MERLIN'S HEAD BOBBED AND his feet were dragged along the dirt as he was carried in between a pair of muscular men. She didn't know it, but Morgana had brought him back to right where he wanted to be. Right back to where it all started.

The hands around his arms suddenly let go and his palms slapped the cold ground as he caught himself. He grimaced as his head pounded from the fifty or so fists that had slammed against his skull. Heels tapped along the ground and he slowly lifted his head, finding Morgana towering over him with a glare.

He cleared his throat as he quickly tried to come up with an excuse, but he wasn't as quick witted as Emrys was. He flashed a smile as he pushed himself back onto his heels. Looking up at her, he said, "Thank goodness it's you. Maybe now we can finally clear this up." He glared between the men at his sides. "These fools thought I was—"

He was interrupted as a hand flew across his face. Morgana knelt down and wrapped her petite hand around his throat. "You are not Emrys," she forced through gritted teeth, her grasp tightening. "Don't even try to act like him." She leaned in closer, tears glistening in her eyes as her anger burned. "You ... killed him. I could feel it." With a snort, she chuckled. "And now what? You come back expecting to kill me too?"

She squeezed a little tighter before finally throwing him to the side. Merlin gasped and coughed as he rubbed his aching neck. He should've known she'd be able to see right through him. From what he had collected, Emrys and Morgana had spent a lot of time together and had formed a bond. He should've known better than to try and fool her. He shot her a glance, and she smiled.

"You'd be a fool to think you could kill me, Merlin." She raised her head high. "Or to believe that I would think you were alone." Merlin froze. "My men tell me how willingly you came. Didn't put up a fight even though the both of us know that you could've easily taken them." She shrugged. "Maybe not have won, but definitely could've done some damage." She stalked closer. "No, I knew there had to be a reason." Bending down, she gazed into his eyes. "You wanted to be captured—even despite our history." She narrowed her eyes. "You were the distraction." Morgana gave an unexpected grin as she stood and walked away.

Merlin's heart fluttered, figuring out that she knew about Arthur. He tried standing to go after her, but one of the soldiers kicked his leg out from underneath him, a loud crack of his bones following, sending him back to the dirt on his side. Balling his hand, he said, "I don't know what you're talking about, Morgana." He rolled over to face her. "It's just me, and believe me ..." He eyed her intensely. "After everything you and Emrys made me do ... I will kill you."

Again, Morgana laughed, her wicked grin sending chills down his spine. "Oh, Merlin. Always the optimist."

With a cringe, he said, "If you're going to kill me just get on with it." He pushed himself up onto his elbow, and glared at her. "There is nothing that you can do to me anymore, Morgana." Out of the blue, he found himself smiling as an overwhelming calmness filled him. "I can die happy."

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you, Merlin," she said, speaking like he was foolish to even think such a thing. She twisted her body halfway around as she said, "He is."

As she stepped aside, the blood in Merlin's face drained at the sight of Arthur standing in-between a pair of boulders on both sides of the pathway.

Slowly, Merlin stood and this time the solider didn't interfere. He glanced from Morgana to Arthur, who stared at him coldly, his eyes glowing a deep red. "What did you do to him, Morgana?"

Morgana's smile faded. "He just killed several of my men and made me lose the only leverage I had over the Druids. Trust me, what I did is less than he deserves."

Merlin's eyes beamed. So, Arthur had done it. He'd freed the children, and hopefully now Camelot would stand a chance with Kilgharrah and the Druids both gone. Fixating his eyes on Morgana, he grinned slyly. "Come on, Morgana. You and I both know this has nothing to do with Arthur so what is it really?"

"I want you to pay!" she spewed, hatred filling every word. "All of this is your fault." She balled her hands. "If you had just died when you were supposed to none of this would've happened." Smiling, she backed away, "But what better way to make you pay then to be killed by your best friend?"

Arthur trudged towards Merlin, and Merlin took a couple steps back. "Arthur, listen to me. Morgana's got you under some kind of spell. You can fight this."

"You mean fight it like you fought Emrys?" Arthur's chiseled chin clenched in anger.

Merlin extended his hands to protect himself. "That was different. Emrys was another person who I didn't know existed. You can fight a spell."

"And what if I don't want to fight it? The man I thought was my best friend hid one of the biggest secrets possible from me!" Arthur shouted, enraged. "So tell me." He yanked his sword from his scabbard and held the tip up to Merlin's throat. "You're a sorcerer. Just like all the others. Why should I let you live? If you ask me, I've let you live a lot longer than I should've."

