It's late, I know... I had some issues with my muse and a new job taking away my writing time. (Curse you real life! LOL)

Smmeyers: Thanks for the review. I don't want to jinx myself by giving an actual number, but it is getting REALLY close to the end.

Nance: Yes I have...and still more to come!

Isis: ok this one IS late, sorry. Hopefully the next one won't be.

Thanks as always to Nance for her wonderful beta skills. Also thanks for HoC chat putting up with my whining this last week, as well as Sarajm and IcarusLSU for helping me work through some issues.

The street began to clear after Arthur and Gwaine had moved off. As soon as they had a chance, the Furlings, along with Leon and Percival, left their hiding spot. They found their way to the building with the bridge that would connect them to the tower at the center of the city.

Moving through the corridors, they were hypervigilant of any whisper of sound indicating the presence of other people. It seemed, however, that everyone in the city was down in the streets where they had left Arthur and Gwaine. Even so, they were amazed to find place virtually empty.

"Either this is a trap, or they really don't expect anyone to attack them with the party downtown." Leon commented softly. His finger flexed beside the trigger of his blaster. Centuries of avoiding this type of situation had him twitching at every imagined sound.

They found the room where the base for the Ring device was located, and even there they met very little resistance. Two guards stood stoically by the doors and were taken out with near-silent efficiency.

The room took up only a small portion of the entire floor of the ornate building. One of the Furlings sat down at an interface console. It didn't take long for the man, experienced with Ori technology, to bring up schematics of the building. They found their path, and headed out through the maze of corridors toward their destination.

If their luck held out, they would soon be rid of the Ori for good. Both galaxies would breathe easier, knowing a great evil had been defeated.

"This should be it." One of the Furlings said. He pointed to a large set of ornate, double-doors at the end of the hallway.

Two more guards stood outside, though they seemed more like decorations than actual soldiers. Leon was becoming more nervous about the entire situation.

A couple of well-timed shots and they were taken down. The heavy doors opened easily and Leon was struck by the vastly empty room inside. One wall held a large decorative symbol of Origin, and opposite was a fancy fence. He mused how it would have appeared more at home in a garden setting than a room of worship.

Scrolled gates set in the center blocked them from the raging pit of fire beyond.

The others set up the weapon, careful to reassemble it properly. The only piece that remained was the Sangraal Crystal. Sebryn drew it out of her pocket and prepared to place it in the weapon.

They had no idea exactly what would happen once it was activated, but they all had to trust that it would work.

Leon moved cautiously to the gates. As he prepared to open them, a glimmer of silver caught his eye.

Just inside, balancing precariously on the edge was a sword...Arthur's sword. He'd carried the damned weapon for centuries and recognized it almost instantly. Cursing under his breath, he was also grateful that he wouldn't have to tear apart the entire planet to search for it once they were done.

Sebryn gave the signal, and he opened the gates.

A blast of heat threw him backwards off his feet. The roar of the flames drowned out any of the voices he thought he'd heard in the background. His eyes focused on one thing.

The sword.

It began to teeter on the ledge, from the same shockwave that had knocked him back. He made a mad dive for the discarded weapon, unaware of the fight that had begun behind him.

It was a trap.

Ori soldiers spilled into the room through the doors and from a Ring device. Shots rang out over his head, ricocheting off the walls. His hand touched the hilt and he closed his fingers around it.

Turning over, he pushed himself up, only to feel himself shoved backward toward the abyss as blasts from the energy weapons flew around him. He brought up the sword automatically to deflect the hit. His fingers tingled as the pulse sent a wave of electricity into his hand and up through his arm.

It stung him with a powerful current and he nearly lost his grip. Barely able to hang on, he was mesmerized by the way the runes along the blade glowed while holding the charge for a brief second, before it dissipated and he felt his energy returned to him.

So little impressed Leon, or captured his attention so completely in recent centuries, that he paused to marvel at the sword he had carried for so long. He had always protected it and kept it sheathed for fear of even the slightest blemish. If the timing had been more appropriate, he might have even laughed out loud at his own misconceptions.

The sword was never something that should have been hidden away and coddled like an infant. It was a weapon meant to be wielded.

Suddenly, time stopped. A heartbeat passed, and then another as he glanced down.

The smell of burning flesh and the rise of smoke assailed his nostrils. A hole in his clothing was singed from a single, well-placed shot. He felt his footing begin to fail him. He'd recover from the blast. He knew that instinctively. Although, the smouldering burn on his chest hurt.

For centuries, he'd been at war with himself over his duty of keeping the sword safe; figuring out how to survive and on rare occasions, finding out how he just couldn't die.

