Author's Note: Explanation chapter? Is that what you'd call it? Well, I guess if this was a 2 parter this would be the end of part 1 J So, hope you liked part 1 guys! Review it maybe? x

Disclaimer: I still do not own any characters of Shine and the BBC's TV programme Merlin (wish I did!) but any added characters and plotlines were completely my genius! All mistakes and splelnig errrors are also my own, which are not so genius…

Chapter Forty Two

Salvaged

No pain came. Suddenly, Ceira let out a huge roar that made everyone start. Emrys squinted through one eye, then opened both to see that Arthur had frozen. He turned slowly but nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. Ceira's black, wolf eyes blazed a violent, fire gold. Arthur was blasted off his feet and off the roof. Ceira just watched the place where Arthur had flew from until her eyes returned back to normal. She then turned on what was left of the 'army' and growled. Most of them hastily jumped down from the substantial height of the roof and retreated while some just threw themselves off, wanting to get out of there as fast as possible. Emrys leaned back thankfully. Ceira leapt off the roof and waited for Emrys to follow. He landed down beside her silently. They walked. Just walked towards the forest. No talking. Nothing needed saying. They would discuss it when they were undercover. Their sanctuary.

There was a bright flash of light and Ceira stood back in her human form. Her dark hair, her scarlet lips, her deep eyes, her crimson dress had all returned to normal. There was no jet black fur, no clawed paws, no fangs protruding from her mouth, no tail wagging behind her and no skeletal wings sprouting from her back. The only thing that had stayed changed was her secret. It was no longer a secret. Ceira just stared at the ground. She couldn't meet Emrys' gaze. He must hate her for not telling him and must be terrified at her for what she was. Ceira had been surprised that he hadn't turned and ran as soon as he saw her in her other form. He must have been saving it for now, when he could tell her how much he despised her. Ceira readied herself for the onslaught of hatred and closed her eyes. Instead of the harsh, punishing hands she thought would be grasping her, they pulled her in close and hugged her. Pain flashed through her left shoulder, it was still bleeding heavily. She hugged back, even though she couldn't understand where this newfound affection was coming from. Emrys held her close and cradled her in his warm arms. Ceira embraced him tighter, wanting him to squeeze all the negativity out of her. It didn't remove all of it but it was good enough. They broke apart and stared at each other. "I thought you would be angry. I thought you would hate me. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I-I just… didn't want to lose you," admitted Ceira. Emrys smiled weakly.

"I could never hate you and I understand why you didn't want to tell me. It's OK," Emrys comforted her. Ceira smiled back faintly.

"How long have you been like this?"

"For as long as I can remember.""Don't you remember someone telling you or you finding out?"

"Nope, I just… always knew."

"So what made you change?"

"I change when I'm feeling a strong emotion of fear or anger. And I mean really strong. Like, close-to-death strong. Or I can change whenever I want to. I'm a shape shifter." Emrys was quiet for a moment, taking in this brand new information about her.

"Can you fly?" Emrys asked. At Ceira's confused silence, Emrys expanded his question, "I mean, I guessed that you could with the wings and stuff. I know it's a bit of a stupid question…" he said. Ceira smiled fondly.

"I don't know. I've only ever shifted about twice in my life and I've never tried flying," Ceira admitted nervously.

"Why don't you try now?" Emrys asked curiously.

"No. We're on the run now Emrys. We've got to keep our heads down. Anyway, I've never tried before and it might not even work. And, to be honest, I'm too scared," Ceira confessed. Emrys nodded slowly. "So what happens now?" Ceira sighed, beginning to walk through the trees, Emrys at her side.

"We go back to my hideout and lie low for a few days. Then we take our revenge," Emrys said darkly.

"What? What revenge?" Ceira asked, utterly confused.

"We can't just let him get away with this, I mean look what Arthur did to your arm," he indicated the still bleeding wound on her shoulder. Ceira clutched it painfully. "We have to fight back."

Ceira half agreed with what he said. She hated Arthur for trying to kill both her and Emrys but then she just wanted to stay as far away from him as she could.

"OK, if you think it's the right thing to do," Ceira said unsurely. Emrys stopped and held her tenderly in front of him.

"Ceira, I will never forgive Arthur for trying to kill you. If it had just been me I would have left it but now that he's threatening you… I can't let him. We can't live our lives being fugitives," Emrys reasoned.

"We could…" suggested Ceira. Emrys shook his head dismissively and carried on walking.

"I couldn't live knowing that Arthur would still be looking for us. For you…" Emrys said. They kept walking in silence, deeper into the forest. They were both delved in between their own thoughts, turning concepts of revenge over in their minds.

Arthur's head felt like it had been hit at full speed with a lance. He blinked around, staring at his surroundings, desperately trying to recall what had happened before he had lost consciousness. Nothing came at first but then odd images started rising to the top of his memory. Emrys, Ceira, the creature. Surely that couldn't have been Ceira? But he had seen it with his own eyes. Ceira had been lying there then there had been a blinding light and then there was a vast beast standing where Ceira had just disappeared. It didn't make sense. Surely she couldn't have kept that sort of secret for so long. But she had.

"Sire, I know this sounds stupid but… was all of that real?" Leon asked as he pulled him up from the ground.

"I've been thinking that too. I wish it hadn't," Arthur rasped ruefully.

"But the girl… she's a shape shifter," Leon exclaimed as they began to walk back towards the castle.

"It appears so," Arthur remarked emotionlessly, staring straight ahead.

"Is everything alright Sire?"

"Yes, fine." There was a pause and Leon seemed to be contemplating something.

"So what do we do now Sire?" he asked.

"We wait." Arthur had been thinking about this as well. At first he had wanted to chase after them and keep fighting, then he had wanted to leave the pair of them and not waste any more of his time on them. Now he had a different idea.

"But, Sire. What do you mean wait?" Leon asked confusedly as they hopped down from the rooftops.

"Just what I said. We'll wait," Arthur repeated.

"Wait for what?" Leon asked, even more confused. Arthur rounded on him and looked him in the eyes seriously.

"I know they're up to something Leon. They wouldn't just leave like that was the end of it. No, Emrys would want to take revenge. And whatever they do, we'll be ready. Especially now that they've got Ceira's shape shifting abilities, they'll be stronger than ever," Arthur explained. He released him and went back to striding towards the castle.

"But, why don't we just go after them and catch them before they try anything then?" Leon asked, catching up with him.

"Because I don't want to go looking for trouble and if we act as if we're not bothering to go and look for them, they'll think that we'll have our defences down so they won't make such a huge effort in whatever they're going to do," Arthur replied. Leon must have realised that Arthur had thought hard about this because he went off shortly after with a brief 'Yes Sire'. Arthur kept walking towards the drawbridge, dreading what his father would make of all this. Arthur had also been debating whether to tell his father of the night's events straight away or to wait until the morning. He had decided to wait. Arthur was already in a bad mood without another lecture off his father. He would get a good night's sleep and deliberate how he was to prepare the kingdom for anything that Emrys and his new shape shifting accomplice had up their sleeves tomorrow.

Author's Note: Hmm, so who's going to break first? Emrys and Ceira or Arthur and his Knights? Something for you to contemplate! Review? Pleeaaaassseeee! x