Chapter 1

The moon is bright and full as it shines through the clearing, casting an ethereal glow upon the dewy grass and glistening across Morgana's porcelain skin. The young Witch closes her eyes as a light breeze rustles through the canopy, sending locks of ebony hair swirling hypnotically around her face. She breathes deeply, taking in the scent of the forest and the light buzz of magic that lingers in the air, thrumming in time with her heartbeat. She hears the joyous laughter of her companions off to her right and allows a small, content smile to paint its way across her lips. It's amazing, she thinks, how much can change in such a short amount of time. The first steps toward a better future have been taken and the time of Albion is glittering proudly on the horizon. However, the young Witch knows that this peaceful euphoria cannot last. Soon they will begin to move forward with their plan to dethrone the King of Camelot and the crushing reality of their mission will once again weigh heavily upon their shoulders.

Morgana hears the light shuffle of footsteps coming toward her and she can feel her new companion lower to the ground as their shoulders brush together lightly. Immediately, she knows who has joined her. Through their slight contact, she feels the comforting tingle of pure magic seeping through the cloth of her sleeve and into her skin, filling her with warmth as it entangles with her own magic.

Merlin.

She instinctively leans into the touch and sighs as Merlin's arm snakes around her shoulders.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Merlin mumbles, pressing a light kiss to the top of her head.

"It is. It's nice to see Arthur so happy, despite everything." Morgana replies, glancing over at Arthur and Gwen, who are snuggled up together against a rock halfway across the clearing. Merlin hums in response, letting out a slow breath as he relaxes his body, mirroring her gaze and smiling fondly at the couple.

They allow themselves to revel in the night's wonder for a few more moments, enjoying the calming bliss that has settled in the air. Eventually, Merlin lets out a heavy, yet content sigh and stands, offering his hand to Morgana.

"M'lady." He says, grinning cheekily as he lowers into a bow, his hand still outstretched. Morgana giggles and rolls her eyes at Merlin's dramatics, but takes his hand nonetheless, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

"Oh, how formal. And chivalrous! You better be careful, Merlin, or I might get used to this kind of treatment." Morgana grins as she pulls Merlin's body flush against her own.

"I hope you do. I intend to treat you with the respect you deserve until my dying breath, Morgana." Merlin mumbles, bringing their lips together in a soft, loving kiss.

"Oi! That's my sister you're snogging, Merlin! Don't make me put you in the stocks for giving me nightmares!" Arthur calls as he stomps over to the couple with Gwen trailing closely behind him.

Merlin pulls away from Morgana, much to the woman's chagrin, and turns his head to face the Crowned Prince.

"And that's my best friend you were snogging not three minutes ago. If anyone should be worried, it's you. Or have you forgotten that I know where you sleep?" Merlin snarks back, smirking at the sight of his friend's pale complexion and wide eyes.

"I- You- You wouldn't dare ha-" Arthur's expression shifts. "Wait, I thought I was your best friend!"

"It depends on the day." Merlin states airily, pulling away from Morgana and walking across the clearing to retrieve something from his bag.

"What?! Merlin!" Arthur's face turns a brilliant Pendragon red and he seems to have lost the ability to speak coherently.

"Hush now, dear." Gwen soothes, coming up next to Arthur and latching onto his arm, pecking him lightly on the cheek. Arthur immediately calms down, and suddenly, the red colouring of his cheeks is there for a completely different reason. Morgana giggles at the couple, amused by the fact that Gweneviere already seems to have Arthur wrapped around her finger.

After giving the young Prince some time to regain his composure, the trio wanders over to where Merlin is now sitting cross-legged on the ground, leaning against a rock with a weathered tome in his lap. As Morgana, Arthur, and Gwen take their seats around him, Merlin continues to flip gently through the book's pages. Morgana looks at him fondly, finding his incoherent mumbles and expressive facial features endearing.

"Aha!" Merlin exclaims suddenly, snapping Morgana out of her daze and startling their two companions. "I found it!"

"Couldn't you have just used magic to do that?" Arthur questions, rolling his eyes despite his genuine curiosity. Merlin's head pops up and he fixes his wide eyes upon his friend.

"Well, yeah, I guess so. I honestly didn't even think about it." Merlin replies, a contemplative expression spreading across his features.

"You're an idiot." Arthur teases, trying (and failing, I might add) to sound serious.

"Why, thank you, sire. I do try." Merlin snarks back with a grin, eliciting bouts of humoured laughter from his friends. Once their chuckles have faded, Morgana begins to speak.

"So, what were you looking for, anyway?"

"A spell." Merlin replies without missing a beat, earning a smack on the arm from his lover.

"Well, yes, I knew that, Merlin. Which one?" Morgana sighs exasperatedly.

"I was getting there!" Merlin's pout only gains a raised eyebrow from the witch seated beside him and he huffs moodily at his failure to placate her. "Astryce. It's a spell used to push back enemies. It's mainly used in combat. Here." Merlin hands the book over to Morgana and the young woman readily takes it, her eyes scanning over the text greedily as she tries to soak in as much information as possible.

Suddenly, Morgana realizes something, and she hastily looks up to meet Merlin's gaze. "Merlin, if it's a combat spell, then how are we going to practice it?" Merlin looks sheepish as he rubs the back of his neck with his left hand.