Merlin gulped but stared boldly into Arthur's eyes. "I was born with magic, Arthur," he stated calmly. "I didn't get the choice. Just as many others that Uther has killed didn't."

For a split second, he thought he saw a waver in the red of Arthur's eyes. Something to indicate that he was getting through. Merlin felt tears welling in the corners of his eyes but held them in. "I won't fight you, Arthur," he said softly, lowering his hands. "I'm not Emrys. My destiny is to protect you not to hurt you. I won't use magic against you. Not like this."

"That's too bad," Arthur responded coldly. "I was looking forward to a rematch."

"Kill him!" Morgana screamed.

Merlin's eyes darted from Morgana to Arthur as he reared back his elbow and plunged Excalibur deep into Merlin's side.

His world froze. Everything happened so fast, too fast to react. Slowly lowering his head, he peered at the metal protruding from his side, and with a sudden yank, he felt the burn of the blade as it exited his flesh. He turned his gaze back up to Arthur, who blinked several times and glanced around as if coming out of a daze.

Merlin felt a warm liquid, tasting richly of copper, glaze his bottom lip. His knees suddenly gave way and they buckled beneath him, his hands flying to his wound, but he didn't hit the ground like he expected. Instead he was lowered to the ground, his head resting on someone's lap. Through blurring vision, he looked up to find Arthur's teary blue eyes.

"Merlin," he whimpered. Frantically scanning up and down Merlin's body, Arthur shook his head. "No, no, no, no."

Merlin grimaced as Arthur pressed his hand against Merlin's side. With Arthur's hand there, Merlin pulled his away and glimpsed down to find they were painted in crimson. Wincing, he let out a yelp finally feeling the affect of the stab as the shock wore off.

"Stay with me, Merlin!" Arthur choked out. "I'm going to get you back to Gaius. He'll patch you up."

A cold, heartless laugh pierced the air. "Gaius can't save him now." Merlin's head rolled an inch to the side, and as Arthur turned around, Merlin was able to see Morgana's wicked smile. "That sword is no ordinary blade."

Merlin grunted from a sudden jolt. "She's right, Arthur." All he could do was whisper, finding it too hard to speak any other way. He could feel the effect of the blade as it ate away at his soul. "That blade was forged in a dragon's breath." He cringed and moaned. "No one has ever survived a wound like that."

"No, there has to be something I can do," Arthur argued. In a fit of rage, he cursed. "I should've known it was a trap. I never should've gone alone. I wasn't strong enough to fight her on my own ..." He paused. "And now I understand that I never was. You were always there beside me. Protecting me."

"But you got the children out, and that's what we came to do. Without the Druids, Camelot stands a chance." Merlin grinned and let out an agonizing chuckle as his eyes locked onto Arthur's. "Since the dawn of time, it's been my destiny to serve you, Arthur." His eyelids grew heavy as he felt himself slipping away. "And I wouldn't change that for the world." His eyes closed as a final breath escaped and his chest rested.

***

A FEW TEARS DRIPPED down Arthur's cheeks onto Merlin's face. He had seen many dead faces, but he had never lost someone so dear and close to him. Not someone like Merlin. He hadn't realized his arms shaking from the grief he was experiencing.

He tensed as a blade suddenly met his neck and he glanced from Merlin, to the tip of the blade, to the men standing directly before him.

"It's time to give up, Arthur," came Morgana's icy voice. "You've lost everything. Your kingdom, your best friend ... If you surrender now, I may let you live. Just long enough to watch as I slowly kill Uther."

Arthur lowered Merlin's lifeless body to the ground and slowly reached for his sword lying directly next to him without Morgana noticing. "It's over, Morgana. The Druids will no longer fight for you. Camelot will never be yours." He peered down at Merlin's body. "I may have lost someone today ..." his voice came out soft, yet stern. Slowly, he turned his head an inch and eyed Morgana from the corner of his eye. From the small pieces he had gathered, Emrys was more then just Morgana's accomplice. "... but so did you."

He watched her waver, and as she did, Arthur jumped up swinging his sword. His blade collided with the soldiers, knocking it from his hand and it fell to the side. With a quick twirl, he sliced the chests of the two men before him and as they collapsed to the ground Arthur maneuvered his sword and aimed it at Morgana, anger fueling him as it pumped through his veins.

Morgana glared at him but stood high. "You may be skilled, brother, but I don't need a sword to kill you." As she reared back her hands, Arthur's eyes slowly widened expecting the worse, but before she got off any spell, the chamber exploded with a white hot light.

