A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! I realize that I didn't update again yesterday like I planned but I took some Tylenol PM before I started writing… which caused me to get very sleepy very quickly… and when I'm that sleepy, it's almost impossible for me to write anything because my eyes droop and I fall asleep while typing… and yeah, I've actually done that before. Strangely enough, I was still typing, though, but I was seriously asleep. Or at least three-fourths asleep. It was really weird. Maybe it means that I'm definitely destined to be a writer… or a secretary? Or a platypus. Yeah, we'll go with the last one. :) Thanks again and please continue to review! XD
Reflections
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Eye of the Phoenix Part 4
Gwen has definitely found herself on my Awesome List. Other things on my Awesome List?
1. Merlin
2. Bunny slippers
3. Gwaine
4. Squirrels
5. Ramen Pizza (I'm not even remotely joking – get a frozen pizza, cook some ramen noodles, stick them on top, put it in the oven, take out of oven, and then eat… heavenly! My ex-roommate made us some and it was amazing! Ramen. Pizza. Did you write that down?)
6. Anatideaphobia
7. Mushrooms shaped like Gwaine's hair
8. Pie
9. Arthur (when he's not being a prat)
10. Kitties
11. "Tangled"
12. Pie (I love it so much it's on there twice!)
Gwen makes number 13.
Yeah, I know – my Awesome List is supremely awesome. You don't have to tell me. (But please tell me anyway, I need anything I can get to stroke my ego.)
But why is Gwen on my Awesome List? Because she knows that Morgana has magic and is an evil lying she-witch of doom! Oh yeah! And that's no joke!
Apparently she suspects something is up after Morgana is so mean to her, so she sticks around and hides behind M's dressing screen and watches as Morgana takes out her little evil voodoo magic box and lights it on fire again – more life-sucking badness, coming right up, courtesy of She Witches, Ltd.
Eye of the Phoenix's (hey, I actually wrote it right the first time this time!) new slogan: We'll suck the life right out of you – we're like vampires, 'cept without all the sparkles.
I love making random digs at Twilight. Makes my day. You know what else makes my day? Pie. And Gwaine's hair. And Merlin in general. *blissful sigh* Where was I?
Right.
Gwen knows! She spied on Morgana and saw her do evil magic of doom!
YES!
Welcome to the club, Guinevere. See, I'm so proud of you for not being a blind, ignorant idiot like your beloved that I'm calling you by your first name. When Arthur finally finds out the truth, I'll call him by his full name too. Arthur Templeton Clyde Pendragon. No joke – it's canon. Go check the Merlin website character files and the Merlin Wiki. Go on. Do it. DO IT!
…
…
…
HA! Made ya look!
Meanwhile, while Gwen's being awesome and Morgana's being a jerk-face, Arthur's life is being sucked out of him by the glowing bracelet on his arm. Yeah, I'm being totally serious here – the bracelet is actually glowing because of Morgana's evil fire voodoo magic of voo-doom (get it? voodoo plus doom equals voo-doom! Wow, I really love myself sometimes. I am awesome (and modest. Very modest.).)
So, anyway, back to Arthur. Poor guy is struggling like crazy. Of course, if he would just look down and see the magically glowing bracelet, he might actually get a clue. But probably not. He and Uther are so quick to believe that Morgana is a gift from heaven – not evil at all – that he'd probably just say something along the lines of, "Hey, look, the bracelet Morgana gave me is mysteriously and suddenly glowing with a bright, mystical fire as doom, and the glowing corresponds directly with my lack of energy and slow death … It's the sun's reflection on the stone, that's all – isn't that cool? Morgana gave me a reflective bracelet! She's so great! The only reason the sun rises in the morning is because she's in the world! I'm so lucky to have her give me pretty, suspicious artifacts that glow with the sun at the same time my life force is being sucked away!"
So Arthur stumbles around, running into trees and falling into mud holes. Poor guy.
You guys ever notice that we get WAY more Arthur whump in the show than Merlin whump? Not that I'm necessarily complaining (okay, so I am, but it's my rant, so I can complain if I so desire, can I not?), because it's better than no whump at all, but I have been sorely deprived of Merlin whump (in the show, that is, not in fanfiction. I honestly think that I might have overdosed on Merlin whump, what with writing so much of it and reading so many whumpilicious stories. Yes. I'm lookingat you, Kitty O - not that there's anything wrong with that.
