Camelot

February, 509 AD

"But... he is still alive," a puzzled Sir Gwaine bravely pointed out the obvious once Merlin and I were done explaining what happened with the Disir.

"Yes, don't you see?" my brother asked as his eyes darted among everyone in the room – a reasonably sceptical Gaius, a slightly horrified Gwen, Gwaine of course, and yours truly – while he tapped his fingers on the table. "Mordred's life is Arthur's punishment for rejecting magic. That was the Disir's judgement."

I interjected to briefly explain to Gwaine and Gwen what he means by that, seeing as we haven't told them about the dumb prophecy yet.

The knight scoffed. "That is ridiculous, Mordred loves Arthur."

"Well, that is his destiny," my brother claimed.

"No. That's what those b*tches believe his destiny to be," I countered.

"Oh, and I assume you have a different explanation," Merlin spat, almost patronisingly.

"Yeah, actually," I shot back with a glare. Then I took a few moments to ease up and gather everything that I've reflected since we returned, making sure to go over every detail one last time in my mind before laying it on the table, "Beings like the Disir want magic to reign free again, right? At any cost. They don't care if anyone has to suffer to bring it back."

I paused to look around, surveying my friends' reactions. Merlin's expression was stoic and unreadable. Gwen seemed concerned. Gwaine was curious. And Gaius maintained his usual air of scepticism.

"Another thing that these creatures have in common is that they all believe the prophecy that K told Merls about – that Mordred's destined to kill Artie," I continued. "So, I guess that they figured that they could either force him to bring back magic, or have him wiped off the board and bring it back themselves, or something."

"But you do not seem worried about the prophecy," Gwen wisely noted.

"Nope. I don't think that kid has a mean bone in his body and, as long as we continue to guide him down the right path, he'll be fine," I answered with a shrug. "In any case, we will bring back magic eventually. Just not at the demand of some pissy witches."

Merlin still didn't seem too sold on the idea.

"One thing I do not get –" Gwaine cut in, addressing me, "you are working to bring back magic. Surely the Disir and others like them know this? If you are on the right path, like we all believe, why are they not acknowledging that?"

"Because the seers cannot see her," Merlin said in a low whisper.

I frowned and tilted my head. "What?"

He sighed and moved closer to me, taking my hands in his. "I am sorry, Astra. I should have told you sooner."

I could feel some colour draining out of my face as I gulped. "Tell me what?"

Am I really dead and I'm a ghost? Am I supposed to die? Has everything been only a dream?! Am I in a simulation?!

My brother squeezed his eyes shut for a second or two, then he took a deep breath that took way too long to be complete, and finally, he looked me in the eyes as he said, "Since you are out of time, the seers cannot see you."

"Really? That's kinda cool!" I chirped as a grin formed on my lips, instantly feeling relieved. I'm alive and this is real!

"How do you know this?" Gwaine asked him. "You are not a seer."

Merlin shook his head and gestured for all of us to take a seat at the kitchen bench before explaining...


December, 503 AD

"What do you know about time-travel?" Merlin asked.

The great dragon, Kilgharrah, tilted his head in confusion at the young sorcerer's words; feeling utterly confused by the spontaneous question. "Time-travel?" he echoed.

"Yes."

"I do not believe that such a thing is possible," the dragon responded.

"Yes, it is," Merlin quickly shot back. "My friend Astra is from the future."

The dragon almost recoiled from the heavy information that was just thrown at him. He has heard the young sorcerer mention this 'Astra' a few times in the past and it never ceases to rattle his insides. The way he always speaks about her, with such fondness, always leaves him flabbergasted on the inside. Given the importance that the girl seems to have for Merlin, he would think that the prophecies would speak of her, and yet, he'd never even heard the name before. And now, this revelation that... she is from the future?! No, Kilgharrah must've heard it wrong.

"That is impossible," he repeated.

"You might want to re-think your definition of 'impossible', because I know, without a doubt, that Astra is from the future," Merlin retorted.

An excruciating sense of helplessness grew within Kilgharrah. He has always prided himself in his ample knowledge of the world and how it works. He has always found a sense of comfort in knowing what the future holds based on the prophecies of the Old Religion. Now here he stands, being confronted by two big enigmas he has no answers for: 'time-travel' and 'Astra'.

"Well, do you know how she did it?" the dragon inquired while feeling his ego twist in agony.

