people!" A bolt of lightning struck the dome, and Merlin finally stumbled in his defense. The dome flickered. "You call yourself the Once and Future King- do you really deserve this role!" She hit the shield again, and it flickered long enough that she could slip inside, a blast of magic ripping itself from her and knocking down all in front of her so that the only them three remained standing. Merlin finally broke the shield, and sent a blast of magic at her. She blocked it with ease.
"Getting tired, Merlin?" she asked with a sneer, sending her own blast back, "Never as tired as the rest of us!"
"Because of this pointless war, Morgana!" exclaimed Arthur as the two fought, "Because you can't let go of the past! How many have died because of your grudge?"
Morgana faltered, but only for a moment, "How many because of yours?"
Arthur sighed, desperate, then stepped in between Morgana and Merlin, Merlin crying out in surprise as his attack headed towards Arthur, but Arthur blocked it with a shield of his own.
"Arthur! What are you doing?"
"If Morgana wants revenge, then so be it!" Arthur called back, "I have killed my own kind once too many, and if she wants to take her revenge, she must, but on me, not my people!"
Merlin stood, shocked, "Arthur, your people will be without a king! How will they-"
Arthur hung his head, determination in his posture, "I'm sure Morgana can take up that role, and maybe if she has her revenge, she'll be satisfied with the death." He looked up at Morgana, smiling grimly. "Go on, take your revenge, sister."
Morgana grinned gleefully. "I'm touched, dear brother!" said she, and sent a blow of magic at Arthur.
"No!"
Morgana choked as a shield appeared around Arthur, and a sword in her gut. She stared in shock at the fading gold of Merlin's eyes, and her vision began to darken. Arthur ran forward with a devastated cry.
"Morgana!"
She fell to her knees, a laugh bubbling up. "I guess you finally have your justice, Arthur, how does it feel?"
"Morgana, please-"
"Please what? Please die? Gladly."
"It didn't have to be this way, Morgana," said Merlin, but Arthur ignored him and continued talking.
"Morgana, you're not going to die. Not over this pointless war."
"Pointless? You killed my sister!"
"And I regret it!" shouted Arthur, "I regret it if it made you feel that this was the right way!"
"What is the right way, Arthur? What do you think would be better than this war?"
"Peace, Morgana," said Arthur, "Peace-"
"Your usual spiel-"
"Just listen! Morgana, you're going to live, and there's going to be peace. You can choose Camelot or Essetir, it doesn't matter, but you're going to live in a castle with a peaceful life and we'll be friends again. Siblings. I don't care about the past, Morgana, it's in the past, and it'll stay there. Just stay alive, and stay with me-"
"You-"
"I'm sorry, Morgana, okay! I'm sorry."
Morgana looked at Arthur, looked at him clearly, anger fading from her head as she took in his tear stained cheeks and red eyes, the desperation in his gaze. She remembered the past, her wistfulness for days of old, the friendship they'd had. She thought of all of this, thought of what her war was about, what it was for- and she took Arthur's hand, tears running down her own cheeks now as her vision faded to black, and said, "Maybe in another life, Arthur, but not this one."
And, more silent than she had ever been in life, she quietly died.
