AN: After some serious wrestling with the plot and the characters I had to do something I was loathe to. Chapter 72 ( 6x12) has experienced some minor modifications. Well, one in particular. Percival decided to come with the other guys through the Stargate.

My original reason for leaving him behind was to keep the character count down for the scenes, but, I ended up needing his specific personality to break through my...well, it wasn't a writers block exactly... Hell, I wrote so much and either screwed up my own created canon or it just refused to flow beyond a certain point.

Thankfully, it was only a some minor modifications. SO... now Percival is with them. Pretty simple change that doesn't require going back and re-reading the aforementioned chapter.

Thank you for all the reviews! I'm glad you all liked Toby's little side adventure in the last chapter :D

Beta'ed by Nance, and special mention to the peeps at Heart of Camelot for putting up with my whining lately. Especially, Just Crucio It (aka Raeniday on HoC) for putting up with my rants and giving me some really off the wall ideas that forced my mind to find a solution.

I'm not quite as far along as I had wanted to be, but I am feeling fairly confident about where this is heading. Without further adieu enjoy the read and please review! (hehe, that rhymed :D)

He did his best. He really, honestly did. Yet, there wasn't much that could have been done to keep the grin that formed, and the muffled chuckle from behind his hand escaping. It wasn't Merlin's fault and he knew that.

After a year of getting to know the man who his best friend had become, it made him smile to see the clumsy, whiny servant emerge once more...even if it was only for a brief moment. Arthur tried successfully not think about the reason for the relapse. He simply took perverse joy in seeing the familiar sight.

Merlin, on the other hand, was fuming and covered in mud. He was glaring at Arthur's amusement, while Gwaine held out a moistened cloth.

A fire fight with some of the human followers of Origin had ensued the moment they had stepped through the Stargate. Leon and Percival had provided the cover fire, while Arthur had rushed ahead with the sword in his hand. His rifle was forgotten and ideomotor responses to a battle kicked in, naturally guiding his actions in the melee.

Merlin had used the staff to guide his magic in a blast wave that rippled out and knocked many of the enemy forces off their feet. Meanwhile, behind him, Gwaine had joined the others in firing their weapons, but mostly kept Merlin covered.

Once the area was clear, Merlin had made his way down the steps from the platform where the Gate rested. It was on the final stair that he had allowed his mind to relax and open. He had felt Aithusa's distress instantly and it had caused him to miss the final step and trip, landing him face down in the only mud puddle in the vicinity.

The warlock took the proffered cloth and began wiping off his face, grateful that Gwaine and Leon had the presence of mind to refrain from commenting on the slip. Merlin's mind, however, began churning with various methods of payback for his former king.

From the distance, the men looked up when they heard the sound of an engine whining.

"Incoming aircraft." Gwaine reached down and hauled Merlin to his feet.

Leon glanced at the sky. "Let's make for the treeline and take cover."

The others followed Leon's lead, and soon they were engulfed in the dense forest that surrounded the clearing where the Stargate stood. They watched the single-manned fighters fly overhead, scouting the area.

"We should probably get a move on before they send for reinforcements. Which way to this 'holy' city?" Arthur sheathed his sword and adjusted the backpack he was carrying and looked around, trying to find a path through the forest. When Merlin didn't respond, he turned to see his friend leaning against a tree. Merlin's eyes were closed and he wore a pained expression on his face. "Merlin?"

He shrugged and shook his head. Tears threatened to spill from his blue eyes. "I don't know. I can't sense anything. Aithusa has completely shut me out of her mind...again."

Arthur's merriment ceased and he sighed, not knowing how to comfort his best friend. "Is this what she did before, then?"

The nod Merlin gave was barely perceptible.

"Do you still feel that...hole, or whatever it was...inside you?"

"More than ever." Merlin replied in a whisper. "Before she shut me out of her mind, I could feel the anger, but it also felt as though she might have thought she was protecting me."

Gwaine chuckled, "Typical woman. You can command her, right? Make her open up and tell us where she is?"

"I don't know, Gwaine. I want to try and gain her trust. Not push her farther away. I don't think Dr. Jackson's plan worked. She doesn't want us there."

"So, what? Who cares what she wants?"

Merlin looked up at Gwaine sharply. Alienating the last dragon was not the purpose of the mission. His desire was to seek forgiveness and find peace so they both could heal.