Arthur shielded his eyes and turned around to find Merlin's body glowing. A blue, watery orb rose from the center of his chest and a second later exploded quickly covering every inch of his body. The impact from the explosion was enough to knock Arthur off his feet.

Swiftly, Arthur pushed himself up onto his elbows and his eyes widened in shock. Merlin was now standing, staring at Morgana who had also been pushed back by the blow.

"Merlin?" Arthur could barely get the name to form on his lips as his pulse quickened.

Merlin eyed him and smiled. Bending down, he grasped Excalibur tightly in his grip and returned his attention to Morgana.

"No, that's not possible," Morgana bickered as she stood. "You should be dead. No one, no matter how great their magic, could survive that."

"Well, that's where you're wrong," Merlin stated confidently, walking up to her. Morgana took a couple steps back, but was too shocked to react accordingly. With one quick thrust, he jabbed Excalibur deep into Morgana's side until the blade protruded through her back. Morgana gripped Merlin's forearm and gasped as she stared up at him. "Unfortunately, I don't think you're going to be as lucky as I." She slid off the blade and landed in the dirt. "Goodbye, Morgana," he said coldly as she let out her final breath.

Merlin lowered the tip of the blade towards the ground and turned to eye Arthur, who stared at him baffled. Merlin stepped up to him and extended a hand. Cautiously reaching for Merlin's hand, Arthur grabbed his forearm and rode Merlin's pull to his feet.

***

THE TRIP HOME WAS surprisingly peaceful. Arthur never said a word to Merlin or vice versa. When they reached the field that separated them from the castle walls, smoke rose from the city and small pieces of the outer wall and turrets were still on fire, but there were no signs of Morgana's men or the Druids. They had truly defended their kingdom from a threat that seemed impossible to beat.

Arthur finally spoke up breaking the silence, "What are you thinking about?"

Merlin stopped in his tracks and turned to face him, as Arthur had been trailing him. He squinted as the dazzling light from the rising sun blinded him.

"Come on. Out with it," Arthur demanded.

Merlin looked to the tall grass as he contemplated his thoughts. "I've just been wondering ..." He trailed off, afraid of what Arthur would say. "I've been wondering who came first." He looked back to Arthur. "Me or Emrys? Was he the half that was never supposed to be here, or ... or was I?"

Arthur glanced to the side. "I don't think it really matters. He was the half of you that wanted to bring about destruction. The world's a better place without him in it. Whether you were born in your body first, it's now yours and only yours." Merlin lowered his gaze. "So, you going to tell me what happened back there?"

Merlin flung his head up. "What are you talking about?"

Arthur furrowed his brow and snickered. "What am I talking about? I'm talking about you dying." He paused and his voice unexpectedly dipped. "You said no one could survive something like that."

Merlin looked down at his body before extending his arms out to the side with a shrug. "To be honest, I don't know." He looked around. "I thought I was dead, should've been, but for some reason ... I came back."

Arthur stared at him for a good while. "Because of your magic?" he asked. "Because 'you're the greatest sorcerer known to man?' Is that it?" Merlin furrowed his brow but stayed silent. "Gaius told me. He ..." He let out a sigh. "He told me a lot of things after we knocked Emrys out."

Merlin shrugged. "Maybe," was all he could think of to say, and Arthur didn't question him further. Arthur walked around Merlin continuing their ending journey, but Merlin didn't follow. "What's going to happen to me when we get back?" Arthur twisted around, and Merlin looked over at him. "Am I to be executed?"

Arthur turned back towards Merlin and walked to close the gap between them, standing inches apart. He shook his head and softly replied, "No." Merlin stayed silent. "I already watched you die once today, and it made me realize something." He paused. "It made me realize how much you truly mean to me. You are the closest friend I've ever had, Merlin, and I don't want that to change."

A small grin crept onto his face. "But ... I have magic."

Arthur nodded. "You've hidden it well enough these past years. I'm sure you'll continue to do so." He returned the smile. "The truth is, Merlin ... I don't want you to change. I want you to always be you. And who knows? Maybe once I'm king I can help our people see the difference between magic used for good and evil."

He began to turn away, but stopped and raised a finger. "One more thing." Merlin's brow creased, unsure of what Arthur was going to say. "There's something I've never said to you before, and I've recently realized how much you've done for me." He locked onto Merlin's gaze, and Merlin felt his heart flutter. "Thank you."

Merlin's grin widened into a smile and it caught on as Arthur chuckled. Arthur grabbed him playfully at the back of the head and pulled him along as they made their way to their decimated city.