p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1cm; text-align: center;"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"#18/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Merlin, I'm ready," she announces, turning to him, who remains in the center of the esplanade, with a huge satisfied smile and the sword in his hands./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""And your demons?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Gone."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"He nods, pleased, as if he hadn't expected any other response. "With em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"you/em I was right, Savior. Come," he asks, taking her hand and leading her to an area a little further away. "Could you kneel down?" he asks with some discomfort, while dancing the sword between his hands./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Are you going to make me a knight?" she jokes, amused./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Something like that," Merlin adds, with a relieved half smile. In front of him, Emma raises an eyebrow, but goes along with it and leaves one knee bent and the other against the ground./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Like this?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Yes, exactly," he answers, before turning to the rest. "Whatever you see, keep your distance. The darkness will be weak, but desperate. Let us prevent it from fleeing and hiding in anyone else."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"At the sound of his words, those present take a step back on instinct and Merlin looks satisfied. /span"Let's do this. Ready?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Totally," Emma answers eagerly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Well, in that case," he coughs and prepares his voice before declaiming. "I, Merlin, wizard of Camelot…" he exclaims, placing the blade of the sword on Emma's shoulder./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Feeling the slight weight of the metal, her shoulder begins to smolder. Heat and hurt spread throughout half of her body and she contracts, unable to suppress a groan. She tries to stand tall when she hears her parents, Henry and Regina calling out her name. She rises her hand very slightly, begging them to wait. Merlin has stopped, but Emma's soft, plaintive voice raises, "Go on, don't stop," It's a plea disguised as order and the wizard complies./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""... I name thee, Emma Swan…," he continues, a little faster, as he raises the sword to the other shoulder. She suppresses a cry of pain when something inside her rips cruelly and escapes to the sound of the arc made by the sword, as if the weapon were catching it and dragging it with it. She takes a deep breath, recovering from the pain, only to feel the metal against her other shoulder again. Once again, her body burns against Excalibur and she barely has the strength to press her lips together and suppress the groan of anguish that rises in her lungs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""... Savior of this and all kingdoms…" Merlin keeps on, yearning to mitigate some of that horrible suffering. When he moves the blade again, he notices how Emma leaves her back rigid, tense and trembling, her lips white with pressure and her eyes closed in despair. "... and annihilator of Darkness!" he exclaims finally hurriedly, pushing aside the sword from her body./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Emma throws her head back, takes a violent gulp of air and then exhales. In the form of a liquid and rotten shadow, the darkness comes out of her with a metallic screech. A threatening, violent and twisted mass towers over her, as Emma collapses, putting her hands on the ground to ease her fall at the last moment./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Merlin raises his sword and peers into the darkness. In front of him, it takes shape. Twisted, imprecise, and grimy, but definitely a human form. A hooded, slim woman with scaly arms that shine darkly. With one of these arms, she ties to touch him. Suddenly, Merlin whispers, "Hello, Nimue," with such tenderness, such devotion, that when a second later the sword pierces the figure'' chest, Emma flinches with fright./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"As the metal sinks into the blackness, a cursed, superhuman animal cry echoes across the esplanade, forcing them to cover their ears. Emma doesn't look away. No, she needs to see it. She needs to see its fucking end./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Merlin thrusts his sword even further, and the hooded face falls like a dead weight. In that instant, every particle of the shadow becomes a speck of dust, free and dead, that escapes with every slight breeze, dispersing in seconds and disappearing as if it had never been more than that, simple and innocent dust carried through the air until it's lost in nothingness./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Merlin lowers the sword and Emma smiles. She feels exhausted and overwhelmed, but she smiles. She sits up on ground, feeling victory in every part of her body. She sighs, wondering if she'll ever be able to stand up again, when suddenly someone embraces her from behind./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Hey, are you all right?" Regina asks, leaning against her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Perfectly well," she murmurs, letting her head rest on her shoulder. Regina's smile, despite that hint of latent concern in the amber of her eyes, grows when she hears her purr and she closes her arms around Emma with more affection./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"A second later, Emma notices her mother's hand on her shoulder and sees how Henry and her father crouch in front of them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You made it, Ma!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Well, teamwork and stuff," she murmurs weakly, but with great conviction./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Already underestimating yourself, Savior?" Regina asks in an amused tone, and Emma turns her head to look at her fixedly. She feels a bit dizzy because of the em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"scorcio/em, but it's worth it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You know I like to be humble," she answers, stroking the hands that close around her waist./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Yes, I do," Regina sighs against her hair./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"David clears his throat and stands up to address those present, moving slightly away from them. "I think we have earned a break for today," he tells everyone, but nobody moves. "You can leave, I think this is it for tonight," he adds, louder. Despite the reluctance on the faces of the dwarfs, Belle or Granny, they all set off, starting with Robin and Hook who are the first to walk away, leading the group by far./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I too must retire," Merlin announces. "I believe our new queen will want to start raising Camelot as soon as possible, and I will not be the one who dares keep her waiting," he jokes before adding, "Thanks you for everything. /spanWithout you , we would be lost."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Snow shakes her head and smiles brightly. "We owe you a big one, too."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I'm glad I was able to help. But if you hadn't come to rescue me, none of this would have been possible. Both this kingdom and I will always be indebted to you." He says goodbye with a small nod, more a bow than a farewell./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Goodbye, Merlin," Emma whispers, still in Regina's arms, watching him walk away./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I think we should go to bed too. It's been a thrilling pair of days," Snow hums, shifting her weight from one foot to the other./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You're right," Emma mutters./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Regina watches her carefully, still at her side. "Can you stand up?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I think so," she replies, moving her arms little by little and stretching her legs. "But I wouldn't refuse a little help," she adds with a charming smile./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I got this," Regina muses, leaving a kiss on her hair and gently lifting Emma to their feet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Before she's even fully up, Snow turns her back to them. "Come on, Henry," she says, reaching for the teenager's shoulders with her arm and pulling him to walk along with David. "We need to find out which of these huts is ours."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Something tells me that the beds aren't going to be as comfortable as before," the kid splutters, walking away with his grandparents./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""So discreet," Emma marvels, standing at last, watching them walk away appearing to be exhausted and somewhat giddy. "We'll see whether that lasts," she adds, her arm surrounding Regina's waist, who begins to walk slowly when she feels Emma's weight against her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""What are you talking about?" she asks amusedly.s/s/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""I'm just curious if we'll ever kiss without an audience or a curse to break," she says with a yawn and her eyes almost close./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""You just rest for now," Regina says sweetly. "We'll have time to find out."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Ok," she agrees, exhausted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;""Anyway, considering how dramatic your family is, I wouldn't count on it," she whispers very softly against her hair with a mischievous inflection./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"As laughter floods Emma's exhausted body, she allows genuine happiness to permeate her fully. While they wander among the small, thatched huts, the wooden fences and the unpaved dirt roads, she feels that em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"this/em is a fairytale kingdom. One much more real, authentic and wonderful than the Camelot that received them just two days ago. Hers is now a true fairytale happy ending. Or rather, a happy beginning./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1cm; text-align: center;"emstrongspan lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"THE END/span/strong/em/p