A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are killing me with your awesomeness (but don't stop, Death by Awesomosity has got to be the best way to die!). I plan on updating this again tomorrow and then again either Saturday or Sunday so I'll have the episode finished this week. ;) Please continue to review! XD

Reflections

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Eye of the Phoenix Part 6

If there's one thing I know about Arthur Pendragon, it's that he is a trooper. Boy howdy, is he a trooper! I mean, the guy is having the life sucked out of him by a (glowing) magic bracelet, he's falling in mud holes and barely has the strength to move, but does he give up? No. Does he whine about how hard his life is? No. Does he realize the bracelet is glowing and decide something's not right and decide to chuck it then and there? Unfortunately… no.

Still, though, he's one tough cookie. He manages to pull himself out of the mud hole, staggers along even as his life force is being drained from him, and keeps moving through the Perilous Lands (which are, if you remember, quite perilous indeed – I know, who'd'a thunk it, right?) even though all the odds are against him.

Arthur is pretty awesome and the epic music playing the whole time really made the scene all the more powerful as us viewers get to witness his intense determination to prove himself (even though he already HAS!)… and like I said, the music is great! Hm. I wonder if Arthur knows that there's a whole orchestra following him around, playing dramatic music. I paused the episode and tried to find them in the background, but they're pretty sneaky. The tuba player's behind a tree, though. And the nose-flute guy is a great bearded midget that's crouching behind a rock. But the rest of the orchestra – nada. I bet that's why Arthur's made it so far – he's being constantly encouraged by the music following him!

But things are not going to be this easy (yeah, I know what you're thinking because I'm thinking it too – you call stumbling around with the life sucked out of you in the middle of a bog infested land EASY?)… because there are…

Pheasants!

Actually, if they really ARE pheasants, I'll eat my hat (which doesn't taste like cheese or chocolate so I wouldn't enjoy that very much – my hat is bean-flavored)! Apparently Gwaine wasn't actually talking about little birds OR me (sorry for getting so irritated at you, Gwainey-poo! I'll buy you a zebra named Clyde to make up for it, 'kay?)… but these giant, reptilian, wing-ed creatures (because doesn't putting emphasis on the ed in winged (wing-ed) make it sound so much cooler?) that are flying around guarding the Fisher King's palace. Funnily enough, this tower kind of reminds me of a haunted sky scraper. *enter Twilight Zone theme* I dunno… maybe it's just me.

Anyway, Arthur doesn't look too thrilled at the prospect of fighting these li'l dragon like beasties, especially in his current state. Let's hope that Strength and Magic get their rescue on, like, soon!

Oh, hey, look – here come Strength and Magic, getting their rescue on. How convenient.

They see those not-pheasants, which, when Merlin tries to figure out what they are, Gwaine says are "not birds" – real helpful, Gwaine.

ARTHUR: Gwaine, where's your sword? There are monsters coming and we need to fight them!
GWAINE: It's not here.
ARTHUR: I know that; where is it?
GWAINE: It's not at home, either.
ARTHUR: We don't have time for twenty questions right now! We're about to be slaughtered!
GWAINE: By monsters that are not humans.
ARTHUR: I know that, Gwaine!
GWAINE: *thoughtfully* They're not birds, either, I don't believe.

Wow… Gwaine's so specific. It's like calling someone for help and then when they ask where you are saying, "In the world" or "Not on mars."

Anyway, Gwaine and Merlin realize that the not-birds are hunting something. Hmm… I wonder what they could be hunting? Could it be a kangaroo? Nah. Popcorn balls? Doubt it. A pink dragon named Bubbles? No, wait, that's Gwaine's job (and you ROCK if you know what I'm talking about… just sayin'). Maybe they're hunting for not-bird food. I've heard that a lot of things that aren't birds like to eat that.

But no… it's ARTHUR! Oh no! Arthur's going to be scooped up, chewed, digested, and then… well… we won't go into the whole other end of the story. Get it? "Other end"? Haha… I think I'm hilarous.

Gwaine and Merlin hurry to the rescue, and this time, Gwaine tells Merlin that these little dudes are called Wyverns. They're distant cousins of the dragon. Okay, that's a little better, Gwaine. Good, straight answer. Here's what we know about Wyverns now: they fly, they hunt Arthurs, they like to make scary screeching pheasant-y noises, they're distant cousins of the dragons, creatures of magic, and they are not – I repeat are NOT – birds. Are we clear on the last one? This is very important, you see.

Arthur, meanwhile, manages to get one good swipe on one of these Wyverns (if you want to know how to pronounce it, just think about what Aunt Petunia might say to Uncle Vernon if he suddenly decided that magic was cool and he wanted to be a wizard: "Why, Vern?") and staggers into the city of the Fisher king, shutting the gate behind him – but the Why Verns can still get to him if they fly over the wall to the citadel ghost-town… and since they're NOT birds (which can be a bit stupid; we have a cardinal at our house that flies into our window over and over and over again… even after it's done it many times in the span of five minutes), they'll probably figure this out soon. PLUS Arthur's bracelet is glowing again! This can't be good – something tells me Team Super-Cool is going to need to step in soon.