Far from feeling cocky in the face of the dragon's lack of knowledge, Merlin felt worried. "Some acquaintances of hers built what she calls a time-machine. Something went wrong while they were testing it and she somehow ended up fifteen centuries back in time," he explained.

Kilgharrah choked on a small amount of smoke that raised in his throat in response to the absolute lunacy he was hearing. "Fifteen centuries?!"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?!"

"I do not see why she would lie," Merlin replied with a small shrug.

The dragon began to panic, though he did his best not to let it show. This isn't supposed to happen! "Merlin, you must send her back, no matter what the cost," he said sternly. "She is not supposed to be here."

Merlin felt his heart twist in a way that was almost physically painful. He knows that Astra misses her home. That's why he's currently conversing with the dragon – she was gloomy during the Christmas celebrations (she tried to hide it, but she did a terrible job of it) and he wants to help her. However, a big selfish part of him wishes that she would stay. Despite her eccentricities, he has grown to truly enjoy her company.

"How do I do that?" he asked the dragon, a slight hint of reluctance in his tone.

"I do not know, young warlock. Like I said, this should be impossible," Kilgharrah responded. Merlin slowly nodded in understanding. "One thing is for certain, though: the girl out of time does not belong here."


August, 504 AD

Feeling deflated – and very fed up – after a senseless fight with Arthur, Merlin hesitantly made his way down to Kilgharrah's cave after Gaius went to sleep.

The Prince has been a handful ever since Astraea went back to her time. Well, more of a handful than usual. It has only been a month, which means that the wound left by her departure is still very fresh, and Merlin can empathise, for his heart aches as well. However, the sharp pain on his shoulder-blade from where Arthur struck him with a thrown vase after a minor mistake indicates that the trouble is only just beginning, and the young sorcerer fears he might end up six feet under if the Prince continues to behave so erratically.

Kilgharrah didn't get a chance to greet the sorcerer before a strong statement was thrown at him – "You were wrong about Astra."

The beast recoiled at the harshness in Merlin's tone and he stared at him with narrowed eyes, not missing the upset look on his face. Clearly, he cares deeply about the girl. And the dragon won't lie to himself and pretend that he disliked the girl, because he had certainly been amused by her personality the one time when he met her.

"She belongs in Camelot," Merlin continued. "She belongs at Arthur's side. He has been nothing but a big clotpole since she left."

Once again, the topic of 'Astra' rendered Kilgharrah speechless – this time brought on by the implication that the destined 'Once and Future King' is somehow deeply attached to the girl out of time. He had hoped that whatever anomaly she had sparked in history would get fixed by her departure. But it appears that her presence in Camelot, however brief, has caused some serious damage.

"His feelings will fade, with time," Kilgharrah finally responded. "I know that she was a true friend to Camelot, but some things cannot be, no matter how right they seem."

And with that, he flew away, not wanting to break his mind over the topic any longer.


January, 505 AD

"You are in a good mood," Merlin noted with a knowing smile as he drew back the covers on Arthur's bed.

The Prince sported a distinguished smile that the young sorcerer knows only ever comes out when he's thinking about one person in particular – Astra, who has just returned from twenty-first-century America and is here to stay for good. So screw what the great dragon says, right?

"I kissed her," Arthur revealed, unable to hold his tongue as his dazed smile grew.

A teasing smirk formed on Merlin's lips. "Really?"

"She kissed me back," the Prince continued, ignoring the comment as he plopped down on his bed with a dreamy sigh. "I am the most fortunate man alive."

The young sorcerer has seen his master in an enamoured state many times in the past year or so, all of them brought on by Astra (except for that one time when he was enchanted by an evil Sidhe girl). However, what stands before him is a whole new level of lovestruck.

"Congratulations," Merlin finally said, feeling truly happy for his two friends. And for himself, now that he'll probably (hopefully) get better treatment from the Prince, considering that he no longer has a reason to be grumpy.

"Do you think she would want to marry me?" Arthur questioned as he cuddled up with a couple of pillows.

Merlin felt as if lightning had struck him and he froze for a second. Astra is nowhere near ready for something that big! He tried to brush off the stunned feeling as he pulled the covers over the Prince while cautioning, "I think you should take it slow. You do not want to scare her away."

Arthur let out another dreamy sigh. "Good point."

