Title: Turning Pages.
Summary: A ficlet miscellany inspired by random music/desserts/quotes/movies or thoughts. No slash.
Inspiration: Song: I'd Come For You by Nickleback.
Heard this song again after a long long time…Of course I was typing like mad after I finished listening to it. :P
A/N: Must- not -waste- time- and- do -essays...
Anyway, enjoy the product of my procrastination. ;)
"I'd crawl across this world for you
Do anything you want me to
No matter what, remember
You know I'll always come for you."
(…)
"But only if you told me to."
- 'I'd come for you' by Nickleback.
Only if You Told Me To.
It was during Merlin's third week as Court Sorcerer that Sir Gwaine reached a chilling conclusion.
As Albion flourished along with his predestined savior Gwaine found himself listening to half-baked tales in the lower town, and peering into parchments that supposedly depicted some legendary prophecies about an all-powerful warlock and a mighty king…
The first time Gwaine had heard about Arthur being the noble Once and Future King he'd laughed so hard that ale stained the front of his chain mail. Stubborn, oblivious, prattish Arthur? A legendary King?
Believing that Merlin was 'The Emrys' wasn't any easier. Gwaine had raised his eyebrows when he heard of this omnipotent man that could command the skies and assured everyone around him with a nod of his head. "ah, mates! Merlin is as dangerous as a butterfly, and half as strong."
Of course, not three weeks later, his smug smile turned into a horrified and awed grimace when he witnessed with his own eyes what these so called 'prophecies' were talking about.
Gwaine could deal with that. Really, he could. Watching Merlin display an immense amount of power and zap Lot's armies with nothing but a gesture was hard, but he swallowed it fairly quickly. And his admiration for his friend knew no boundaries when Merlin stopped his attack to shield children who were caught up in the middle of the battle.
Yes, that part was easy. Merlin was a duality, the clumsiest man he knew and yet as mighty as thirty sorcerers put together. It made sense. There was something about Merlin that he couldn't put his finger on, after all.
However, we've reached the part of the tale in which we dive upon Sir Gwaine's chilling conclusion, that is, we watch as Sir Gwaine heard the echo of a scream and saw Lot running towards the upper part of the field, followed by someone who could only be Arthur. Then, Gwaine saw Arthur fall.
From Sir Gwaine's perspective Arthur was doomed before he hit the ground. He thought he saw Lot's sword impale through the King's flesh as shake him as if he was a rag doll before the man crumbled down.
Somewhere in the haze that fogged his mind Gwaine heard Leon and Elyan scream Arthur's name and then he saw Merlin turn around faster than he thought possible, forgetting everything and everyone around him as he searched for his King.
Up until now Sir Gwaine had laughed in the face of every single person who'd implied that Merlin was dangerous.
Now, however….
…he himself was trembling and staring, awed, as his friend's face became something he'd never thought he'd see.
Just as quickly as Arthur disappeared from his view Merlin began moving. He seemed to reach for King Arthur first but then it became apparent that he'd never make it, not in a million years. Merlin screamed and the sound made Sir Gwaine quake in his armor.
Then, in Sir Gwaine's own words, hell broke loose.
Quite literally.
The ground shook and as Gwaine tried to understand why there was a sudden earthquake he found Merlin's hand raised up and those gentle eyes he knew so well swimming in golden hues. Realization hit him and he stared, dumbfounded, as the skies rumbled and the wind rushed around the warlock that was his first friend.
Merlin was not Merlin anymore, he was something else entirely. He was not even human. The roar still pierced Sir Gwaine's ears as Merlin rushed through the battlefield, striking down every single thing that moved to make his way towards his King. Towards Arthur.
Thankfully Leon's quick thinking saved them, or so Gwaine thought. The knight had dragged his fellow Round Table members towards the shade of the trees and out of the Emrys' path.
The path of his wrath.
Gwaine couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor soldiers that were flying through the air as if they were nothing but pawns.
Sir Gwaine thought his quota of daily wonders was fulfilled but he was wrong. Because as Merlin made his way towards the place Arthur had disappeared King Lot decided to raise his sword to signal victory and smile down at the Camelotians. Merlin's inhuman growl echoed through each of their hearts and chilled Sir Gwaine to the bone. Then, out of nowhere, there were three or four hooded man standing in front of King Lot, obviously magic users.
