Merlin fic: The Turning Point (Part 1)

[dk323]

Title: The Turning Point (1/3)
Author: dk323 
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, various versions of Merlin, OCs
Word Count: 20,621 overall | Part 1: 8,794
Disclaimer: The show Merlin is property of the BBC. Harry Potter is the property of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling. The show Misfits is created by Howard Overman.
Spoilers: Takes place during the year before Series 3
Beta: a8c_sock
Summary: After Merlin reveals his magic to him, Arthur reacts badly. Yet Arthur’s still unsure about what to do about Merlin. That night, Arthur sees Merlin in a new light. By night's end, Arthur is left with an experience he will never forget.


Author’s Notes:

The story banner: Everyone who is not Merlin and Arthur on the banner are incarnations of Merlin. Even the two females on there too. It could happen. *nods*

Turning Point uses ideas/characters from another fic of mine, but it’s not set in that fic’s universe as I’ve changed some elements to suit the purposes of this story. So this fic is very much a standalone.

The main things taken from Harry Potter are the idea of the wizarding world and the Invisibility Cloak. Two of the HP characters are revealed as incarnations. Considering Merlin isn't reincarnated in the HP world, then the story would be a bit of an AU version of HP, but with the key elements remaining the same. I disregarded the epilogue though. It didn't fit with what I was going for in my story.

From Misfits, I’m taking the character of Nathan Young and making him an incarnation of Merlin. Some parts of his personality are similar to how he is on "Misfits", but it's a tamer version of him. Like my friend said, if I'm completely true to the Nathan on "Misfits", people are going to think Merlin has been reincarnated as a jackass (er, one who you love-to-hate...). :P So I'm taking into account that Nathan has all those past memories of his past lives as Merlin. His mouth also has a filter here too, but some words slip through... *whistles*

**In this story, the first incarnation refers to the first time Merlin was reborn meaning reincarnated.
The original Merlin refers to the Merlin of Camelot - his pre-reincarnated life. I know other places have the first incarnation suggesting that’s the person’s very first life, but I chose to call that the original life. I hope that won’t confuse anyone, but it’s not used too frequently in this story. I’m so set on the original life/first incarnation idea, that I can’t un-think it. To change it would confuse me and I’d rather avoid that.

The problem
Arthur could hear a loud thump against Merlin’s door, which he just managed to close before the heavy object hit him. As quietly as he could, Arthur exited the Court Physician’s rooms without disturbing a sleeping Gaius.

He was surprised that with all this magic Merlin had, that he hadn’t resorted to wielding his magic against the prince. Maybe what Merlin had confided in him that evening was true. That Merlin was only trying to help Arthur with his magical abilities, to protect him. But sorcerers lie, they enchant others…hadn’t Merlin himself said that Morgause had been an enchantress? That her words were a lie?

Who was to say Merlin hadn’t been tricking Arthur all along? Playing to win his favour until that final key moment when Merlin would act against Arthur, against Camelot?

As he walked back to his chambers, Arthur felt indecisive. He wasn’t sure who or what to believe. The easy, the right action to take would be to condemn Merlin, to follow his father’s laws. But even if Merlin had enchanted him, Arthur didn’t feel enchanted.

His deep affection for his manservant whom he had come to see as a good friend didn’t feel false. It couldn’t be an enchantment - it felt too real. Shouldn’t he know how it felt like to be enchanted? After all, Arthur had been under more than one enchantment in the past. Then again, Merlin had told him he was a powerful sorcerer. Maybe he was capable of manipulating Arthur in such a manner that he couldn’t recognize that he was under the influence of magic?

Admittedly, Arthur had been to blame for Merlin throwing something at him before his hasty retreat from Merlin’s room. He had broken Merlin’s carved wooden dragon. Arthur had been upset that Merlin hadn’t trusted Arthur enough to tell him about his magic. After he had been an unintended witness to the magic, Arthur had demanded an explanation from Merlin. With Arthur’s angered reaction, the prince couldn’t fault him for not confiding in him sooner. Still, irrationally, it hurt. Badly. And Arthur wanted Merlin to feel the same hurt he was feeling.

So he took the carved wooden dragon crafted by Merlin’s father and he threw the carving hard against the wall.

The stricken look on Merlin’s face as he stared at the pieces of wood - that were once a dragon -- made Arthur feel like the worst person in existence.

He had told Merlin that couldn’t he just repair it using his magic? Merlin glared at him and said that wasn’t the point and that Arthur should leave right now.

Wisely, Arthur left, but his conflicted thoughts still remained. He hated to hurt Merlin - both emotionally and physically - but he was the Crown Prince of a kingdom where magic was banned. He had to uphold the law. To defy his father by keeping Merlin’s magic a secret - that would make him a traitor to the kingdom he one day hoped to rule.

He needed help.

~ * ~

Of Old

Not long after Arthur returned to his chambers, he was startled when he discovered Merlin was in the room.

There was no way that he could have beaten Arthur to his own room when the prince had a head start. After their fight, the last thing Arthur imagined Merlin doing was seeking Arthur’s company. He had been angry with Arthur - the throw that had been directed at the prince had proven that much.

Merlin didn’t speak immediately. His attention was oddly enough on Arthur’s chambers, as if the state of them intrigued him.

“Merlin?” Arthur inquired, unable to keep the incredulity from his voice.

Merlin looked directly at Arthur. “I trust you to have an open mind,” he said vaguely, but his voice sounded older. Similar to Gaius’s voice.