"Listen, if she wants to act like a brat and not give us a chance to help her, you're gonna need to push her."

"She's not a child, Gwaine."

"Like hell she isn't!" Leon added with a roll of his eyes. "You are the one who hatched her...or, called her from the egg, correct?"

Blue eyes stared blankly at Leon.

"You were too busy taking care of Arthur to take care of her. You've had children before and she needs to be treated like one."

"What am I supposed to do? Tell a centuries old dragon that she's going to be grounded if she doesn't do as I say? Threaten to make her muck out the stables or some such nonsense?"

Arthur snickered, "That would be a good start, as long as she doesn't eat the horses. I, for one, want to get this taken care of and get back to my wife and my own children. I know Leon would like to see Elaine and her boys again, and Gwaine I'm sure has..."

"If you are already done with this, I can open the Gate and send you all back home right now." Merlin snapped out. The staff was held up in a white knuckled grip, and pointing at the Stargate.

He knew his words were a reaction caused in part by the pain he had felt from Aithusa before she closed herself off. Inside himself, he could feel the darkness trying to take hold, and it was all he could do to keep himself from wanting to collapse.

"That's not what he's saying, Merlin." Percival's quiet voice said, bringing a sense of calm to the situation. "But, there is more to consider than just hurting her feelings. She learned from Morgana how to survive alone and not ask for help."

Gwaine ran a hand through his hair and blew out a sigh. "Once you're face to face with her...then, you can deal with the next step. But, that ain't going to happen unless we get there to begin with. I know if I had done anything like that to Pops, he would have kicked my ass, no matter how old I was."

"You know that my father would have thrown me in the dungeons for anything even remotely resembling disobedience." Arthur and Gwaine glanced at Leon, expecting him to add in an opinion of his own.

The tall knight gave them both a face filled with innocence. "I don't even remember my father. So, don't look at me for help."

Merlin couldn't help the soft snigger that escaped him. A glance at the others made him realize, once again, how little they still grasped of fleeting memories over so long of a time.

He didn't want to treat her like a child. Merlin had always thought of Aithusa as an extension of Kilgharrah; just another creature of magic. He'd never really given much thought to the idea of the dragon needing guidance like a child.

Kilgharrah, he had assumed, would have taken care of that. But, as he thought more on it, he realized that it had been Morgana who had raised Aithusa, in a dark pit filled with pain and anger for those who had wronged them. Merlin had never felt like he had the wisdom, nor that it was his place to take charge and teach her morality.

Perhaps, it was that line of thinking that had brought them to this moment. He actually recalled Mithian having made a comment to him centuries ago, about Merlin's inability to rein in his own daughter. Ning had also accused him of being too soft-hearted when it came to raising the orphans they had taken in.

"Alright."

"Good. Now, lets get to a place with some better cover and let you do your thing." Arthur held out a hand to Merlin, who accepted with a forced, and somewhat lopsided smile.

They made their way deeper into the forest and found a place to camp, just as nightfall gathered around them. The massive trees hung thick with moss and the shadows deepened, effectively hiding them from normal sight.

Percival set about starting a small fire for warmth. Leon deployed a small camouflaging device, that he had occasionally used in his smuggling. It was made to hide the signatures given off by their body heat from any scout ships.

Merlin sank down against a tree in meditation. Arthur and Gwaine were quietly bantering over flavored protein bars.

Finally settled, Leon decided to take some time to pull out a small recording unit.

"You started doing that again after all these years?" Percival smiled and pointed at the device.

Catching on to what Leon was doing, Gwaine had to snicker. "At least you've graduated from the coal pencil and notebook."

The former king shook his head. "Almost every mission or patrol... when we'd settle for the night, you'd write. Seriously, Leon, what do you find so important to keep notes about?"

The ancient knight smiled and fingered the recorder. He debated for a few minutes about answering. Taking a breath, he nodded and spoke. "Back in the day - it was letters to Bridgette."

"Now, you're recording love notes to my sister? Fracking hell, if she doesn't marry you, I will! You're like Mr. Perfect, or something."

"Face it, he's just out to make the rest of us look bad." Arthur commented, with a smile on his own face.

Leon rolled his eyes. "Yes, Sire. My entire existence has been to prove how unromantic the rest of you truly are."

