*Sorry for the re-post, but it was brought to my attention that the last one was too similar to something Ultra Geek wrote, so I deleted it. Sorry again!*
Will gets one episode and is never mentioned again. Poor guy. So I give him a chapter! This one's for you, Will!
Thanks to SerpentWinged, the electric phantom, sarajm, FireChildSlytherin5 and EnchantedWorlds for reviews and favourites!
SerpentWinged - I like your idea! I haven't written it yet, because all the Will fics below are arranged in a sort of timeline, but I will write it and it will appear in a future chapter! Will had such an easy rapport with Merlin I can easily see the Knights getting jealous. Thanks for contributing! (Also, love your icon. May the odds be ever in your favour.)
the electric phantom - LOTR is my favourite ever fandom. I do love parodies, especially crossover ones. You have set off ideas! XD
sarajm - Glad it's not just me who finds that funny! In the show, he's practically a superhero anyway. All he needed was the outfit. And for the 'lazy dai-' one, I had just been wondering how Merlin's job is gonna change now Arthur's with Gwen. Probably no more morning wake-up calls, at least. And wait no longer, for here it is!
FireChildSlytherin5 - Thanks, glad you're enjoying these! (I'm more of a Hufflepuff/Gryffindor myself ;P)
Also, this chapter is why I rated the collection 'T.' (Use of a sweary word.) On we go!
"Whatcha cryin' for?"
The auburn-haired youth crept forward, towards the shaking form of his dark-haired peer. Ealdor was only a small village, so all the kids knew each other. Therefore, Will knew that the crying child's name was Merlin. Said boy then raised his eyes to those of the other, sniffed a bit, then replied.
"The others won't let me join in," he said in a small voice, "They think I'm weird."
Will scowled. Young as he was, he had strong opinions and no qualms about sharing them. He also had a sharp tongue, which won him a lot of arguments, but few friends.
"So, who cares?"
"Huh?"
"If they think you're weird, who cares? Just ignore them."
Merlin seemed to droop at this.
"But I hate being on my own."
Will scowled again. Shuffling his feet awkwardly, he sidled closer.
"Well…I'm gonna explore the caves…You could come with…"
Merlin beamed.
"Really?"
Will turned his back to hide his embarrassment. He too hated being alone, and was excited that he had someone to come with him. After all, adventures were always more fun with a friend.
"Yeah, whatever. Keep up, okay?"
Will shot off towards the caves, a happy Merlin trailing after him.
A nine-year-old Merlin hesitated at the edge of a forest clearing. From the cover of the trees he could hear Will's sobbing and his heart ached with the need to comfort his near-constant companion. When his mother had told him the news, he ran instinctively to this glade, knowing his friend would seek it out. Will had discovered it long ago, and by showing it to Merlin, he had cemented their friendship; declaring the glade to be their secret hideout.
The warlock apprehensively approached, touching his grieving friend on the shoulder. Will – who had not heard his advance over the sound of his own crying – spun round, furiously wiping away his tears to glare ferociously.
"What do you want?" the boy snarled, voice still thick from weeping.
Merlin recoiled from Will's harsh tone before bravely stepping closer. His voice was small and sad.
"I…I heard about your father, Will. I'm really sorry."
The auburn-haired boy's face crumpled, his loss shining through for a moment, before he covered it up with a fierce scowl.
"What do you care?"
"…If you ever wanna talk about it, I'm here," Merlin offered, feeling inept. He hated the suffering of others, and wished he could do more to help.
Will staggered to his feet, stumbling angrily out of his friend's reach. He didn't want soft words and gentle touches, he wanted to lash out. He wanted to scream and kick and make others hurt. He wanted revenge against the world that had ripped away his father, and he wanted to start with stupid, pathetic Merlin.
"What would you know? You don't know anything! You don't know me! You didn't even have a father!"
Will screamed all this out. Eyes screwed shut, face red, fists clenched by his sides, almost bent double under the force of this venomous outpouring of emotion. He couldn't stand this; couldn't stand Merlin.
"You make me sick! You have no idea what it's like!"
His mind cast frantically about from more sharp words, more verbal weapons to use against this person who couldn't understand and wouldn't go away. He remembered a word he'd heard used against Merlin. One he'd previously defended his friend from; because he knew it hurt him more than any other name they'd call him.
"You…you bastard!"
He said it. Merlin didn't have a father, and it hurt him to be reminded of it. Will put all his hatred into that word. He wanted Merlin to hate him like he hated the world. Merlin never had a father and Will would never see his father again.