Arthur withdrew a sharp breath when Merlin’s eyes flashed gold and his appearance changed drastically.

He turned into an older man with long white hair and beard. He now wore deep blue robes with golden trimming on them. A staff with a blue crystal top appeared in his hand.

“I am Merlin from decades into a future,” the man informed Arthur, “I apologize for taking on the appearance of my younger self, but I didn’t wish to startle you right away.”

“It didn’t work,” Arthur said flatly, still feeling ill at ease.

He didn’t know what to make of this man. Arthur could see the resemblance to Merlin though - in his face that was now riddled with wrinkles and his just as bright blue eyes. There was an energy about the older robed man that reminded Arthur of Merlin. Despite the man’s age, Arthur had an undeniable feeling that the other man had an irrepressible energy and enthusiasm still inside him, undeterred by old age.

But even if he was Merlin from the future, then how did he travel to the past? Arthur wondered if magic could really allow for time travel. That seemed a bit unbelievable though. “You said ‘a future’…what do you mean by that?”

“Ah yes,” the older Merlin said with a nod. He tapped his staff once to the ground. “That is why I am here. I am not from your future, not yet at least, but I am from a possible future. It is up to you, Arthur Pendragon, which future you would choose to have. This is the turning point, your turning point.”

“Turning point?” Arthur asked, confused.

“I know you had a big fight with Merlin this evening. You know about his magic. You are feeling conflicted, are you not?” The older man asked, looking directly at Arthur and appearing to gauge the prince’s emotions at that moment. He broke eye contact when Arthur made an effort to shutter his expression. Merlin continued to speak, “Should you uphold your father’s laws or keep Merlin’s magic a secret? The decision you make will affect your future and Merlin’s as well. And maybe, I will be a part of your future if you prove to be a better man than your father.”

“Well if you’re Merlin, then I assume you’d want me to spare Merlin? Of course you would be the most biased person in this matter. I won’t be manipulated by any more sorcerers,” Arthur declared defiantly, glaring at him.

The other man looked understanding, as if he had known that Arthur would say that. Arthur could see the sadness in the old Merlin’s blue eyes too. But he tried not to let it sway him to the other man’s opinion.

“In a situation like this, I believe it will be better to show you instead of telling you,” Merlin continued thoughtfully, “Two of my future incarnations will visit you this evening. They are from the same possible future that I am from.”

“Incarnations?” Arthur voiced back, wondering what that meant exactly.

Merlin’s eyes twinkled. He smiled quietly. “I, along with you and others you know well, are reincarnated more than once in the centuries after my Camelot days. I am still the original Merlin, pre-reincarnation, but I am an old man now and I will soon die as all men do. Decades after my death, I will be reborn in a new body with a new face and a new name. If you think about it, reincarnation is second to immortality.”

“Then what does it matter if I have Merlin executed now? If he will be reborn sometime in the future anyway?” Arthur wondered, not seeing the man’s point.

“If you have not figured it out now, then I hope you will by the end of the night,” Merlin told him. Arthur could see that the older Merlin really did look hopeful, but uncertainty also seeped into his face.

“Right,” Arthur said, raising his eyebrow.

“You are now the most important person in the universe, Arthur,” The old Merlin said solemnly, “Good luck,” he wished him.

Then he disappeared, a residue of sparkling gold dust in his wake, before Arthur could say another word.

Arthur decided that maybe he had been hallucinating that man. He should definitely get some sleep.

Still, he couldn’t help ruminating over the dilemma with Merlin as he slumbered.

~ * ~

Artemis, the First

“Hello, Arthur,” the clear, almost soothing, female voice spoke to him.

Arthur opened his eyes, sitting up abruptly in bed.

A dark-haired young woman with a pale complexion and blue eyes stood by his bed. Arthur couldn’t deny the woman’s beauty, and there was just something about her that drew him to her. If her corseted deep blue dress and jewelry were anything to go by, she was a lady of high standing. She appeared to be a spirit by how she flickered in and out, though she wasn’t lacking color. Arthur vaguely recalled the ghost stories from his nursemaid when he was younger that all spirits were colorless - all grayish and dull-looking.

But she defied all expectation of what ghosts and spirits should look like. The woman looked vibrant with life despite the flickering. Arthur could only assume she was royalty, a princess or a noblewoman.

“Who are you?” Arthur asked. “You know my name.”

“I am Artemis, the ghost of Christmas Past for your benefit this evening,” she explained, looking at Arthur oddly. “Did my original self not tell you what was happening? You look puzzled.”

“Your original self?” Arthur uttered, confused. Oh no, this was really happening.

And did she just say her ‘original self’? Arthur remembered the old man say two of his future incarnations - two of Merlin’s incarnations - would visit Arthur that night. He had also said: Decades after my death, I will be reborn in a new body with a new face and a new name.

That explained her different name.

But still, Artemis couldn’t be…she was a woman. How did that work?

“Are you a future incarnation of Merlin then?” Arthur asked of her.

“Yes. Oh, please don’t look like that,” she told him when Arthur stared at her in disbelief. “It can happen. I was born in the year 1507 and I have the distinction of being the first female incarnation of Merlin to ever be born. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel especially blessed to carry such uniqueness. I have always worked harder to prove myself, to show everyone that I am still just as capable even if my form is not male. I want to insure that any future female incarnations of Merlin will be happy with my accomplishments. That I haven’t disappointed them.”