Captured and tortured. Blasted into space. Left to rot in dungeons. Impaled, drowned, maimed by wild animals...and even shot a few times. Through it all, he had lived. He now knew the real reason for it was connected to the Cup of Life and how it had altered his DNA, but it didn't make the pain that radiated through his chest any less.

Heimdall had explained the exact method the Cup used. It had enhanced his own genetic structure and the ability for cells to regenerate at an alarming speed. It provided a kick-start when his body was near failure, and kept him as youthful and healthy as the day the druids had saved him. But, Heimdall had warned him that there might be certain circumstances in which it might not work fast enough. Although she refused to elaborate, only saying that she hadn't had time to work out what those circumstances would be.

The burning agony was something he could brush off. He'd have to throw away the shirt, and maybe even his favorite coat, but clothing was something he didn't have that much of an attachment to.

What worried him at the moment was the chasm of fire that loomed up behind him. He might have been close to immortal, but he'd never fallen into a pit of flames created by Ascended beings.

His eyes met Percival's and time seemed to speed back up. He felt his knees beginning to buckle as another shot slammed into his side.

His eyes held his friend's across the room. With a final glance at the sword in his hand, he knew what he had to do.

It took all of his strength, but he managed to throw the sword before his body gave out and he tumbled over the edge.

Percival managed to catch the blade by the hilt. His heart clenched when he looked back and didn't see Leon - only the open gate and the fiery abyss beyond.

Closing off his emotions, he refused to allow himself to worry about Leon's fate. Battle still surrounded him and there was nothing he could do to help his friend.

Percival looked down at the sword in his hand. There was only one way he could think of to honor Leon's sacrifice. He had to get it to Arthur.

He ignored the panicked cries of Sebryn and her people as he forced his way past the Ori soldiers. Bolts from the energy weapons narrowly missed him as he ran.

Sebryn was on her radio the moment she saw him flee. They were so close to completion, but the incoming assault had her still holding the crystal, while trying to take cover in a room containing nothing but a growing number of bodies.

The whole plan had been flawed from the start, and she had known it. She had argued with her father about it, but he had refused to allow a full assault on the planet. Thankfully, she hadn't been the only one to realize it was going to take more than a simple infiltration to deploy the weapon and defeat the Ori. Others among the council had agreed and had gone behind Gilgamesh's back to secure the added support Sebryn would require.

The tech who had hacked into the Ori systems to find the map gave her a thumbs up. He'd managed to override the shields protecting the tower and Sebyrn called to the Asgard ship on her radio.

They needed backup, and they needed it yesterday. More Furling fighters were beamed directly into the room. They began pushing back the soldiers and securing their foothold to finish the job.

"Fracking hell! I thought we would have time..." Gwaine cursed, but his words were nearly drowned out by the roar of the crowd.

This wasn't Camelot. Merlin was not some random person accused of sorcery. Uther had been dead for centuries. Arthur's mind finally broke out of its reflection. "We have to save him."

"We need a distraction, so we can take out that Prior. What I wouldn't give for one of the Anti-Prior devices right now from the SGC."

Arthur silently agreed. His eyes scanned the area and began to formulate a plan. "I'll go distract the Prior, while you get Merlin."

"I don't think so."

"Why ever not?"

"Because, you need to be the one to get Merlin. Besides, I'm a better shot." Gwaine winked and grinned. He darted off through the crowd before Arthur could argue.

Percival rushed through the halls and down into the streets. He wasn't sure he'd be able to find his way back, or how he had managed to find his way out. His mind was a blur and his eyes were clouded with tears he refused to shed.

Leon would be alright. He had to be, he thought to himself. Laney would kill each and every one of them, including her brother, if Leon didn't somehow return with them.

The central square was crowded, and finding two men trying to blend in was difficult at best. Scanning the throngs of people, his eyes inevitably reached the center spectacle.

Merlin was surrounded by flames and chained to a stone. Gulping, Percival forced his eyes to move on. He knew his friends had to be nearby. There was no way they would let Merlin suffer if they had a choice.

A flash of something...possibly a weapon under a cloak...but then it was gone.

Finally, he spotted Arthur snaking his way through the crowd toward the stone circle on the other side. The look on his face was determined. He saw his king glance to the side, and followed the blond man's gaze.

Gwaine was trying to sneak up on the Prior. The telltale shape of his rifle was barely discernible under the cloak. Percival didn't know what their plan was, but he began moving closer toward the center to assist Arthur and give the sword back.

Suddenly, out of the sky shot large winged shapes, just as the roar of engines from Ori fighter ships filled the air. The crowd erupted into chaos, as a battle began to take shape over their glorious city.

Gwaine had found a position nearby and started to pull out his rifle, when he spared a glance toward the sky as he heard a loud, distressed roar. He instinctively ducked, when he saw a dragon falling toward the crowded square.