They all began advancing towards Merlin. And as they were about to clash Sir Gwaine was witness to the second wonder of that day.
Merlin killed them all with a flash of his golden eyes.
The third wonder was King Arthur, sodded and tired, appearing behind his men and wondering out loud if the idiot of his Court Sorcerer had gone insane.
We have to go back and understand that Arthur was perfectly alright, that is to say, he was most definitely not dead. He'd fallen down the hill and rolled out of view, knocking himself unconscious with a rock. After a while, he'd come around, grumbled about losing Excalibur and made his way – following the path of the river so that he was unnoticed and not targeted- towards the rest of his knights.
He saw what looked like heaven and earth had clashed together as he reached the battlefield again and exclaimed frustratingly. "The idiot went insane!"
Of course, Sir Gwaine was surprised beyond belief and gave his King a good whack around the head as the knights stared at the resurrected man with wide eyes. Then, Arthur asked again what on earth was Merlin doing and the knights just stared at him, not knowing what to say.
One of the most terrifying things Gwaine saw that day happened right after Arthur made his presence known. Merlin, apparently not satisfied with killing half of Escetia's population and destroying what used to be a perfectly good field, was advancing dangerously towards Lot and raising a hand as if to kill him right there and then, never minding that the man had cowered behind the children Merlin had carried to safety just a few hours before.
It was Percival who reached the scene first, of course. He started sprinting towards Merlin sooner than any of the knights. As Gwaine and the others rushed behind him, Percival placed both of his hands in each side of his mouth and screamed. "MERLIN! YOU HAVE TO STOP!"
Sir Gwaine would never forget the children petrified faces as Merlin's emotionless eyes bore through them and the golden in them intensified.
It still made his stomach flip years after.
Percival attempted to grab Merlin's arm and turn him around, but as his fingers brushed their friend's dirty cloak he was thrown backwards and crashed into the ground by an invisible force.
Gwaine's mouth hung open after that.
They all stared at Merlin with astonished faces as Percival rose to his feet and tried again. But, once more, he was blasted to the ground and no matter how many times Gwaine screamed Merlin's name the man did not turn around to face him. It was as if his friend had been possessed entirely by something far greater than any of them.
Merlin's eyes began gathering power within them and the children all stifled a cry, seeing their death approaching….
"MERLIN, STOP!"
The pale hand that was about to bring down fire from the skies stopped short and Sir Gwaine turned his head around- so fast that his neck cracked- to see King Arthur advancing towards them.
Sir Leon said, "Don't come any closer sire!"
Of course, paying no heed, King Arthur elbowed his way through them, limping and cursing. Not showing the littlest bit of fear he placed both of his hands in Merlin's shoulders, spurning him around and commanding firmly, once again.
"Merlin. Stop."
And low and behold, Merlin did.
The fire in his eyes faded until they were its usual deep blue and his brow furrowed when he looked up at King Arthur's dirty face. Then, uncertainly, Merlin asked. "Arthur?"
"Yes, it's me you complete idiot. What were you thinking blasting half of this god forsaken land into oblivion?"
Merlin looked at him as if he'd never seen anything so wonderful in his entire life. His eyes trailed down from Arthur's eyes to his pursed lips and to his sodded armor before a wide, teary grin spread through his face.
"You're alive." The Emrys croaked out, eyes glistening for moments.
Arthur simply snorted. "Of course." but before he could add anything else Merlin was crushing him in a tight hug while Sir Gwaine, still with his mouth agape, watched.
Thus was Sir Gwaine's chilling revelation. It was not verifying with his eyes just how amazingly powerful and overall extremely dangerous his best bud could be but recognizing the legends were true in the course of a few seconds. For, no matter how many times he called Merlin's name, the man did not even acknowledge he was being spoken to. However, Arthur's voice, no matter how far, had brought him back.
He'd often wondered if Merlin was everything that held the hot-tempered Pendragon at bay but this…this role reversal came through as an epiphany.
Sir Gwaine understood, during Merlin's third week as a Court Sorcerer and his first battle to reclaim lands, just how much the king and the warlock depended on each other.
And the next time he found bards reciting legends in the tavern no mocking laugh came from his lips. The next time he found bards reciting legends while drinking ale Sir Gwaine approached them and he himself took a peek.
He'd never understood the overused phrase 'two sides of the same coin' as well as he did after witnessing that particular battle.