He heard Merlin's sharp intake of breath at the insult. And as he realised the full impact of what he had said, he felt scared. His friend – his best friend – would hate him. He would go, and never come back. Just like his father. He heard the crunch of leaves underfoot: a sure sign of his friend leaving him forever. Therefore, he was surprised to find himself pulled into an embrace. Will's eyes snapped open and his body relaxed as Merlin spoke in a firm voice.
"You're right. I don't know what it is to lose a father. But I'm not leaving you here alone and you can't make me."
Will's eyes widened in shock, before squeezing shut. His hands fisted in Merlin's tunic as he drew his friend close. Burying his face in his shoulder, he began sobbing loudly. The two companions remained like this for some time as Will grieved the loss of his father, no longer alone.
"What was that?"
"It was nothing."
"That wood was floating towards you!"
"No it wasn't."
"Your eyes were flashing gold!"
"No they weren't."
"Yes they were. I saw them!"
"You're seeing things, Will. I'm worried about you."
"Look, I know what I saw. Can you…do magic?"
"…No."
"Then how do you explain the flying wood?"
"…Um…Birds?"
"…Birds."
"Yup. The birds flew over with the wood, and you startled them. They dropped it, making it look like I was using magic to float the logs. But I actually wasn't."
"And why exactly were the birds after the firewood?"
"…They're building nests."
"…With logs?"
"Well…there's been a lot of bad weather recently…so they need to build sturdier nests. Or else the rain'll just sweep them away."
"So, Merlin, you're telling me that birds are stealing firewood…"
"Yup."
"For their nests…"
"Uh-huh."
"In the middle of winter?"
"…Sturdy nests take longer to build…"
"Then what about your eyes?"
"Sunlight caught them. Made them look like they were gold."
"But it's night!"
"…"
"You're a terrible liar for someone with such a big secret."
"…I think I hear Mother calling me. See you later Will!"
"Hey, get back here! You're not getting out of this that easily, Merlin!"
"So, you're really leaving then?"
Merlin looked up from his packing to see Will standing in the doorway, as if to block his exit.
"You're seriously going to Camelot? That's not even in the same Kingdom as Ealdor!"
Merlin turned to face his friend, not happy about the move himself, but seeing the wisdom in it.
"Will…I have to go."
Will scowled.
"No you don't. You're just listening to your mother. You've been fine here all your life, why leave now?"
Merlin tried to put his hand on Will's shoulder, but it was shrugged off.
"Will…if there's even the slightest chance I could learn about why I'm like this, I have to go. Mother says Gaius knows a lot about magic, he even uses it himself."
"So? I still don't see why that's a good enough reason to leave."
Merlin sighed, looking down. His voice was soft, as if he was speaking to himself.
"I just don't want to be alone anymore."
Will recoiled, and Merlin felt like kicking himself.
"What about me?"
"I didn't mean it in that way. But you can't understand. No one here can. I have to find someone who does. I have to find somewhere I belong."
Will looked at him coldly, hurt. Merlin felt himself tear in two. He wanted to understand his powers. His purpose. But he didn't want to leave behind all he'd ever known.
"I don't want to feel like a monster anymore."
The warlock's only friend felt his anger melt away at Merlin's obvious distress. He put his hands on his companion's shoulders.
"Oh, alright. Go on, then. Go find your purpose. Who knows, maybe you'll find some great destiny out there. Though if you do, promise you'll come back to visit us poor country folk."
The two friends embraced. And if tears were shed, neither of them hid it very well.
I'll probably write more Will in the future, I just really like the guy. Plus I'd really love to explore just why Old Man Simmons disliked Merlin. I sense great comedic potential.
I've gotta ask though, did anyone else really dislike what Arthur said to Merlin at Will's funeral? It was like: "Yeah I know your friend's burning right now, but you should have told me he was a sorcerer so I could've executed him." What a horrible thing to imply. I almost wrote about it, but it was getting out of hand and was too dark and angry, so I deleted it. I just think Merlin should have felt more hurt about it. Okay, rant over.
*Shameless plug* - Sometime soon, I'll put up another ficlet collection. This time, there all based around a running theme, a tarot deck. Basically, for each of the 22 cards of the major arcana I will write a small fic based on a single character who represents something related to that card. I'm not telling you to check it out, I just wanted to let you know in case you're interested. (I'd also love people to guess who'll be represented by each card.)
What do you think? Did I do okay? Reviews, critiscism, prompts, requests always welcome! Thanks for reading!