The young sorcerer put out the candles in the room and he moved towards the door, feeling a smile playing on his lips. As he walked towards the physician's chambers, he reflected upon how wrong Kilgharrah had been when he suggested that Astra doesn't belong in Camelot. Everything suggests that she does, starting with the fact that Arthur is very much in love with her, and ending with the fascinating truth that Uther has a soft spot for her.

With that in mind, Merlin changed course and decided to pay the great dragon a visit.

"Astra is back!" he announced upon arrival, a big smile forming on his lips.

Kilgharrah flew over from the back of the cave and perched himself upon his usual rock. "What?"

"She came back," the boy repeated.

"Merlin!" the dragon roared in frustration.

Merlin might've recoiled if he weren't so happy to have his best friend back. Instead, he gave the creature a taunting grin as he responded, "Astra is back and she is here to stay. I do not care what you say, she belongs here as much as I do."

"The pair of you are playing with things beyond comprehension, Merlin," Kilgharrah warned. "Bending time could prove to be fatal!"

"I do not see how! Astra makes everyone happy. Even Uther! What is so wrong about having her around? It is not like she is going to bring about the fall of Camelot!"

Kilgharrah was in the dark once more, and he warned, "Tread with caution, Merlin."


December, 505 AD

Kilgharrah knows that he will have to work very hard to repair his relationship with Merlin after he briefly lost his sanity and tried to burn down the entirety of Camelot in a thoughtless search for revenge. So he thought that it would be very sensible to start doing so by trying to find out what is the deal with Astraea Aphelion. He travelled around the land of Albion, going as far as the Perilous Lands and the Isle of the Blessed, as he consulted with different creatures and people connected to the Old Religion. When he obtained some interesting information, he went to find the dragonlord.

Merlin was definitely annoyed to be pulled out of his sleep by a calling in his mind. He looked around at the camp in the woods, wanting to ensure that Astra was still sleeping soundly, and then he silently stood up and left.

"This had better be good," Merlin growled when he saw the dragon, still half-fearing that his best friend had noticed him leaving. He would hate to watch her experience a panic attack if she sees the beast.

"I have a lot to make up for, young warlock," Kilgharrah acknowledged.

"Yes, you do," Merlin promptly spat back.

"Well, then, allow me to be of service and inform you what I have learnt about Astra."

Unable to swallow his curiosity, Merlin agreed to hear him out.

"Her interference with time has caused the seers of the Old Religion to receive unclear images in regards to your and Arthur's futures. Images that were once certain and undeniable have turned blurry and, at times, completely indecipherable... I believe it is your friend who has caused this."

Merlin blanched and his shoulders tensed up as he suddenly started to dread the idea that, perhaps, the dragon had been right when he warned him about Astra's interference proving fatal.

"I-is that bad?" he asked in an unsteady whisper.

"Not necessarily," Kilgharrah answered. "The changes that her presence here brings about can prove to be good as easily as they could prove to be bad... Only her heart will tell."

As quickly as he'd become paralysed by fear, Merlin became flooded by relief. Astra might be eccentric, overly sarcastic, and a bit hot-headed; but he knows that there is nothing but good in her heart. She has strengthened Camelot and played a big part in bringing out the best in Arthur.

"You must not let your guard down, Merlin. You must preserve the girl's good heart, and she may yet prove to be a beacon of hope for Albion and the future we strive for," Kilgharrah finished.


April, 507 AD

"Yeah!... C'mon buddy, you've got this!... Yes!"

Merlin sat by Kilgharrah, watching from a decent distance as Astra played with Phoenix and Aithusa. After the revelation that they are old enough to begin learning how to fly, she had racked her brain for ideas on how to make that easier for them, and her years of working with horses had spewed out the possibility that setting up something similar to horse jumps might help the dragons by giving them a visible target to leap over and try to manoeuvre their wings. So she had set up some logs on the field and was now 'coaching' the little magical reptiles in the new game.

The young warlock was glad to see his sister distracted, for it gave him the perfect chance to speak to the older dragon about something that has been troubling his mind for a few days, ever since his and Astra's strange encounter with Morgana and Thanata when they went to rescue Gaius from the iron mine.

"They hurt him because they wanted information on Emrys... and someone they called 'the shadow'," Merlin explained.