"So, how many lucky ladies have received messages of love from you over the years?" Gwaine asked with a teasing smile and wiggling eyebrows.

"Thus far? One." He stared down at his hands. "After this, it will be two."

"All those years, you're telling me you've only been in love with two women?" Gwaine asked with a hint of awe.

Leon shook his head with a chuckle. His dark blond hair bounced with the movement. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, I mean, come on! Seriously? You haven't had any other women? Even Merlin's had himself a few."

"Oh, I've had my share of women. Men. Other alien lifeforms. But, no, Gwaine. I have not been in love with any of them. I had my duty..." He motioned to the sword next to Arthur, "...And, that came first."

Gwaine's eyes narrowed and he bit into his meal bar, unsure if he could really believe what his friend was saying. He couldn't begin to imagine how lonely his friend must have been, living on the run for so long.

After a few moments, he shook his head. He seriously needed to have a talk with his sister when they returned. His vow to stay out of it had already been thrown out the window. If Laney screwed this up because of her anxiety he was going to kill her.

It was nearly dawn when Gwaine had finally managed to fall asleep, in spite of the mystery that plagued his mind concerning Leon's deep devotion to duty and family. He understood the sense of duty Leon had spoken of. Maybe not to the extent that the unaging knight had, but Gwaine's own vows first to the Corps then to Merlin and Camelot had always meant something to him.

Never thinking he would see his sister or Pops again had changed him. The second chance he'd been given with them both, as well as to meet his nephews was something he wouldn't take for granted.

Love, however, was an entirely different matter.

Perhaps it was because that until Eira, he had always fallen in and out of love easily. The love he had felt never seemed to last for very long, but he had never discounted its validity. Each woman he cared for had been a true love.

Eira had been the only one with whom he had seriously thought about a life with. But, if she hadn't turned into a traitor, Gwaine wasn't sure how long it would have lasted beyond those initial few weeks. He tried to convince himself that either he would have become restless, or she would have dumped him and moved on.

Carolyn...he wanted to love her, he really did. But, whether it was having had his heart broken and ripped out by Eira, or something else entirely, he just couldn't get beyond admitting that he 'more than liked her,' as he had said to Merlin. It was almost like a slap in the face when it came to his sister.

Laney hadn't wanted to fall in love. She had fought against it tooth and nail, and somehow ended up in a romance that would have made many of the great poets swoon.

He'd thought about the message he'd left on Carolyn's phone, and wondered why he had said a couple of the things that he did, or what she would make of it. It really had felt like he was saying goodbye. He hadn't even bothered to add anything like "I'll call you when I get back" or some other such phrase that might lead her on.

She was beautiful. She was smart, kind, strong, sassy...everything he wanted in a woman. She also had taken care of him at the absolute lowest point in his life.

A thought suddenly occurred to Gwaine. He needed her, but she was independant and more than capable of taking care of herself. Deep down, Gwaine was still a good ole boy at heart; raised by a crusty old cowboy who had held strong values of right and wrong, and had taught him a man's place in the world.

Pops hadn't been sexist, nor was Gwaine. They knew women were strong and capable. Hell, he could look at his own sister and see that, but underneath, it was something simpler; something that just came naturally to their way of life.

He wanted someone to take care of.

That was why he had rushed off to save his sister from Ba'al, and why he had bought the acreage in Colorado when he had returned to his own time. He had done all that to take care of his family.

Gwaine had jumped at the chance to help Merlin whenever his friend had expressed that he couldn't do something on his own... whether it was chasing after a stubborn prince on a foolhardy quest, or as a bodyguard to get to the Crystal Cave.

The realization was plain and simple. He wasn't sure if Carolyn needed him the way he wanted to be needed.

Rolling over on his bedroll, he noticed the sky beginning to brighten. The shadows of the forest seemed to deepen for a moment, before streaks of light started making their way through the canopy of the trees.

A rustling sound off to the side caught his attention and his eyes shifted. Merlin had come out of his meditation and was walking off into the forest. Gwaine noticed Arthur, who had taken the final watch, beginning to rise and follow.

He gave the blond man a quick, low whistle to get his attention. Gwaine nodded toward the disappearing warlock and waved Arthur to sit back down, before he went after Merlin himself.

"Whatcha doing?" He asked Merlin, once they were away from the camp.