Artemis looked so determined and hopeful that Arthur felt for her. He was certainly no stranger to dealing with his father’s disappointment. He never felt like he was good enough because his father was definitely a hard man to please.

Arthur sighed. “I always try to appease my father in whatever way I can, but sometimes I feel like he might as well be a stone wall. It’s never easy, no matter if you’re a man or woman.”

“Ah yes. I know how difficult it was - is now - for you,” she said sympathetically to him. “I remember all my past lives including, most importantly, the life of my original self - the one you know well,” Artemis told him.

“All right,” Arthur said, still in doubt. Something still didn’t fit for him. He found it a bit hard to really see the woman before him as Merlin. “Who is the ‘everyone’ you are trying to prove yourself to? I admit I’m startled to see you in expensive things. I’m guessing that your situation is far different in the future? That you’ve accumulated wealth somehow?”

She nodded, humming to herself. Artemis noted, “Well, it is a bit of a story. I helped to build this magic world, or more commonly known as the wizarding world, as a safe haven for all magic users. The wizarding world coexists with the non-magical world or Muggle world, the world you live in.

“Even before my time, unfortunate incidences occurred where non-magical people proved that they couldn’t live peacefully with us magic users. So eventually, we decided to adapt by formally separating ourselves from the non-magical world. We still coexisted with the Muggle world, but we applied concealment charms to keep the Muggle population at large unaware of our presence.

"In each of my lifetimes, I have aided the wizarding world through offering them my wisdom and advice. I’ve also provide general magical assistance. I am quite fond of the wizarding world and so, I want to show them that no matter what form I take, I am still Merlin.”

“You helped to establish an entire world?” Arthur inquired in shock, not sure what to make of that.

Ruling a kingdom was one matter, but for Merlin to go on and found a whole world for those of magic kin - that was extraordinary.

“Yes I did,” she confirmed. “Presently, I am more of a guide to help wizards when they have need of me. We don’t have royalty ruling in the wizarding world, but we do have a government that consists of a council elected by the people. Purebloods - those magic users who claim magical ancestry centuries back - are the closest thing to royalty in the wizarding world,” she explained. “Even if my mother -- no matter what incarnation -- is a non-magical woman, I am still considered a pureblood or at least worthy to be ‘wizarding royalty.’ In each of my lifetimes, I have amassed great wealth. My main residence is the Crystal Palace, which I primarily built and imbued with magic, of course,” she paused to take a breath.

Arthur raised his brow, looking at her curiously. “Are you a ghost of someone once living? You said you were the ghost of Christmas Past?”

She shook her head. “That’s just a title. I assure you that I am not the spirit of a dead soul. I did live a long life as far as I am aware.”

“Then what are you?” Arthur asked of her, admittedly intrigued by what the answer truly was.

“It’s a creation I devised that is tied to my palace. I am an echo of this point in my life. Anyone who spends enough time in the palace and has my permission is given an echo. Only a few people who I trust the most are given the opportunity to have more than one echo.”

“And you have the most?”

“Yes, that’s right. The Crystal Palace is full of my echoes who wander the palace, though they usually remain invisible. For each year of my life, for every incarnation. I’m easily able to travel back and forth in time as an echo. That's how I know when I'll die. My palace is also very conducive for time traveling - only for any of the Merlins and those we take along with us. I can’t have just anyone traveling centuries backward or forward in time. Could you imagine the damage to be done if the person acts rashly?”

“I can imagine,” Arthur said.

Yes, he wouldn’t be surprised if his father would wish to travel back in time to prevent Morgause from snatching Morgana right before them. Arthur’s search for her had proven fruitless. Morgana, for all he knew, had disappeared or she could be lying dead somewhere. Although when Merlin confided in Arthur about his magic, he had impressed upon Arthur that Morgana wasn’t to be trusted. Arthur wasn’t quite sure he believed Merlin on that point. He had grown up with Morgana - surely he knew her better than Merlin who had only known her for a few short years?

But Arthur decided not to think on the matter now. He had other things to consider now - like this idea of reincarnation and why the bloody hell was a female version - incarnation, as the case may be - of Merlin telling him about some fantastical world?

More importantly, he still wondered how a man could be reincarnated into a woman in the first place. That simply didn’t make sense even if, yes, he did find Merlin to be a bit of a girl sometimes. Well, before Arthur had decided to label him as a lying, manipulative sorcerer.

He cut off his thoughts when Artemis cleared her throat. She had noticed that Arthur hadn’t been paying attention. Arthur nodded at her, showing that he was listening now.

Artemis said, “Regardless, I think you know enough now. I’ll take you to where you need to go.”

“You might as well,” Arthur said uncertainly.

Arthur climbed out of bed and then Artemis (because Arthur still couldn’t quite wrap his head around her being Merlin’s female incarnation…so calling her Merlin was not going to happen) touched his shoulder. Her hand didn’t feel solid on his shoulder, but instead he likened it to being touched by a breeze. It was something he had to get used to if he was to be in her company for now.

“We’ll be traveling by magic. It’s perfectly safe. You will feel a strong sensation, but not a painful one, I assure you,” she reassured him with a smile.

Arthur nodded, willing to take the risk. He was sure he’d dealt with worse. Surely he could handle traveling by magic, whatever that meant?

And so, he felt himself being lifted off of the ground. He couldn’t see anything, but he could definitely feel some sort of sensation he had never experienced before. He was flying.