The winged creature and its rider managed to divert their descent at the last moment. They slammed into the nearby tower, showering glass and metal in a deadly rain of debris, and taking at least one of the small ships with it.

Pulses of light from the ships lit up the sky along with flames from the dragons, as the battle commenced above him. Magic and technology clashed together in brilliant and deadly display.

He saw another of the one-manned fighters get hit by a wave of fire. It exploded in the air. Sparks and ash fell among the crowd.

The Doci watched it all happen around him with a stoic gaze.

When Gwaine turned back to the Prior, he saw the man's hazy eyes turned toward him. He hastily brought up his rifle, even though he knew the Prior would be able to deflect the bullets. Before he could squeeze off a shot, his lungs began to burn and his body was lifted off of the ground. He could feel the power of the Doci crushing the life out of him.

Arthur didn't question the confusion or the much needed distraction. His eyes were set on one thing.

Merlin.

His best friend was still chained to the center stone, surrounded by fire that crept closer with every passing second. He didn't think twice as he rushed the crucible, covering his face with his cloaked arm. "Merlin!" He cried out, as he braved the final hurdle of flames and threw the smouldering cloak aside.

He reached for the chains, but found no way to release them.

"Arthur?" Merlin panted with bleary eyes. "I found her, Arthur. I can't save her, but we'll die together against the Ori..."

"Shut up, you idiot. I need to get you out of these chains."

"Say 'goodbye' to Martha for me. Tell her I love her."

"You can tell her yourself." Percival's deep voice said calmly.

Arthur's brow pinched, as he looked up to see the large man, with his clothing and arm hair smoking. He was elated to see his friend by his side, but he noticed the sadness in the man's eyes. Glancing around for Leon and Gwaine, he saw the latter hanging in midair, suspended by magic. Leon was nowhere to be seen.

"Your sword." Percival held out the weapon and tilted his head toward the chains.

Grasping the hilt, he nodded, "Go help Gwaine."

Merlin's lungs burned from the smoke. He could feel the fire licking at his body, but he was at peace. Aithusa took away the pain from the flames surrounding him. The chains bound his magic in much the same way that the Ori shield kept her hostage. Their souls were linked now in a way they had never been before. He finally understood some of his father's memories kept on Moros' computer system.

The bond Balinor had shared with Kilgharrah, and the missed opportunities for Merlin to understand his own made him sad. At least in these final moments, he would have peace. They were the last of their kind and they would perish together. Finally whole.

He thought he caught a glimpse of Arthur through the smoke, but passed it off as a hallucination. Rambling and slurring, he gave his imagined version of Arthur a message.

His magic ached under his skin, confined by the chains that held him tight. A clang of steel resounded in his ears and his magic flared to life as he fell forward, suddenly released from the chains.

His arms quivered when he tried to push himself upright; the fire burning his chest and face. But, he felt like he could finally breathe.

Strong hands pulled him upright into a hug. "Come on, Merlin. We need to get you out of here."

He weakened arm was lifted over Arthur's shoulder, and he was jostled around as his friend looked for a way across the flames.

A strangled cry finally grabbed Merlin's attention. He lifted his gaze toward the Doci. Percival had been shot by a guard, and Gwaine dangled from unseen tendrils of power. He tried to lift his arm, even though his body was too weak to react.

"Take my energy, Dragon Lord." He heard Aithusa call to his mind.

"You are too weak..."

"Neither of us will survive if you do not."

A warm wave seeped through him and his mind began to clear. He pushed away from Arthur, sweeping his hand over the flames and extinguishing them in its wake.

"Doci!" He cried out above the roar of the battle and the cowering masses. His hand shot out again, sending a blast of power toward the man.

The Leader of the Priors looked toward him in disdain. Even with Merlin now standing amidst the cold rings and dragons flying overhead, he didn't believe he could be defeated.

Merlin knew this was not the time for mercy. He gathered all of his remaining strength - much of which was borrowed from Aithusa - and thrust his arm outward.

The Doci brought up his arms instinctively to shield himself.

Sebryn fell to the floor as the tower shook.

For a moment, even the Ori soldiers seemed taken aback.

She smiled and nodded to herself. From the moment that Percival had run out of the room and Leon was nowhere to be seen, she had known they needed assistance.

"We're clear!" Someone yelled.

Sebryn wasted no time in running full speed toward the weapon. She stopped short and cried out in horror at what she saw.

During the fighting, the weapon had been left exposed. Everything had happened so quickly and the battle had been so completely chaotic that no one had given a second thought to it.

One of the crystalline arms that came up from the base to hold the Sangraal had been broken.

There was no place to set the crystal to activate the one thing that could defeat the Ori.

AN: Yes more cliffhangers...Please leave a comment! We're getting very close to the end of this ride!