Merlin turned and blinked in surprise. "I didn't know anyone was following me."

"Yeah, that was a bit obvious." Gwaine chuckled and waited for the old man to answer his initial question.

Merlin still looked so young at first glance. Having known Merlin from the time of Camelot, however, Gwaine could just look into his friend's eyes and see the centuries in their blue, fathomless depths. Merlin was old. He was tired and ready to be free of the ages on his soul. He was ready to be normal. Even if he knew it might never happen.

"I'm much stronger than I was with my magic - in what connects me to Aithusa - than when she was hatched. I had hoped to connect with her and command her simply by thought and meditation. She is stronger, too. I know she is trapped wherever she is, but I hope that by calling her vocally, I can break through her resistance."

Gwaine nodded. It made sense to him, from all he had learned about the Dragon Lords in the past year. "Get to it, then. Don't mind me."

Merlin smiled and turned away. He took a deep breath and the voice that erupted was unlike anything Gwaine had ever heard.

A chill passed through Gwaine as the words flowed from Merlin in loud and guttural tones. The power behind them was palpable, and deep in his soul, Gwaine felt as if he should know their meaning... he should have understood them.

He shook his head and blinked, not grasping what had just happened, even though he knew it was something significant. Gwaine failed to see the slight tilt of Merlin's head as the other man watched him from the corner of his eye, obviously coming to some hidden conclusion.

Merlin suddenly grasped his head in pain and collapsed to the forest floor.

Rushing forward, Gwaine grabbed his friend and knelt next to him. "Hey. Hey, don't go passing out on me now."

"I'll try not to." Merlin held his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. "It worked."

"What did?"

"Commanding Aithusa. I know where she is. I can feel her again." His eyes drifted to the rise of snow-capped mountains in the distance. "The city lies that way, in a valley on the other side of the mountains."

"Alright, then! Let's get back to camp and tell the others."

Merlin nodded in agreement. "We need to hurry. The Ori...It might not be long before the Priors, or someone else, finds her."

"Someone else being Morgana?"

Shrugging, Merlin didn't answer in words, but the fear of what Gwaine had verbalized was evident in his face.

Shining, silvery towers appeared to rise from the surface of the shallow lake. The city looked like some surreal fantasy. Cautiously, they made their way closer to the Holy City of the Gods and found a way inside.

"Does this seem entirely too easy to any of you guys?" Gwaine said, chancing fate.

The others quietly nodded in agreement. They had managed to cross the entire expanse of the lake, and hadn't seen any of the scout or fighter ships that had been searching for them since their arrival. There had been no movement in the towers or along the walls of the city, so far as they could discern. The whole place felt like a ghost town.

They found an open door to what looked like a storehouse, and ducked inside to catch their breath, while they got their bearings.

"Maybe Dr. Jackson's weapon worked and there's no one left?" Percival suggested cautiously.

"No. There are still people left in the city. I can feel them." Merlin cast his eyes about the room they found themselves in. It was devoid of any furnishings or decoration, save for one tapestry with the symbol of the Ori.

It vaguely reminded him of a time years prior, when he had gone to the Far East for UNIT and crossed the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea. There had been reports of some unusual readings and nothing from the satellites to say it was alien in origin.

Knowing that Merlin fluently spoke many of the various dialects from the region, he'd been asked to go in. It didn't hurt that he had the ability to track down unusual objects with his mind, also his personal history gave him an advantage of dealing with antiquated Eastern cultures. If he was captured, he had the ability to teleport himself out, as well.

The Holy City of Celestis, where the Ori reigned from, was strikingly similar to what he remembered from that trip. Artwork, literature, radio and TV broadcasts had all been dedicated to the leader of North Korea, just as it seemed everything here was devoted to the Ori.

He shook off the chilling tension that had settled between his shoulders blades. "I don't like this situation. We need to get to Aithusa and get out as quickly as possible."

Merlin's adventure beyond the DMZ had ended rather badly, and he had spent a few weeks recovering from the journey after teleporting himself from a North Korean prison cell. He'd never found the item that had set off the alarm bells for UNIT, but his intel from the country had still been valuable.

In his current state and with his companions, he knew that if they were caught, it might not end that easily this time around.

"Have you seen the size of this city, Merlin? How do you suggest we find her quickly? I doubt if they have a Visitor's Center to answer questions like that, or give us a free map."