~ * ~

They landed in a brightly lit corridor, the walls were of the purest white, and the ceiling had taken on the appearance of the sky complete with clouds. The illusion of the sky looked remarkably real, it was startling. There were framed portraits all along the wall. Arthur saw one picture of the older Merlin who had visited him earlier. He was surprised that he could see that the picture’s subject was actually breathing - the Merlin in the picture was only visible from the upper chest upwards. Arthur could see his chest rising and falling. How could the picture be moving?

“We’re in the Crystal Palace,” Artemis informed him.

“The subjects in the pictures…they’re moving. Can magic do that?”

Artemis smiled softly. “It is all a part of the charm of the wizarding world. Yes, magic is behind the moving pictures. It certainly takes a bit of getting used to, but you’ll get there eventually.”

“I still don’t believe you’re Merlin,” Arthur declared.

“But that may be a good thing,” Artemis reasoned. “If I was to give you evidence of my true identity, you would believe I’m manipulating you so that you would spare my original self. You wouldn’t believe a word I say. I know what you said to the Merlin who visited you earlier. But he also hoped you would have an open mind, did he not?”

“Yes,” Arthur admitted. “Look, I just want to know for sure you are who you say you are. I promise you that I will have an open mind during this experience. That I will listen to what you and the next incarnation of Merlin I meet have to say.”

Artemis observed him carefully. “Do you say this honestly?”

Arthur nodded. “Yes, I promise on everything I hold dear.”

“All right,” she accepted his promise after another moment of studious observation.

It had made Arthur uneasy to have a near stranger look at him so closely. He was eerily reminded of Merlin though when she looked at him. Or maybe it was just her blue eyes that reminded him so much of Merlin, that Arthur felt foolish not to trust that this was Merlin - in some form at least.

Her eyes glowed briefly. The glow from her eyes wasn’t that different from the glow of Merlin’s eyes when he performed magic. Yet the color here was a paler, not as bright yellow. It was calmer and more soothing as a result.

Then next to her, the Merlin Arthur was familiar with appeared. He was wearing the outfit he usually wore - blue shirt and red neckerchief was the combination this time with a brown jacket over that. This Merlin took off the jacket and now, Arthur saw a torn piece of red fabric tied around his left upper arm.

“The knights of Idirsholas, remember?” Artemis told him what Arthur already knew. “You tore off a piece of your shirt to tie around my arm, saying it was my first battle wound. I told you not to do that -- you would ruin your shirt that way, but you said not to worry. That I would mend it,” she said, shaking her head.

Arthur moved to touch the Merlin Artemis had conjured, but Merlin shied away from him and hid behind Artemis.

“He’s a memory of me. It’s best he moves away from you because if you touch him, it’s going to hurt. I can’t have others touching my memories in case they decide to steal them away from me. Memories are such precious things, you understand,” Artemis explained to him.

The memory of Merlin disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. Before vanishing, Arthur could swear that Merlin had looked at him accusatorily.

As if he was saying, ‘How could you even be conflicted about executing me or not? I thought I was your friend.’

Arthur sighed. He wished it would be that simple. Maybe he just wasn’t the man he thought he was in the end.

“Hey Artemis, has he met Nathan yet?” Inquired the boy who was in the portrait to the left of the older, sleeping Merlin. The boy looked about ten years of age and had dark hair and light brown eyes.

“No, he hasn’t,” Artemis answered him.

“Oh…do you think it wise that Arthur see him?” The boy asked, smiling widely now.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Artemis said as patiently as she could.

The boy grinned at her. “I guess I do!” he said with a wink. He smiled at Arthur. “Hello, Arthur. You’re looking well,” he greeted him.

He waved at them in goodbye, leaving his frame and entering the portrait of the sleeping Merlin. He disturbed the sleeping Merlin who grumbled at him before he settled back into his sleep.

“Sorry, old me!” The boy exclaimed. He left the portrait and entered and exited all the subsequent pictures before Arthur couldn’t see him anymore from where he stood.

“I apologize for that. He was the incarnation who came directly before me. I fear he may have had a bit to drink.”

Arthur raised his brow. “He’s just a boy though. Why would he be drinking?” He asked.

“Didn’t you do things you weren’t supposed to do when you were younger?” Artemis asked him right back. “Anyway, I’m sure he was just at a party in one of the other pictures and wasn’t aware that the drink had been compromised.”

“Right. That makes sense,” Arthur said in a tone that clearly said he didn’t believe it made much sense at all.

But really - moving pictures were one thing, but now apparently, the subjects in the pictures existed in their own world where they held parties and the like?

He almost couldn’t fathom what else this wizarding world had in store.

Artemis beckoned Arthur to follow her, and he did so. He couldn’t help his curiosity and he asked her, “Who is Nathan anyway?”

Stopping in front of a door, Artemis turned to him and smiled. “He will be the next incarnation of Merlin you will meet. This experience you’re going through was mostly his idea. Nathan loves all things Christmas, and the chance to do his own take on Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ proved too irresistible for him.”

“What’s Christmas?” Arthur wondered, unfamiliar with the term.

Artemis looked at him in disbelief, but then she shrugged it off, understanding. “Oh, yes, of course. It’s too early for you. Christmas is a winter holiday, akin to the Yuletide or winter solstice celebration in your time.”

Arthur nodded. “All right then.”

Artemis opened the door to the room. She bade Arthur to enter the room along with her. The two of them were in an expensively furnished, but not too gaudy, sitting room. The fireplace held its own peculiarity. Fire blazed in the hearth, but Arthur noticed how the fire had been shaped into a scene of knights riding on their steeds. The fire-shaped men rode in a circle over the logs, the flames crackling every so often.