(Team Super-Cool is the name I have decided to give to the Merlin-Gwaine hero team of doom. I'm going to visit Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps and tell them to make it canon. Also, I'm going to demand they give us a juicy magic reveal in season 4… and pie… Because I'm out.)

Yeah, I was right – the Why Verns have figured it out – and start flaysing (flying and chasing combined, I just made it up!) Arthur through the abandoned city toward the tower, trying to make him lunch.

WYVERN: Alright, Arthur, I'm putting ham and tomato and cheese on your sandwich. I'm packing you a thermos full of milk and some freshly baked cookies shaped like pheasants. You'll get hungry out there training those knights, won't you!
ARTHUR: Aw, thanks, Vern, for making me lunch! You're the greatest!
GWAINE: Greatest isn't bad. Also, Vern's not a bird.

Oh, wait, the Why Verns aren't making lunch for Arthur, are they? They're making him into lunch! My bad.

WYVERN: Alright, Arthur, I'm putting you in this soup pot with some beans and lettuce and tomatoes and pickled eggs. I'm going to put an apple in your mouth and use your spleen to make spleen cookies shaped like pheasants. I get hungry out here chasing you, don't I?
ARTHUR: No, Vern, you don't have to do this – I liked it better when you were making me a sammich! Ham and tomato and cheese, remember? Or even PB&J! I'll take that…
GWAINE: Dogs aren't birds either. Neither are fish. But koalas are birds.
WYVERN: *eats Arthur*
MERLIN: Gwaine! What happened? Where's Arthur?
GWAINE: Arthur's not here.
MERLIN: But where is he?
GWAINE: He isn't bird food, that's for sure.

There we go – that's what I meant. Hopefully that won't happen to Artie, though. We need him alive if he's going to be the Once and Future King…

Anyway, Gwaine and Merlin split up. Arthur is chased to a room and the Why Verns go to eat him… but Merlin shows up and using his awesome dragon lord powers of doom, he tells them off:

"WHAT are you doing? Get out of here! Seriously, did you even wipe your feet? Were you raised in a barn? Don't talk back to me, Vernie, you think you can just tromp around the place, eating people whenever you want? You ought to be ashamed of yourselves!"

The translation of Merlin's dragon-talk goes to my little sister. She thought it up as she was watching this scene and I laughed so hard I turned into a newt.

…

I got better!

And yes, that was a Monty Python reference…

Merlin takes the bracelet off of Arthur and the prince wakes up… the first thing he sees is Merlin's adorable smile! Seriously, if I opened my eyes to that, I'd die from the cuteness of it all. I love his smile… the way it just lights up his whole face, his head cocks slightly to the side, his eyebrows raised, his eyes shining, and the way his eyes crinkle up… *sighs*

I love Merlin.

But Arthur's reaction?

ARTHUR: What the hell are you doing here?
MERLIN: Why can you never just say thanks? (Point. Merlin. Booyah.)
ARTHUR: Thanks? For what, for completely ruining the quest? (Arthur needs to take a chill pill. Seriously. Merlin just saved his backside. Again. Does he deserve a point for that? No. Because that wasn't a "burn" … that was just him being a jerk. There's a difference. Right? Right. All who oppose will be eaten by Vern. That is all.)
MERLIN: Well, it's a good job I was here; otherwise you'd be Wyvern fodder by now! (Point Merlin!)
ARTHUR: How many times do I have to get it through your thick skull? I'm supposed to be doing this alone. (Fine. Arthur gets a burn point. But I don't have to like it. *scoffs* Jerk.)

Have I mentioned that Arthur's being a jerk? Because he is.

And then the Why Vern comes back and before it can start chomping, it's impaled by a sword – Gwaine's sword! Gwaine's here! Hi, Gwaine!

Of course, Arthur isn't too pleased with this. Then again, when is he pleased with anything?

He says, "Great. This just gets better and better. Are Gwen and Morgana here, too? Are we having a surprise party?" Point Arthur.

Wow…way to thank the people who saved your life there, Arthur.

And then he stalks off while Gwaine rolls his eyes. Merlin grins cheekily and says, "Do you want us to help? Or do you want to do this alone?"

Point. Merlin.

Have I mentioned that I love this guy?

Because I do. I really, really do.

I also love cupcakes and monkeys and the letter M.

GWAINE: cupcakes and monkeys and Ms are reptiles, not birds.

*facepalm*

Thanks, Gwaine.

Stats:

Burn Meter 5000:
Part 6: Arthur 2, Merlin 3
This Episode so Far: Arthur 4, Merlin 4
Total: Arthur 40, Merlin 42

Shirtless Arthur Scenes:
Part 6: 0
This Episode so Far: 1
Total: 5

Smirk-O-Meter
Part 6: 0
This Episode so far: 6
Total: 59

A/N: Please review and then you can go play hopscotch with a hobo, climb Mountain Dew, or sing Emily Dickenson poems to the tune of Gilligan's Island (every single one of her poems fits the tune. Seriously... it's crazy! Try it!)... but review first, kay?

See you tomorrow... I hope... :)

~Emachinescat ^..^