OPENING HIS EYES, HE found himself surrounded by darkness. The only light being a small flame that came from the nearby fireplace. Squinting, it took a minute to remember what had happened. When he was able to, he heaved a soft sigh in relief. Emrys had made his way back before Merlin.

Pushing himself up on his elbows, Emrys bit his tongue as pain rippled through his shoulder. The pain had nearly subsided making him forget it was even there. Whatever Gaius had put on his wound was some kind of miracle paste ... when sitting still.

He sat up fully and pulled his legs over the side of the bed. He didn't have to look far to find Gaius hunched over with his head resting on his arms on the closet table, but Arthur was thankfully no where in sight. He didn't want to have to deal with that prat—as Merlin always put it.

Quietly, Emrys stood. His legs shook as they were not ready to hold all his weight, but he couldn't stay here. Being in Camelot any longer than he had to be made his skin crawl. He had learned to play Merlin's part well, but he was tired of always being the one trapped in the mind space. He wanted out. Permanently. But he needed to find something before he could make his escape. Something Merlin had no right owning.

Holding in the great urge to grunt, he made his way to his and Merlin's chamber. Half stepping half crawling, he ascended the steps and slipped through the door closing it behind him. Grasping his shoulder, he gritted his teeth and hunched over, blood pulsed throughout his arm making the pain worse. He needed to hurry.

Emrys tried falling gently on his knees, but with how weak his legs were, a gentle landing was impossible. Inching his way over to the bed, he laid down on his stomach and reached under with his uninjured arm, pulling up the floor board. Fingering around inside the hole, his hand brushed up against something leather. He gripped the item and pulled it out. He immediately knew what it was, even if it didn't call to him. He had no need for this item—this crystal—because he already knew his destiny and the outcome, but there was one person who didn't. One person who paid a lot of money for this item and never received it, and now, he would be the one to take it to her.

With a cringe, he lifted himself off the floor and quickly, yet quietly, made his way out of the bed chamber towards the physicians door. When he was mere inches from the door, Emrys tried something he had never been able to accomplish. "Morgana." Many times he had attempted to reach the High Priestess but had never been successful.

Finding his boots lying beside a table near the door, he slipped them on with only a few muffled moans and grabbed his bloodied shirt and jacket. He didn't throw them on, afraid he'd make too much noise, or grab a clean outfit because, truthfully, he didn't care about the blood. He stumbled his way to the door, his hand gripping his shoulder as each step sent new waves of agony through his body.

Exiting the chamber, he glanced around the hall making sure it was clear before his attempt to escape. Not that he was being held prisoner, but Uther was strict about the Citadel's curfew.

He put on his shirt and jacket, avoided the guards and Knights that patrolled the castle, and eventually found himself in the courtyard. "Morgana?" he called again. He grimaced as a shock of pain shot through his arm.

Nearing the gates to the city, he took one final glimpse behind making sure he hadn't been seen before vanishing amongst the shadows casted by the trees under the high moon. "Morgana!"

His knees buckled underneath him and he dropped the pouch that contained the crystal as his knees roughly met the grass. Something warm painted his palm and he removed his hand from his shoulder to find a small patch of blood in the center of his palm. It was starting to bleed again. The remedy Gaius had given him was already wearing off, and the pain was coming back full force. Emrys couldn't keep himself from shaking. He scrunched forward, placing his hand back on his shoulder as he bent forward, his forehead on the ground. His eyes clenched shut and he tightened his jaw. He didn't understand. Gaius had cut out the infection. He shouldn't be feeling the effects of it anymore.

"Emrys?"

Emrys jerked his head forward as Morgana's sweet, melodic, and worried voice rang through his mind. "You can hear me?"

"Emrys, what's happened?" Morgana's voice came back frantic. "Your voice. It sounds weak."

He chuckled out loud. "Let's just say that I could use some of your magic right about now." He waited several minutes for her voice to reply but it never returned. Furrowing his brow, he glanced around. "Morgana?"

"Meet me on the northwest side of the Darkling Woods by my fathers resting place," finally came her reply. "I'm not far from there."

He nodded and clambered to his feet, grabbing the pouch off the ground as he stood. He didn't know if he was quite strong enough to get there on his own, but he would try. Morgana wouldn't abandon him. He knew she'd come to his aid without a second thought if it came down to it.

What should've been an hour ride ended up being a three hour walk. By the time he reached the meeting place, he was ready to collapse. His fever was growing stronger and he was growing weaker. His vision swam, blurring in and out of focus, and his ears rang.

Glancing up from the ground, he found a figure—shadowed by the moon—racing towards him. He threw his hand up by means to protect himself, but was unable to conjure any form of magic. He lost his footing and collided with the dirt on his stomach.