Three people sat in the room before the fireplace. Each of them sat in midnight blue chairs with golden overlay along each chair. A dark cherry wood table separated two of the chairs from the other two, one of which was unoccupied. The long sides of the rectangular table faced the chairs while the short ends had beautifully crafted wings sprouting the edges. Arthur couldn’t quite tell what sort of creature’s wings they were. They did bear a resemblance to a dragon’s wings, he supposed. Most certainly a sized down version of the great creature’s wings at least.

A dark-haired man with startlingly grey eyes sat beside an undeniably beautiful blonde woman. But Arthur could see in her blue eyes that she was quite intelligent and not one to miss things. A man that looked like him sat across from the pair. Arthur noted one difference was that the man’s hair was more of a light brown than blond. All of them looked about Arthur’s age.

“This is the incarnation that followed me. He goes by the name of Myrddin,” Artemis informed him, nodding toward the dark-haired man.

Arthur figured that the dark-haired man had to be Merlin’s incarnation. Some things never changed. Though, honestly, the color of his eyes was rather unsettling. Could one have eyes of such a grey, almost silver, color?

Arthur interrupted her and asked, “Wait, if he is your future incarnation, then how is it you are the ghost of Christmas Past?”

“Oh, well, like I said before, this was mostly Nathan’s mad idea. Nathan’s present is the year 2010. So from his perspective, this is his past. He simply chose me to be the first to see you. Something about you being kinder to women,” she finished off with a small smile.

Arthur was sure she would laugh at him if she wasn’t trying to remain polite.

“Okay. I’m willing to accept that whatever this is makes little sense,” Arthur concluded with a defeated sigh.

Artemis squeezed his shoulder in sympathy.

“That’s Ella, his wife,” Artemis pointed to the blonde woman. The three of them were talking amongst each other and were unaware of their two visitors. “She was a familial descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw. Rowena was highly regarded in the wizarding world as an exceptionally intelligent, well-versed witch. That other man is, of course, a future incarnation of you.”

“So I visit the wizarding world at some point?” Arthur inquired.

“Oh yes, of course. I always tried to seek you out, hoping that you would remember your past lives. Unfortunately, it was a bit difficult to have a proper conversation when you were without your memories. You usually remembered your past later than I did.”

Arthur tuned into the conversation at that point, Artemis stepping away from him.

“I will leave you now to see this alone. I shall return when it’s time,” she told him, vanishing before his eyes immediately afterwards.

Arthur sighed and did the only thing he could do, which was to listen to the conversation the three people were having.

“I worry about you, Myrddin. I know you’re Merlin, but you must know when to not overextend yourself,” Ella confided in him in earnest.

“Is it the healing matter again?” Arthur asked. “Can’t turn anyone away, that’s how Merlin is.”

Myrddin sighed, looking resigned to an often discussed topic. “Ella, I understand your concern, but I’m fine. See? And all those sick children were healed, fully recovered.”

Ella turned to Arthur, a plea in her eyes. “He was in a coma for a week, Arthur,” she informed him. She turned her gaze back to Myrddin. “Really, if it wasn’t for the supportive energy of the echoes of your past incarnations helping you to heal…”

Myrddin patted her hand to comfort her. “I can’t help it, Ella. I refuse to bend to the belief that when I am down to a choice, I should choose the pureblood child. I know I have a limit, yes, but when there are only a few children left...how could I bear dismissing them when I know I’m their last hope? I rather pay the price of death over children who have their whole lives ahead of them. I at least have the blessing of reincarnation on my side if I die.”

Ella frowned.

“I happen to agree with Ella,” Arthur put in. “You have some admirable qualities, Merlin, but your tendency for self-sacrifice may not necessarily be a good thing. You remember how upset I was with you when you risked your life for mine. I hated the thought of losing you, and to know that I was the cause of it. The guilt is a terrible burden to bear.”

“It goes both ways, Arthur,” Myrddin countered firmly. “I couldn’t live with the knowledge that you sacrificed yourself for my sake. You were too important.”

“Neither one of us was too important than the other. Don’t you dare think that,” Arthur declared fiercely, blue eyes glittering.

“You were both equally important,” Ella interjected, emphasizing the word ‘equally’ as an attempt to diffuse the argument.

Myrddin sighed, relenting. “Very well. I agree with that assessment.”

“Of course you should. Because it’s true,” Ella assured him. She kissed Myrddin on the lips.

Myrddin smiled at her after she pulled away.

“So Arthur, have you found anyone yet?” Myrddin inquired conversationally.

Arthur waved his hand. “I’m a hard man to please, I suppose. No one has caught my eye.”

“I can believe that,” Myrddin remarked.

Ella rolled her eyes. “The both of you, really. I’m sure you will find your sweetheart, Arthur. You shouldn’t lose faith,” she said to him firmly.

“Yes, I’ll try to do that,” Arthur said and he took that moment to grab his cup from the table. He drank deeply from it.

Myrddin just looked amused.

“Oh, Arthur,” Ella then declared, standing up. She smoothed down her periwinkle blue gown reflexively as she did so. “I believe I have a book that you would like to read. I just need to go to the Upside Down Library to retrieve it. I won’t be long,” she said.

Ella left the room. The prince watched as she passed by him on her way to the door. She didn’t notice his presence, further proving that he was simply an invisible observer of this future event.

Arthur returned his attention to his future self and Merlin’s future incarnation.