"I can feel her...near the center. Morgana showed me an image of a pit of flames. I know she's close to it." He pointed out of a small window toward the middle of the city. "I think it might be that way, toward that tall tower."

Arthur snorted and rolled his eyes. "You think? Well, that makes me feel a lot better."

"Arthur, give him a break, alright?" Gwaine said, coming to Merlin's defense. He could see the weariness in the way Merlin moved, although his friend hid it well. Gwaine was the only one of them to have witnessed Merlin's collapse when the Supergate had been opened. His mind lingered on that image, and he had become hyper-vigilant to every nuance of his friend's physical state.

Arthur scoffed and turned away, but the worry in his eyes told a different story.

They were all getting anxious. Merlin was exhausted. Gwaine was getting annoyed, and Arthur was falling back on old habits.

Leon and Percival appeared to be unphased by the situation, but a shared glance betrayed the fact that they were both feeling the stress, as well.

They hadn't planned on the Stargate being located in a forest outside of a remote village, instead of being within or near the city like many of the Stargates were in more developed societies. It had taken a day to make their way through a mountain pass, and another to traverse their way down the other side.

From the high elevation, they had been able to see the outline of the city in the distance. So, they had known they were on the right path, but there was something more in the air that was making them all anxious.

"Gwaine might be onto something." Leon mentioned absently.

"You think they do have a Visitor's Center?"

Smirking, Leon shook his head. "No. Although, if there is a tavern around, I'm sure you'd be able to find that."

"...Even without directions." Percival added with a grin.

"What can I say? My sister trained me well." Gwaine saw the smirk form and then quickly hidden at the mention of of Laney.

Coughing slightly, Leon continued, "What I meant was, if we can find some sort of computer terminal or interface, I might be able to hack into it and find us a map or some schematics."

Cautiously, they left the room behind and began to explore the city. Merlin tried to keep his senses alert, but it was becoming more difficult with each passing minute.

After a few hours, they hadn't found anything that looked like a control panel. There was no sign of a computer terminal, or even something as simple as a lightswitch in the entire place. Light simply emanated from the walls and rooftops, without a single sign of even something as simple as a light switch.

They wove their way through the streets, in the dusky evening. As they drew closer toward the center of the city, they finally began to see signs of life.

First there were small groups comprising of three or four soldiers, who patrolled between the buildings. Occasionally, they caught sight of Priors in their muted robes. The Priors gazed blindly ahead through their milky white eyes, as they strode down the streets, and intoned scriptures from the Book of Origin.

Aside from that, a few followers huddled in apartment-style housing and glanced at the strangers through slats in window shutters. A couple of times men were seen dashing to and from their businesses. But otherwise, there still appeared to be little life in the magnificent citadel. What they did see, didn't appear to inspire any sort of the divine peace and eternal happiness that the Ori tried to offer.

After one particular group of four guards had passed, Gwaine nodded his head in the direction they had gone. The others had silently agreed in his unspoken suggestion to follow them. There seemed to be no discernible pattern to the guards' patrol and Merlin fidgeted nervously. The path had kept them more exposed than he was comfortable with.

The guards walked through a door, without seeming to be any wiser to having acquired a tail. Merlin put out his hand to block his companions. He twisted his other hand on the staff he held. "Something's not right. I can't feel anything beyond that door."

"I'll take that as a good sign, then." Leon whispered and adjusted his grip on his gun.

"How do you figure?" Gwaine asked.

"Shielding technology, possibly. Might be they don't want anyone to find what's inside there."

Merlin appeared hesitant. While Leon's assessment might have been true, he felt that there was something more going on.

Arthur read the thoughts on Merlin's face. "Now, is not the time to be such a girl, Merlin. I say we continue to follow them." The old insult was meant to challenge Merlin, as it had in the past. He shook his head, when Merlin didn't rise to the bait. Biting back a sigh, Arthur drew his sword.

Gwaine's hand on his arm made him pause. "Look." He pointed to the door, and they watched as the guards exited. "Merlin, can you grab the door before it shuts?"

A brief nod of the warlock's head preceded the tale-tale flash of magic in his eyes. The door paused just before latching closed.

When the street was clear, the five men made their way silently across and slipped through the door. They realized their mistake in assuming the room was empty...too late.