Merlin and the Knights of Camelot were all around a fire talking about their battle scars.

Gawain pulled up his shirt and chain mill to show a pinkish line across his stomach. "Got this when I was in the tavern and some guy was being rude to some women... I saved them." He wiggles his eyebrows causing all the men to make grossed out noises and Percival pushed him.

"I got this last year while fighting a monster that was contaminating the water supply." Arthur pulls up his sleeve to show a scar.

"What about you Merlin? What amazing thing have you done?" Leon asks sarcastically. All but Merlin laugh.

"Merlin doesn't have battle scars. He's a coward he doesn't fight." Again they all laugh while Merlin just gets angry.

As they continue to tease him Merlin snaps. He stood up."You know what!? I have more scars than all of you combined! I have gone through so much pain you wouldn't believe me! You all just assume that I'm weak and a coward just because my shoulders weren't touched my a sword! So much has happened to me physically and emotionally! So just stop it!" The knights just stare at him shocked. But after a while, their shock turns into curiosity. Did he really have more scars? What happened to Merlin?

Merlin's anger soon fades to fear. He's more shock than the knights about what he said. They'll ask questions. Then they will somehow figure out he's a warlock of a dragon lord or something.

"What happe- Merlin!" Arthur shouted as Merlin ran. He ran faster than any other time he could think of.

Merlin finally came across a lake. The lake. The lake where Excalibur was and were Freya rests. He broke down.

"Merlin?! Merlin? What was tha- Are you crying?" Arthur asked once he sees the tears on Merlin's face.

"Merlin. What's happened to you?" It pained him. It pained him to see Merlin his best friend, no brother, so upset.

"So much. You wouldn't believe." Merlin whispered under breath. The other knights caught up amazed, that he could run so fast, and worried. They have never seen Merlin cry. They never saw Merlin anything but happy and smiling or scared on a quest but that's beside the point.

"Well. Teach me. What happened to you to make you like this?" Merlin thought about it. Should he tell them his stories? He knows that Arthur hates magic but not as much as his father before him. So maybe he could change his mind.

"Where do I begin? Okay. I have three names. One being Merlin. That's the name I was born with. Then two were given to me. One that was given to me that you have all heard is Dragoon." He couldn't meet their eyes. He cringed at the sound of swords being drawn.

He was scared, no terrified, as to what they would do.

"You are a sorcerer." Merlin can hear the hurt and betrayal in Arthur's voice.

"Warlock." Merlin cuts him off.

"Whats the difference?" He asks sharply.

"A sorcerer has a choice. They choose to study magic. I didn't. I was born this way. I don't want to have magic. I just do. Always have always will." Merlin's voice cracks. His whole life he has had to keep it a secret. But now he regrets telling them. He wants to take it back.

"How come you haven't killed Arthur? You've had the opportunity." Leon asks after a moment of them all just standing there.

"I would never kill him. Ever. Even if he's a prat. He's my best friend. Just because I have magic. Doesn't mean I'm evil." Merlin looks into Arthurs' eyes and to his surprise, there are tears forming.

"You guys actually think he's evil?" Gawain asks shocked. "Guys! It's Merlin. When has he done something to harm any innocent person! Melin is one of the most loyal, trusting, brave men I have ever met." Merlin smiles at him in gratitude.

Slowly all the men put their swords down. All but Arthur who seems to be having an inner battle with himself.

"Arthur. You are my best friend. You are like a brother to me. I would never hurt." He takes a step forward but Arthur steps forward pushing his sword against his chest.

"What do you use your Magic for?" The tears in his eyes finally falling.

"Saving you. Arthur. It is my destiny to protect you. To be there for you. To stand by your side." More tears fall from Arthur's eyes.

"So it was all a lie. The joking around, the teasing, our friendship."

"No no no no no no no no no no no no. Arthur, I... Well... Your.... You are my best friend. My destiny is the reason I came. Not the reason I stayed." Tears well up in Merlin's eyes. He's going to die. His best friend it going to kill him. The last thing he sees is his best friend crying because of him.

Then something happens that shocks Merlin. Arthur throws his sword down and hugs Merlin.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I thought you were evil. I'm sorry I doubted you." Arthur cries into Merlin's shoulder. Once Arthur's done he pulls back and smiles at Merlin.

"Tell us some stories. What amazing things have you done?" Arthur says sitting on a log. Merlin looks down to see some wood sitting there. He puts into more of a pile and lights it on fire, with magic.

"Wow." He hears the knights go in the background.

"Since you know I figured I could openly use it here. If you have a problem I can stop. I understand." He turns to see their faces filled with interest and curiosity.

"What else can you do?" Merlin thought... what's a good party trick.

"Does anyone have some sort of image of an animal. Can be anything." Leon pulls out a playing card with a bird in the back.

Merlin says the spell and the bird comes off the card and flys away.

"Just like the shield." Merlin nodded.

"I was the one that made the snakes come out of his shield while you two were fighting. So that your father could see them." Merlin smiled at Arthur.

He can continue to tell stories me happy and some sad.

"Wow... You've done so much. For all of us. And never took credit." Leon says bewildered. Merlin nods.

"I got used to it. After I saved Arthur for a magic shield that turned a painting of snakes into venomous ones." He says nonchalantly.

"Well Merlin, thank you for all that you had done, and for all that you will." They all cheer.

Merlin smiles. They accepted him.