"Well, you see, about that…" Morgana raises an eyebrow at him in an unimpressed manner, looking eerily similar to Gaius. "You're going to cast the spell on me?" Merlin says slowly, voicing his words as a question in his anxiety as a worried smile works its way onto his lips.

"No. Absolutely not."

"Morgana-"

"No! I am not going to cast this at you when I have barely even begun to understand my magic and how to control it! I could hurt you! Or worse, even!" Morgana's words devolve into a frantic rant as she speaks, her arms flailing wildly as she attempts to make her point.

"Morgana!" Merlin begins, reaching out to grab her wayward hands softly in his. "I'll be fine. You just need to trust me, alright? Whatever you throw at me, I can assure you, I've been through worse." Merlin's eyes are solemn yet comforting, and Morgana takes a moment to consider his words. He's right, she realizes. The only way to learn is through application. Studying words on a page will get her nowhere in a fight if she's never actually performed the spell before. However, just because there is merit to Merlin's logic, does not mean that she has to like it.

Morgana sighs, but concedes, allowing Merlin to pull her to her feet and lead her a short distance away from Arthur and Gwen, who have been watching this exchange with worried glances.

"Alright," Merlin begins, squeezing Morgana's shoulders comfortingly before walking about fifteen paces away from her so they're standing facing each other. "Do you remember what we talked about before? About how to access your magic?" Morgana nods definitively, her body and expression taking on an air of determination. Merlin smiles. "Good; Now, remember, the spell is Astryce. When you cast it, you need to be sure of your intent and have a firm resolve. If you do not wish for your enemy to be thrown back, then your magic will react accordingly. Whenever you're ready." Merlin braces himself, bending his knees and tightening his core as he braces for impact.

Morgana closes her eyes, taking deep breaths as she reaches within herself, quickly finding the electric spark of her magic and allowing it to flow through her, making her entire body tingle with anticipation. Happily, she realizes that she can still feel the presence of Merlin's magic entangled within her own. It's a calming presence and it anchors her to reality as she learns to control the elemental strength that her power brings.

"Astryce!" Morgana shouts, her authoritative cry ringing out through the open sky. Her eyes snap open, irises a burning gold as her magic swells within her and is violently released through her outstretched hands.

Mere seconds after the spell is cast, Merlin is sent flying backward, landing with a resounding thump on the ground. As the fire fades from Morgana's eyes she takes in the crumpled form of her lover lying on the ground.

"Merlin!" She begins to move toward him, only to be stopped abruptly by the sound of Merlin's joyous laughter. She watches him stagger to his feet with a wide grin splitting his face and blatant pride shining in his eyes.

"Brilliant! Absolutely, bloody brilliant!" With a few more chuckles, Merlin glances down, shaking his head happily as he gently rubs his lower back. "You, M'lady, are a quick study." He chirps, looking back up at Morgana, who is still frozen in place. After another moment, Merlin's face adopts a more serious expression. "Again." He demands, once again positioning his body in a fighting stance.

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me. Again. We need to make sure this wasn't a one-time thing. Just because you've done something once, doesn't mean you can do it again. And besides, you need to be comfortable with the spell. When you're in the middle of a fight, you don't have time to take a moment to compose yourself. It has to be both instinctual and controlled all at once, which takes practice. So, we're going to do this a few more times just to make sure you've got it." Morgana grimaces but agrees nonetheless, once again reaching for her magic, feeling the increasingly familiar tug in her gut as she incants the spell and once again sends Merlin flying through the air.

After a few more tries, and once Merlin is well and truly sore, they decide to call it a day. The couple slowly makes their way, hand in hand, back over to where Arthur and Gwen are sitting. They two onlookers seem awestruck and impressed. Neither one of them has really witnessed - or felt - magic in that way before, and the stark realization that magic, despite the combative intent of this particular spell, can be something other than inherently violent has obviously shocked them. Once the two magic users are seated, Arthur and Gwen shake themselves out of their surprised haze.

"That was incredible." Gwen murmurs, remembering the sensation of raw power brushing against her skin as it gathered in the clearing in answer to Morgana's call.

"I have no idea how my father could believe that magic is evil. What I just witnessed was nothing short of amazing. I admit it is a bit unnerving to think about, but amazing nonetheless." Arthur proclaims, quietly. Merlin's magic buzzes happily beneath his skin at Arthur's words, and once again he is reminded of the coming of Albion, and how close this previously uncertain future has become.

Merlin reaches out and places a hand on Arthur's shoulder, locking eyes with his best friend. And as Emrys and The Once and Future King's determined gazes meet, a message seems to spread across the land, echoing in the hearts of every magic user and thrumming within the very ground.

Today, every magic user sings for the future that is to come.

Today, hope is restored.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Just as with the first part of this series ("We Can Create Our Own Destiny") there will be no regular update schedule due to another story I am writing with my best friend. However, I am going to try to update semi-frequently, but I am posting this story as I am writing (maybe not the best approach, but I'm impatient) so I can't make any promises.

Comments and favorites are much appreciated! Thank you so much for reading!

Much Love,

Raven_Grey2107