“Only you, Merlin, would give a library that kind of name,” Arthur remarked with a shake of his head.

“Well, it is appropriate. Everything is upside down there - the ceiling is where the floor is meant to be, and you have to float to retrieve any books. I thought it clever. And with ten libraries in the Crystal Palace, I had to find a way to distinguish all of them. Well, the Grand Old Library and Upside Down Library are the main libraries, but still, I wanted the smaller libraries to have their own distinctive qualities as well,” he explained reasonably.

Arthur raised his eyebrow. “Yes, of course. Well, I’m glad that I didn’t have you killed back in Camelot before your time. All those poor libraries would have languished without your care,” he joked.

Myrddin shot a glare at him. “Oh, you prat,” he shot back at him without much heat. “You love this place, I know you do.”

“I admit it is quite impressive,” Arthur admitted. “No matter how many lives I have lived, I still find myself being amazed at what magic can accomplish.”

Myrddin smiled, pleased.

Then a medium-sized black dragon appeared in the room.

Prince Arthur stared in surprise at the dragon’s sudden appearance. But the other two people, Myrddin especially, didn’t seem all that surprised at the creature’s magical arrival.

“Ah, Arthur,” Myrddin addressed the dragon, stroking his head. “So nice of you to come. You missed Arthur, didn’t you?”

Arthur frowned. “Really, Merlin. Did you have to name him after me?”

“I could call him Artie for now so as not to confuse who I’m speaking to…” Myrddin suggested with a grin.

“That’s not helping,” Arthur said frankly.

Artie the dragon started trying to make a face. Myrddin pet him, clearly adoring the creature.

“You two were made for each other,” Arthur commented drily as Myrddin conjured some fish for the dragon to eat.

Myrddin looked up at him and winked.

Then the scene before the prince faded away.

Arthur found himself back in his bedchambers. Artemis was sitting in an ornate cushioned chair that Arthur was certain that wasn’t a piece of furniture from his room.

Artemis looked up from the book she was reading.

“What are you reading?” Arthur asked her.

“‘The Tales of Beetle the Bard’, a reread on my part,” she informed him. She set the book down on the chair and she stood.

“Well, what have you learned?” Artemis asked him pleasantly, sounding a bit like a tutor asking her student a question.

Arthur stared at her, rubbing the back of his head in consternation. “I was supposed to learn something?”

“Of course. Surely you recall something worth noting?” she pressed him gently.

Arthur went over the conversation he had observed, and yes, there was something. It was right there in front of him.

“My future incarnation said that he was glad he hadn’t killed you before your time…before your time,” Arthur reiterated out loud again, turning over the words in his head. “I’m guessing that means there are more factors to you being reincarnated. If I set events into motion, leading to your death now in my time, then you may not be reincarnated in the future,” he deduced.

Artemis nodded. “Yes,” she acknowledged. “If I die before my time, as you say, then I will not have the wisdom and experience gained in my original life to aid the wizarding world in my future lives. It is of the utmost importance that I have the opportunity to be by your side, Arthur, to help you during your time as King. I need to travel the lands beyond Camelot, to see new people, learn new things. And wisdom only comes with age after all.”

“You need to grow old now like that older Merlin I met earlier,” Arthur realized.

“Yes. That’s how it should be. Otherwise, I fear I will not be reborn. I will have no reason to do so. You must understand, Arthur, how vital my time is with you - as a prince and as a king. I sincerely hope you give my original self the chance to live a long life. I know the wizarding world is a new idea to you, and you may not be quite accepting of it yet, but without my rebirth to guide that world over the centuries--”

Arthur interrupted, “Will the wizarding world cease to exist?” He wondered.

“I only aided the wizarding world in my different lives. I do not doubt the determination of wizards to form their own community and to protect their magical heritage,” she said confidently.

“Then what would the problem be?” Arthur asked.

“The world of magic may still survive in some form, but it will certainly not be the same. By that, I mean that the wizarding world will not fare as well without my guidance. Remember how I told you about wizards needing to hide themselves and their institutions? When we discovered that we could not coexist peacefully with Muggles?”

Arthur nodded.

“It was a terrible predicament. Not even I could make a peaceful coexistence work. Muggles were persecuting us, and even forcing us to use our magic for their own, usually selfish, ends. We had no choice but to use our magic to shield ourselves from Muggles. In the end, it worked out nicely that way. We had laws in place to avoid Muggle detection and Muggles lived unaware of us. To Muggles, magic became a fanciful idea, something that one heard about in children’s fairytales. Your father, Arthur, was not the last to decrease our numbers,” she confided in him, a disapproving look in her eyes.

“He raised me to believe that magic was evil and dangerous,” Arthur said, though the words felt weak on his tongue.

Artemis looked at him carefully. She spoke earnestly, “Of course, but don’t you remember what you have done, Arthur? You have taken actions that your father would certainly not approve of. You aided the Druid boy, helping him to escape rather than allowing your father to execute him. You were torn and conflicted all those times you had to head into a Druid village, on orders to kill everyone. You may have believed magic was evil, but you still saw magic users as people. You truly didn’t wish to kill them,” she said, confident in her words.

Arthur had to admit that she had a point. There were some things he had trouble doing, but he had to do them because his father demanded it of him. Then there were other times like with the Druid boy where he couldn’t, he just couldn’t allow the boy to be executed. The Druid had only been a child after all.

Honestly, a big part of the reason why he helped the boy to escape was that he reminded Arthur of Merlin.

