Once back they settled Merlin into bed where he slept almost solidly for five days. When he did wake up Arthur asked him what he had done in the plane. Merlin admitted he had used his magic to help keep it in the air.

"You bloody fool, what did you think you were doing?"

"Saving people's lives, we would have gone down in the sea otherwise" Merlin answered wearily.

"You nearly killed yourself." Arthur retorted.

"Well I would have died anyway if we had landed in the sea." having no answer to that Arthur said no more.

It wasn't for about a month before Merlin was back to his anything like his normal. But he didn't mind he had saved not only Arthur but all on board the plane.

The accident investigation team discovered that the plane's engines and landing gear had been sabotaged to fail over the sea. Again Mordred was thought to be involved, but there was no proof. It was presumed by the investigators that the targets were Arthur and his team. Arthur once more worried that Merlin was the main target. Although as the wizard pointed out he hadn't been the target when the attempt was made on Arthur or when Gwaine had been shot. Both Agravaine and Mordred had disappeared without trace. Despite several investigations and searches they could not be traced.

The pilot was praised for getting the plane back and saving the lives on board. Even though he maintained he had no idea how the plane got back. For the rest of his life he put it down to divine intervention, knowing full well it as nothing he had done. Although there had been several minor injuries, everyone felt very lucky to have survived the ordeal.

From that point forward, despite the environmental concerns, from that time forward the S.T.E.C. team flew small private planes if they travel to reduce the risk to others. But it was rare for them to travel by air, using computer conferencing as much as they could. This was now easier as they were well known throughout the world.

The pace of change was moving faster and faster, they had exceeded all their expectations and Arthur felt he could now slow down a bit. He had recently met a young lady and had fallen in love. Merlin liked her very much and thought it nice that he could share his life with someone. Although she wasn't a member of the reincarnated group he name was Guinevere. To spare confusion with Gwen, Arthur and the others always called her by her full name.

As the tide was changing, for the first time in decades the pollution and effects on the ozone layer slowed. It was recognised that what Arthur had achieved was truly historic, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for services to humanity. He accepted it but insisted that without all the people who helped him and had faith, in what he was trying to achieve, he couldn't have done it. There was still some way to go but the balance was being restored to the planet. Some of the damage couldn't be reversed but at least the pace of change had slowed significantly.

This was bought a step forward as the newly developed electric vehicles came onto the market. The countries power was now generated by a couple of power stations but all the smaller systems made the use of this form of transport safe and emission free as well as practical. Arthur went on to campaign for an internationally funded disaster organisation that would be ready at a moment's notice to attend any natural disaster worldwide. Unlike the present system he advocated that stores should be ready for insistent issue including habitation, food and water and medication. To be funded by all nations dependant on ability, and staffed by people drawn from all nations. And that a percentage from each countries present Forces budgets, be used in a move away from the present system, where he and other like minded people, felt it was time to move away from Armies to fight wars to Armies to protect the world's most needy. Controversially raising the question that each country has the right to run its affairs in a manner that meets its citizen's needs, and not to meet other counties expectations of what should happen. Even the ideal of world peace was becoming nearer to reality.

Arthur had already purchased the land in Somerset that surrounded the old site of Camelot, and had decided to move there and build a house and stables. Merlin talked him into giving the stash of gold still hidden there to the British Museum. They couldn't just 'find' it. So Merlin used his magic to move it so it rested against a piece of the foundation of the castle still present underground. Arthur built his house, and when building the stable block, 'discovered' the horde. An archaeological dig was commissioned and the world was amazed at the find. Arthur asked that the horde be dedicated to King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table and the Wizard Merlin. This was agreed. He was allowed to keep one piece and chose a silver goblet; it had a dent in the side. Arthur remembered putting the dent in it, centuries before when throwing it at his 'idiot of a manservant'. The goblet became his most cherished possession.

After Merlin used his Magic to rebury the treasure he started to get more and more tired. Arthur became worried about him, but Gaius could find nothing to explain it. Finally with his condition getting more serious and he was so tired he was staying indoors, either in bed or lying on the sofa in Arthurs lounge. Arthur suggested to Gaius that they sort help from a conventional doctor and took the risk on them discovering his special powers. Gaius reluctantly agreed, but when they asked Merlin admitted his magic was fading and nothing could be done. He said he had known since the plane crash that his long life was coming to an end.

Arthur and the others in the reincarnated group were distressed at the change in Merlin. It was Morgana, who had become very close to Merlin, who confirmed what Merlin had said by saying she was also losing her sense of his magic, something she had always felt was fading away. He was dying, without magic he could not live, he was magic.

There were many tears but Merlin was happy. He would not live to see any of his friends die for the second time. He felt he had lived to long and seen too much. Morgana's dreams stopped and without Merlin, magic would fade from the world, leaving only the dragons to remember a time when magic was present everywhere.

It was three months later when Arthur and Gwaine were spending some time at their friend s bedside, when Merlin collapsed and they realised his time had come. Merlin was even paler than normal and had sheen of sweat over his forehead. At Arthur's request Gwen phoned their friends asking them to come to the house. Arthur reached across to Merlin and went to pick him up into his arms.

"No leave me" the Warlock whispered.

Gwaine sat forward at the other side of the bed. "We need to look at you mate, get you sorted "

"There's no sorting to be done Gwaine, this is it" a quiet voice replied.

"NO! I won't allow it, you're immortal you can't die" Arthurs voice broke, he realised that there was nothing they could do.

"At last my time has come; I have lived far too long." Merlin paused for breath. "The balance has been restored; I am no longer needed, from now on you will succeed without Me." he led back into his pillows. Gaius was called, but he agreed with Merlin there was nothing to be done.

