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Chapter 18: The Final Battle

"I can defeat you," Merlin said quietly, "Because I am Emrys."

Morgana's eyes widened at the name.

"No." She whispered fearfully. "You can't be. Emrys is an old man."

"A simple aging spell." Merlin told her calmly. "Didn't you ever wonder why Alator** turned against you when he saw me?"

Morgana's eyes widened even more as she remembered how Alator had blasted her off her feet after bending down to study Merlin.

"No." She whispered. Then, louder, "No! This is a mistake! You can't be Emrys!"

Merlin just gave her a small, sad smile. Even after all she had done to him, he didn't want to see her dead. Gone not to return yes, but not dead.

"Think about it, Morgana." Merlin's voice was calm and low, no hint of fear anywhere. "I'm to be your doom, but if you leave here and never return you won't have to die."

Morgana glared across at Merlin and knew from teh way he was looking at her that everything he said was true. She knew that Emrys-that Merlin-was destined to kill her. But destiny could be changed, that much she was sure of.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, hate pouring from her.

"I wanted to Morgana," Merlin said and sadness filled his eyes. "The only one I wanted to tell more was Arthur."

"Why didn't you then?" Morgana repeated, and this time there was a hint of sadness in her voice as well.

"I don't know." Merlin replied honestly, his head lowering in shame. "I wish I had. Then maybe things would be different."

"It's to late for that now." Morgana snapped, her anger growing anew.

Merlin had known how alone she had felt when she first discovered she had magic. He had known she had magic, and yet he had kept his own a secret from her. Yes, he had led her to the druids, but that had just ended in their deaths and her going back to being the adoring ward of Uther.

He had left her alone. He had left her to fend for herself, to be terrified of being discovered alone. It was his fault everyone regarded her as evil. If he had just told her he had magic, if he had just helped her, then she wouldn't have been so eager to go with Morgause. If he had just told her, everyone would be different.

But he hadn't, and now he would pay.

"I know." Merlin's voice was barely a whisper.

He looked up and met her eyes. In that moment he knew there was no going back. One of them was going to die, and he knew it wasn't going to be him. He took a deep breath and straightened up, holding his head up high. In his eyes, the crowd could see the sadness and regret.

Arthur stood behind Merlin, the blue shield still around him. He watched and listened, not entirely sure what was going on. His-as well as everyone in the area-breath was in his throat as he waited for the battle that was sure to start. He didn't have long to wait.

"ácwele hine!" Morgana shouted.

Her hand shot up, a ball of silver light shooting out and headed toward Merlin. Merlin calmly raised his own hand and his eyes flashed gold. The silver light faded away, as if it had never been there. A gasp came from the onlookers. Morgana's eyes widened at the power a mere servant held.

"ábréoðe!" She shouted, then quickly threw another spell. "ádíede!"

Two seperate balls of light shot toward Merlin, who raised his hand and shouted "áblgan!" A bright blue light shot from Merlin's hand, forming a shield in front of him. Morgana's spells hit the shield, bounced off it and flew back toward her. Her eyes flashed gold and the spells vanished into sparks.

Merlin looked up sadly at Morgana, and raised both his hands.

"ábradwe híehræding." Merlin said quietly, sorrow in his voice.

He brought both hands up and pushed them out toward Morgana, who's eyes had gone wide in fear. Gold light began to form in Merlin's hands and as he pushed them palms out, the light started to fly across the room, heading straight for Morgana.

"Bordrand!" she shouted, panic in her voice.

Blue light, similar to the one that still surrounded the people of Camelot, formed in front of her, creating a shield. The gold light hit it, causing sparks to fly. For what felt like hours but was really just seconds the sparks flew, before fading away revealing a shocked Morgana. Merlin lowered his hands, his face blank.

"Looks like you aren't so powerful after all, are you Emrys?" Morgana spat the name and threw her hand up, yelling, "Forbærne! Ácwele!"

A fire ball appeared in front of her hand and she pushed her hand forward, sending the fire flying across the room toward Merlin. Merlin saw it coming and at the last minute threw his hand out, palm facing him. The whole room gasped as the fire appeared to simply melt into the back of his hand. Merlin couldn't help but grin slightly, remembering the first time he had seen Nimueh do what he had just done.

"No." Morgana gasped. "Only the holder of life and death can do that."

"Really?" Merlin asked, genuinly surprised. "I always thought it was just cause I practiced it so much."

"It was you who killed Nimueh." Morgana breathed. "Morgause told me she was murdered, but she never said who did it."

"It was self defense." Merlin replied sadly. "She tried to kill my mother and then Gaius when it was my life I offered."

"When was this?" Morgana asked, sudden fear in her voice. She knew how powerful Nimueh had been, Morgause had told her all about the ex-High Priestess.

"Back when Arthur was bit by the Questing Beast." Merlin replied.

Arthur's head snapped up at that. He hadn't known Nimueh was dead and he certainly hadn't known that it was Merlin who killed her. He remembered how powerful Nimueh had been and he could only guess at how powerful that made Merlin. Holder of life and death? What was all that about? Arthur wasn't sure, but his manservant was going to have a lot of explaining to do if...when...he got out of this.

Morgana saw Merlin hang his head down, shamed at all the killing he had done since coming to Camelot. She knew she had no chance of winning this duel if she played fair, but if she sent a curse at him when he wasn't looking then she could change destiny.

"Forlor!" she shouted, her eyes glowing a bright gold.

She thrust her hands out, forcing the magic out from her and toward Merlin. Merlin heard her yell the spell and threw his hands out, not even bothering to recite a spell. His eyes changed to gold and another blue shield appeared in front of him. Morgana's spell hit it, rebounding off and hitting a window to the right of them. The window shattered, raining glass down on the people underneath it, who screamed and ran as the glass cut through their skin.

Merlin knew this had to end before someone got seriously hurt. He rose his hand slowly and locked eyes with Morgana. She could see the sorrow in his eyes and she knew she was about to die.

"Milde ábradwe híe." He chanted.

A bright golden light filled the room, starting at Merlin's outstreched arm. He pushed his hand forward gently, sending the light flying toward Morgana.

"Bordrand!" she shouted, and the blue shield was back.

The golden light collided with the blue shield, but instead of creating sparks, the gold light went straight through the shield. Morgana's eyes widened in fright and she backed up, trying to escape the golden light. But it was no use. The light reached her and surrounded her, forming to her body and sinking in.

"Emrys." she whispered, her eyes locking with Merlin's.

He nodded slowly and she could see the sorrow in his eyes, even as they glowed gold with magic. Then her eyes closed and she fell to the floor, dead.

**I'm not sure if I spelled his name right, but I'm talking about Alator of the Catha, the one who kidnapped and tortured Gaius to get information about Emrys out of him.

Spell Translations

ácwele hine-Kill him.

ábréoðe-Destroy

ádíede-To put to death; to destroy;mortify; kill

áblgan-Deflect; turn away

ábradwe híehræding- Kill her quickly

Bordrand-Shield

Forbærne! Ácwele!- Burn up! Destroy!

Forlor- To destroy

Milde ábradwe híe- Mercifully kill her