If Merlin had been that age, if Merlin had been that child, Arthur didn’t think he would survive watching his execution without desperately wanting to vomit afterwards.

He shook himself. He was wondering why he had been conflicted in the first place. This was Merlin…and true, Camelot was anti-magic for now, but his father wasn't going to be King forever...

Arthur felt like a fool.

“Arthur?” Artemis asked him in concern. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Arthur reassured her quickly. “I believe I have decided. I don’t think I have the stomach to have Merlin executed. I admit I was…narrow-minded for a moment there. This experience has been… insightful, but I don’t need to see anymore.”

Artemis frowned. “Don’t you at least want to see the other Merlin?”

Arthur’s brow furrowed. “Do you mean Nathan? The boy in the portrait said it would be unwise to see him, didn’t he? Maybe I’ll take his advice.”

“He was ten years old. And quite possibly tipsy. That Merlin didn’t know what he was saying,” Artemis argued, mildly irritated now.

Arthur shrugged. “He clearly had his past memories if he knew who I was. That must count for something.”

“Very well, but I think you should continue on with this experience. To insure we remove any and all lingering doubt. I assure you, Nathan will be worth meeting, even if he is…well, Nathan,” she finished with a sigh. She even rolled her eyes.

Arthur didn’t feel much better about seeing this next incarnation of Merlin, but his curiosity was itching at him. He couldn’t resist wondering what all the fuss was about with this Nathan character, whose present time was even further down the line than Artemis’s. The year 2010, hadn’t she said? Arthur couldn’t fathom such a year. It seemed so far away from the sixth century, his current time.

Arthur raised his eyebrow. “I’ll just refrain from questioning what you mean there,” he replied to her odd non-explanation of Nathan. “But I agree to continue with this. If you say Nathan is worth meeting, then I’ll take your word for it.”

Artemis smiled. “Oh good,” she said cheerfully.

“Now as to your inquiry about the problem,” she began.

“You mean what would happen if you weren’t reincarnated?” Arthur clarified.

He half-expected her to say that this wizarding world would be irrevocably doomed in the end without her, him, Merlin…Arthur’s head was starting to ache.

She inclined her head.

“Yes,” Artemis confirmed. “The issue of tolerance would be adversely affected. Specifically, tolerance to those who possess magic, but have been born into Muggle families. I was a strong advocate in each of my lives for equality and tolerance within the wizarding world. While I understood the reasons why we had to conceal our world, I also knew that the best way for our world to survive was through population growth. And there were only so many pureblood families. We had to embrace Muggle-born children and halfbloods -- to allow them to study magic at our schools -- if we wished for the world of magic to survive and flourish. There are Muggles with magical ancestry that dates centuries back for them. They may not be aware of it, so it is forgotten. But sometimes, a child born to Muggle parents may be magical - proving that once upon a time, that child’s ancestors may have had magic.”

“So without you enforcing this call for tolerance, then this world of yours may not thrive as well?”

Artemis nodded. “Unfortunately, so. Wizards may be overly cautious and close off the wizarding world even to children who clearly have magic, but have been born in the Muggle world. The wizarding population will dwindle as a consequence. They wouldn’t have my guidance to ease their minds that opening the wizarding world to Muggle-borns would be a wise idea. Since I am quite powerful magically, my magic acts as a security. It is similar to your prowess with the sword. You have not just your words, but your prowess as a fighter, a knight to support your counsel.

“As I told you before, my time with you is important. I did my best to protect you. I didn’t care that you were different to me, that you didn’t have magic. What mattered is that we worked together, that we cooperated with each other - non-magic and magic together. We each had our strengths and weaknesses.

“I watched you as you supported Lancelot, that you dearly wanted him as a knight even after he was revealed as a commoner. You believed in him and because you’re you, you hated the thought that he was stripped of his knighthood by your father. You saw how skilled a fighter Lancelot was after all. You saw him as an equal, and you championed equality as a result. By the time you were King, you gave all able men - noble or commoner - a chance to be a Knight of Camelot. I saw you be a good man, a great King, and I was so proud of you. I learned a lot from you, as I hope you will learn from me in your time,” Artemis smiled quietly at him when she finished.

She bent down to retrieve her book from the chair.

Arthur was taken aback by Artemis’s - Merlin’s - heartfelt words. He didn’t know what to say. He was touched by her words and how strongly she believed in the cooperation between him and Merlin.

“Your mother…your Muggle mother,” Arthur started, feeling like he had forgotten how to speak.

Artemis looked at him questioningly. “Yes?”

Using words like ‘Muggle’ told him that he was getting too comfortable with these new ideas he’d learned. He just imagined saying the word ‘Muggle’ in front of Merlin and having a strange look directed at him. Anyway, would Merlin believe him when Arthur told him about meeting his future incarnations, not to mention his older self, in some mad venture during the night? Certainly Merlin would believe Arthur to be the one with a mental affliction then.

He cleared his throat, and continued on. This time his voice didn’t betray him. “That also played a role too, didn’t it? In the values you stood by?”

“Well, that goes without saying,” she acknowledged. “Yes of course. In all my lives, my mother is always dear to me.”

“I’m not surprised,” Arthur remarked.

Artemis smiled. “Well, my time with you is at an end. I’m glad that you’ve decided to spare your Merlin. It seems we have underestimated you, which is a very good thing, I think.”

“I don’t deny that you helped. Thank you for what you said about me. I - I truly appreciate it,” he confided in her sincerely.

“You’re welcome,” she said graciously. “I also have a gift for you,” she informed him.