Hopefully, though (and I'm almost done with my annual "I want Merlin whump" rant), that will change in the fourth season. I've recently read some things about the first two episodes. And that's all I'm going to say. But IF you want to know more, go check out Nephrehdil's new story, "Thick as Thieves" because not only does it give some awesome spoilers, but it also gives her amazing awesome speculative take on what these spoilers could mean…
Whoops, there I go again with the advertising. I swear, I don't even realize I'm doing it. At least this time I was advertising for someone else and not just me, I guess.
Back to the episode.
Merlin and Gwaine are approaching The Bridge. You know The Bridge I'm talking about, right? It's not The Bridge of Terabithia (although how cool would that be?) or The Bridge from the Emperor's New Groove (stellar movie, by the way, if you haven't seen it – SEE IT! NOOOW!). But it's The Bridge that Flitwick's guarding, remember?
Ooh, maybe Merlin will teach Flitwick some amazing charms of awesomeness, and then Flitwick will go back to the future to Hogwarts and impress Dumbledore with his amazing, Old Religion-esque charms and then get the job as Charms Professor and THAT'S how it happens! (I'm still not sure how a frog choir comes into play, though. Silly third movie director.)
Anyway, Gwaine makes some hand signals – apparently someone has been in Hand Signals to Confuse Poor Merlin 101 with Arthur.
Because believe it or not, I'm pretty sure I deciphered the hand signals right, and what Merlin did was NOT what Gwaine said. Here's what the signals meant: "I'm going to go scout ahead, you stay here and hide."
Either that or, "I'm going to go to bed, you go grab me a nightlight."
Whatever it is that G-Man the Epic says, be it, stay here or get me a nightlight, Merlin doesn't do. Instead he goes on to the bridge anyway.
And meets Flitwick! Yay!
FLITWICK: Who're you?
MERLIN: I'm Merlin.
FLITWICK: *in shock* Merlin's beard! You're the Merlin?
MERLIN: I do not have a beard!
FLITWICK: *sighs* Neither do I. I used to, long ago in Harry's first two years of Hogwarts. And then suddenly my white long hair turned short and brown and my beard disappeared and I was teaching toads how to harmonize instead of first years how to levitate their annoying older siblings.
MERLIN: *eye twitches* Uh…
FLITWICK: But you're the Merlin! So you can teach me some charms, right? Please? Pretty, pretty please? Pretty pretty pretty please with a chocolate frog on top?
MERLIN: Can I keep the collector's card?
FLITWICK: Deal.
MERLIN: Okay! *grabs and eats chocolate frog and pockets "Albus Dumbledore" card* Alright, take out your wand, swish and flick, and say "Wingardium leviosa!"
FLITWICK: Er… I already know that one, actually.
MERLIN: SWISH AND FLICK, MAN, SWISH AND FLICK!
FLITWICK: Yes, sir, swishing and flicking, sir.
MERLIN: You are doing well, young grasshopper.
FLITWICK: Is that a short joke?
Stats:
Burn Meter 5000:
Part 4: Arthur 0, Merlin 0
This Episode so Far: Arthur 2, Merlin 1
Total: Arthur 38, Merlin 40
Shirtless Arthur Scenes:
Part 4: 0
This Episode so Far: 1
Total: 5
Smirk-O-Meter
Part 4: 1
This Episode so far: 6
Total: 59
A/N: And with that, I'm going to have to leave you all for tonight. It's almost midnight where I'm at and I have to get *some* sleep. :) I know I didn't cover a lot, but it's better than nothing, right? I probably won't have time to update this tomorrow or Sunday because it's Easter weekend and I'm hanging out with my bestie tomorrow night… but I'll try to have part 5 up Monday! There should be somewhere between 6 and 8 parts to this particular episode. Alrighty, review and then go sing karaoke with a blast ended screwt… or a Hufflepuff… but I wouldn't recommend the last one. Hufflepuffs are, well… what the heck is a Hufflepuff, anyway? XD Anyone get that reference? If you did, you deserve a cookie. … Too bad I don't have one to give. Whoops! :) Please review! XD
~Emachinescat ^..^