The others quickly arrived and spoke to Merlin, but as Merlin became more drowsy sobs could be heard all around, none of the group were afraid to be seen crying for their friend.

Opening his eyes he looked at the two men by his side: "My strength and courage, finish what you've started, Once I have drawn by last breathe, I have a request for you both." his voice was very quiet but strangely calm.

"Anything" two voices said in unison.

"Stay friends always please all of you, take my body, on horseback, not in one of the polluting things you all use now, and place it in the Great Dragons cave in the spot the gold once lie, leave my spell book and the bottle Aithusa's tears were kept in next to my body. And put the neckerchief mother made around my neck." Merlin then looked up at Morgana who was stood with the others.

"Morgana please, use the last of you magic to seal the spot so it is never found. Once I die, magic will fade from the land forever."

"I will" was the simple reply from his friend and old adversary.

"Once I am set to rest, the magic will settle deep in the core of the earth and no longer available for man to use. Only the dragons in China will remain and they will be hidden from mans view forever more."

"Don't mourn me, I never wanted to outlive any of you, I go now, happy to have been your friend once more."

Merlin looked round at all his friends, and then holding the hands of his two greatest friends he spoke to them for the last time "I love you all, please look after each other."

Then the large eyes seemed to be drawn to something at the foot of the bed, a smile spread across his face, as the others looked to see what their friend was smiling at, they could just make out the ghostly form of a familiar young lady, Merlin whispered "Freya you've come for me". With that he closed his eyes for the last time. Then oldest man ever to have live ever been was no more.

"I'll love you always dear brother." Arthur whispered.

"He always said they would find each other." Gaius tearful voice could just be heard over the sobs of the friends.

Miles away in China Aithusa felt her friend and the last dragonlord die; she roared into the air in grief and was comforted by her family. From that time forth one female in each generation of her line, was born with the stockier build of their ancestor and had wings. She would past down tales of a young man called:

MERLIN

EPILOGUE

Merlin's body was watched overnight by Arthur and Gwaine, who never left his side; they prepared him for his last journey. Dressing him in the set of clothes he had kept from his Camelot days. Lastly the put a neckerchief his mother had made him around his neck as he requested.

In the morning they wrapped him in a cloth of Camelot red, before taking the body by horse to his final resting place. Arthur and Gwaine took in turns to hold his body allowing no one else to help them. When they camped overnight the knights took in turns to watch over the body.

When they arrived at the cave Merlin was placed as he requested, leaving him laying on Camelot red, his old bag by his side complete with his spell book and the bottle containing the remainder of Aithusa's tears. Gaius placed a wild strawberry in Merlin's now still hands. Arthur looked once more at the face of the man that had meant so much to him before saying:

"This as the bravest most loyal man that ever lived, and we will remember our brother always." He kissed the coin now round his neck and turned and went to leave the cave. The others paid their last respects and as they did a blue light, just the same as has helped Arthur century's before, rose from the body and then disappeared into the rocks below. There was a flash of light and Merlin's body turned to stone. Looking like one of the stone effigies on the tombs of great kings. A fitting end to what had been an amazing life.

They all turned and left. As the last person left the cave Morgana said one last spell and the cave was sealed and hidden forever. As she said the spell she felt the last ruminants' of magic leave her body. They all grieved for their friend, but knowing he had got his dearest wish, not to watch them all die before him, gave them some comfort. Arthur and Gwaine spent many hours talking about the role he had played in their lives. It seemed cruel to them that he had lived for so long, but had spent but a fraction of that time with them.

The pair travelled to the Guangxi region of China, now a protected region, to see if they could find Aithusa and her family so they could tell her the news. Gaius had told them she would know when the last Dragonlord had died, but they felt they should try. Despite their best efforts they didn't see any sign of her. They were pleased to have made the trip however, it made them realise why Merlin had spent so much of his life there, and why he called it home for so long, It was the most beautiful landscape and untouched by mankind.

When Arthur got back to England he lived in his new home and called it New Camelot. He has two sons with his wife Guinevere and his family enjoyed their simple life. Arthur wrote a book of his memories from both life times; he included all that Merlin had told him of his long life alone. Arthur would never forgot his friend, and went at least once a week and stood at the hidden cave entrance and spoke the brother that had played such an important part in both of his lives. His memoirs were to be passed down from one generation to the next and never leave the family.

Gwaine was the first of the others to move to Somerset. He bought an old house near Glastonbury Tor. He had kept the de Vinci book since Merlin's death, and decided to let the British museum have it as well. He claimed to have discovered it in the attic in a sealed box. It was carbon dated due to the condition, as no one believed it was original. The Italians wanted it back saying to be their property but an inscription in the front of the book clearly in Leonardo's writing said:

To my English friend, Merlin Emrys, for his enjoyment. Leonardo De Vinci

So it was kept in London and was called 'The Emrys Collection of De Vinci's works.'

Gradually all the group moved to the area. Morgana was the last one to do so. She moved after her marriage to Cenred, who did not appear to be the reincarnation from Arthurian times but a coincidence. The reincarnated group continued to restore and maintain the worlds balance leaving it safe for generations to follow. Until one by one they died. Gaius, not surprisingly was the first, dying three years after Merlin. Each of the group choose to have their ashes scattered on the patch of ground, where the entrance to the cave was hidden. If anyone could have seen inside, they would have observed as each one died and their remains scattered a crypt in stone with their effigy formed . Until when the last one died the round table was together once more, forever. When Arthur passed on Excalibur appeared and led on the chest of the king. Merlin's coin what he had worn so many years disappeared when Arthur died and was never seen again, but deep underground on the stone effigy of Merlin, a stone replica appeared around Merlin's neck.

THE END