No matter how much time goes by and how much better he's gotten to know her, the dragon never fails to be stunned by anything related to Astraea. However, unlike many times before, it didn't take him so long to find an explanation now. "Remember how I told you that the prophecies have become blurry?" Merlin nodded in affirmation. "Morgana is a seer. I assume that these visions reach her and, since she cannot see Astraea's figure properly..."

"She has labelled her 'the shadow'," the sorcerer completed.

"Precisely," the dragon nodded.

"They seemed to fear her," Merlin commented. "Thanata especially."

"It must be troublesome to not be able to see one's future clearly, especially when facing a figure who holds much power, such as yourself," Kilgharrah offered. "She likely sees Astra fighting at your side, and it scares her to not be able to tell who she is."

Merlin couldn't help but feel pleased at that idea. Though it also worried him. He does not want any harm to come to his sister! Ever!

As if reading his thoughts, the dragon gave him a cautionary look. "You must not forget who your duty is to. I know that you love Astra, but Arthur's life must come before anyone else's." That only earned him a deadly glare in response.


February, 509 AD

Merlin summoned Kilgharrah to a field not too far away from the castle after everyone went to sleep on the night when the team returned to Camelot after Arthur was given the runemark. He rapidly explained the latest horrifying event in his life as soon as the dragon landed before him.

"You were right to summon me, Merlin. The Disir are the mouthpiece of the Triple Goddess. It is she who has decreed Arthur's fate," the beast spoke gravely.

The sorcerer contemplated telling him what Astra thinks of the situation – that the Disir are trying to scare Arthur into submission and have him perform their will – but, seeing as he's facing a creature of the Old Religion, he worried that he might find it insulting; so he resolved to quiet that idea and instead inquired, "What is it to be?"

"The runemark predicts Arthur's death."

Merlin's stomach felt as if it had bursted and his face paled. "When? When will Arthur die?"

"The future is never clear, Merlin; you should know that well by now," the dragon responded, trying to remain calm in an effort to tranquillise his friend. "There are many paths. Not all lead to Camelot's ruin."

The sorcerer felt a little bit of peace settle within him again at that reminder. Although that faded when he remembered another scary prophecy that Kilgharrah told him about some five years ago, so he asked, "What about Mordred?"

"The druid boy?" the dragon questioned, earning an affirming nod. "Once upon a time, I would have told you that his fate and Arthur's are bound together like ivy round a tree... But, considering what we know about Astra..."

"It is possible that she might change things," Merlin realised.

"Yes. But I would remain cautious," Kilgharrah stated.

"Of course."


"Why didn't you tell me before?" I questioned my brother in between shaky exhales. My lungs have long given up proper function and the only thing keeping them from shutting down completely was Gwaine's hand rubbing soft circles on my back.

The idea that whatever dumb choices I might make in the future could directly impact whether Arthur lives or dies is the most terrifying thing I've ever heard! I've always followed Merlin, almost blindly, knowing that he's the one with superpowers. He's the one that can save a life in the blink of an eye! Me? I'm just a stupid, crazy girl who lives halfway between fantasy and reality!

Merlin seemed positively ridden with guilt as he replied in a mumble, "I did not want to overwhelm you."

"How kind of you," I sassed, feeling effectively overwhelmed.

"You must not let this feeling overpower you, dear girl," Gaius said gently while giving me a soft look.

"Pops – one wrong move and..." I squeezed my eyes shut and hid my face in my arms. I don't even want to think about it.

"I do not think it is quite as fragile as that," Gaius stated. I know he's trying to be reassuring, but I still sent him a glare. Arthur's life is not something to take lightly!

"It does not all fall on you, Astra," Merlin spoke again. "You are an important part of it, and we have an advantage in that the seers cannot see you, so they cannot target you; but we all have our part to play."

That doesn't make me feel at all better, but it's nice that he's trying.

"Right," I whispered while hiding my face in my arms once more.

"Astra," I heard my brother's voice again and felt a cool hand grasping mine. I looked up to make eye-contact with him. "This changes nothing. We just have to keep on doing what we have been doing all these years. Everything will be all right, I promise you that."

"Okay," I breathed out and gave him a weak grin.

Gwen stood up and moved towards me, prompting me to give her a questioning look. "You are exhausted, come on. I will walk you to your room," she suggested with a kind expression.

"Sure," I responded and lazily stood up. "A warm bath and a nap sound pretty nice."