"Emrys!" Petite hands gripped his arm and rolled him over. Upon hearing his name, he lifted his heavy eyelids and found Morgana's pale face towering over him. Her expression was twisted with worry, anger, and confusion. "Who did this to you?" She quickly peeled away his bandage and gazed at his wound.

Emrys took quick breaths in and out, feeling his heart beat rapidly against his chest. He gazed up into Morgana's eyes and his hand found hers. He rested his palm tenderly on top of where hers dug around at his bandage. "I couldn't ... let him hurt you," he said through puffs.

Morgana looked at him quizzically before her brows creased in anger. "Arthur?" She huffed. "It'll take more than a head blow to be rid of me."

"No." He shook his head. "Merlin." Her face went blank at the mention of his name. "He saw you."

Morgana's jaw clenched. "What do you mean?"

Emrys mustered his strength to say, "He saw you heading for Arthur. He was going to stop you. I had to stop him first." He quickly got out what few words he could before he had to quit and catch his breath.

Morgana raised a brow. "You saw?"

He nodded. Cringing, he waited for the pain to subside before continuing. "I stopped him." Morgana was drawn back by his words. "I don't know how I did it, but I did." He was stopped abruptly as another shock of pain wrecked his body.

Morgana shook her head, looking like she was coming out of a daze. "Let me help with that." Placing her hands over his wound, she recited an enchantment. "Ic ðe ðurhhæle ðinu licsar mid ðam sundorcræft ðære ealdan æ. Drycræft ðurhhæle ðina wunda ond ðe geedstaðolie." Her irises lit up gold. "I may not be able to heal you completely, but I can take the pain and infection."

Emrys's pain rapidly decreased and his panting slowly returning to normal breaths. His wound still ached but it felt more like a bruise now than like he had been shot by a crossbow just a day ago. His vision cleared and he pushed himself up into a seated position. He smiled and rotated his shoulder. "That feels a lot better." He eyed Morgana. "Thanks."

"I hope it was worth the discovery," she said angrily, balling her hands. "What were you thinking just leaving Camelot like that? When Arthur finds Merlin missing, he'll come searching for him."

"Let him come," Emrys spat, narrowing his eyes. "I'm tired of pretending to be his fool. The end is nigh. I can feel it, and now ..." He turned his head to the right and reached for the leather pouch. Extending it towards Morgana, her eyes lit up and she greedily snatched the pouch from his palm.

Morgana stood straight and turned away from Emrys as she held out her left hand under the pouch and let the crystal slip free from the leather into her palm. She smiled and swung back around to face Emrys. "Where did you find it?"

"Merlin found it," Emrys replied. "But unfortunately, he used it." He paused. "I think he knows, Morgana. Or he's at least putting pieces together."

She glanced down at the gem back to Emrys. "You said you stopped Merlin. How?"

Emrys placed a hand on his hip, explaining. "It's like I said. I don't know, but ... Somehow it was like I knew he was going to try and stop you, but not just stop you. Even though I'm unable to control our body, when I saw you part of me was able to take over." Her eyes lit up. "Just enough to keep our magic at bay."

His eyes ventured towards her head discovering the knot on her forehead from Arthur's swung. Pure anger enraged him. "That man will pay for what he did to you." His thumb gently scrapped across the surface of the bump. "Why did you go after him?" he whispered. "You know he's my destiny." He looked back down at her.

Her face hardened. "Because I can't stand the thought of you getting to end his pathetic life." She jerked away from him, twisting her back on him.

Emrys cocked his head. "What are you talking about? You've always supported me." He let his tone get a little rough. "You could've gotten yourself killed. You're not supposed to kill Arthur, meaning, you never will." He jabbed a thumb at his chest. "I will. You were foolish to go after him."

"I was foolish?" Morgana swung herself around, rage fueling her voice and clear on her face. "I'm the one completing our plan! Me! Singlehandedly! And what are we going to do now? You left Camelot. Someone is going to notice how you're magically healed when you return."

"I'm not going back," Emrys replied harshly.

"Our biggest asset is there!" She screamed. "We won't win without his help!" She gestured at his body. "At least I'm not living my life trapped in someone else's body."

"Do you think I want to be this way?" Emrys shouted taking a bold step forward. Morgana straightened her back standing tall, showing that he couldn't intimidate her with his wrath. "You think I want to remain trapped with Merlin at the helm; living in the shadows of his mind knowing that I can't do anything about it?" His fists were clenched so tight, and he felt his magic rising with his anger, but he couldn't explode. Not on her. Letting out a deep breath, he calmed himself. "But that's why I came to you tonight." Morgana's brow bent slightly. "I'm done being placed on the back shelf and forced to live looking threw someone else's eyes." He let out an exaggerated breath. "I want control of this body."

"What are you saying?" Morgana interrupted.

Emrys gripped Morgana's free hand in his and gazed into her icy blue eyes. "I want you to help me kill Merlin."