She shifted her book so that she was holding it in one arm. A small, golden box - only a little bigger than her hand - appeared in her palm. On the front part of the box, the words: ‘Our Lady Artemis’ were engraved.

Artemis set it down on the table, opening the box. Inside there was a small figurine of a girl donned in a purple and gold dress. Based on the engraving and the uncanny resemblance, the girl had to be Artemis when she was a child.

Arthur was startled when the girl moved, raising her hand to her lips and blowing. A fiery dragon half her size suddenly appeared before the figurine.

As the girl resumed her stationary position with her conjured dragon dissipating as well, Artemis explained to him cryptically, “It has more uses than meets the eye.”

“All right,” Arthur answered her uncertainly, not understanding what she meant by that.

“Good bye, Arthur and good luck,” she wished him.

She stepped closer to Arthur and kissed him on the cheek in farewell.

Arthur had been expecting a sort of breeze sensation again, like before when Artemis had touched him. But this time, she felt warm, human…and her lips were soft.

Then he realized she had stopped flickering.

“How did you - you’ve stopped flickering,” Arthur said, aghast.

She smiled secretly at him, her touch warm as she caressed his cheek. “We echoes have our limitations, but we can be solid again…if we focus hard enough. I couldn’t resist,” Artemis informed him, smiling at him.

She brushed aside an errant lock of hair affectionately before she pulled away. When she started flickering again, Artemis waved him goodbye, and then she disappeared, the chair vanishing along with her.

“Good bye, Artemis,” Arthur managed to say before she was gone completely.

He could still feel her touch on his face.

~ * ~

Arthur hardly had the chance to get back to sleep before he encountered a door appearing before his bed. The door had a wreath nailed to it. A wine-red bow decorated the top of the wreath.

He sighed, resigned, to whatever was going to happen next. He tried to stay his curiosity at meeting this incarnation of Merlin who Artemis had told him was worth meeting.

He climbed off his bed and headed for the impossible door (it was unsupported by any walls, and there was no separate room behind the door - it was just the door’s back).

Arthur nearly jumped, startled, when the bow on the wreath spoke of all things. He could tell by one of the bow’s loops moving up and down. It was as if the silky material of the bow was the lips of the object’s mouth.

“Have you been naughty or nice?” the bow (oh for the love, he was talking to a decorative object! Arthur decided this was quite possibly the most bizarre dream he had had in a while) asked of him in a singsong voice.

“I just want to get on with this,” Arthur said impatiently. He crossed his arms against his chest and glared at the offending red bow.

“Oh, aren’t we impatient?” the bow said, giggling. Arthur wasn’t sure how a bow could even giggle. “All right, what is his name?” The decoration asked.

“Whose name?” Arthur wondered.

“Why, the person you wish to see,” the bow said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Arthur decided that the bow meant that incarnation he was supposed to meet. “Nathan. His name is Nathan.”

“Oh…are you sure you want to see him?” The bow said tentatively to him.

“Yes!” Arthur all but exclaimed.

He took a hold of the doorknob and opened the door.

~ * ~
Nathan Young, In Loving Memory

Arthur soon discovered that it was only after he had actually opened the door, that he was transported into another room completely.

The room was a small one, about the size of Merlin’s room Arthur estimated.

A man in his twenties with dark, curly hair (Arthur was quickly establishing that all of Merlin’s incarnations had dark hair no matter what) and green eyes sat in a golden throne. He was of lean build, maybe even thinner than Merlin, and he looked a little taller too. He was wearing a grey suit with a red and white stripped silk tie off-setting his plain white shirt. He had a grey top hat on his head and a striking silver dragon ring on one finger.

“Artemis told me you don’t need convincing anymore,” the man declared in an accent Arthur wasn’t very familiar with. “You know who I am I’m sure, but I should introduce myself anyway. I’m Nathan Young. I’m the ghost of Christmas Present - take out the ghost bit, I guess, since I travelled from the future,” he added with a shrug.

Arthur did realize that Nathan wasn’t flickering, so he wasn’t an echo. So apparently time travel did exist and magic definitely had near endless possibilities. Arthur again wondered why both Artemis and Nathan called themselves ghosts when they truly weren’t.

“Your accent…it’s different,” Arthur noted.

Nathan raised his brow. “Do you think we all get reincarnated in the same place? Now, that would be boring. I was born in Ireland and I’ve done my best to keep the accent.”

“I was only asking,” Arthur said defensively.

But Nathan already seemed to have let the issue go, his green eyes twinkling as he observed Arthur. He looked relaxed as he rested one elbow on a throne arm, his hand cupping his chin.

Arthur pressed on, “And like you said, Artemis told you that I don’t require any more help. I’ve decided.”

“Yes, but I created this whole thing for you, well most of it. So I think we should go ahead,” Nathan countered. “If anything, you’ll find what I show you enlightening.”

“Artemis said you loved all things Christmas…” Arthur brought up.

Nathan smiled. “I was born on Christmas Day. Everyone in the wizarding world calls me The Christmas Merlin because of that. And that led to my fond appreciation of Christmas -- leading to this Christmas Carol attempt that has officially gone off track thanks to you. So for me ‘the ghost of Christmas Present’ means present as in gift.”

“Since you were born on Christmas,” Arthur concluded with a sigh. “Clever.”

“Your sincerity blows me away, Arthur. Really it does,” Nathan retorted. “You should have a seat,” he declared.

He waved his hand, his eyes glowing a bright white, and an ornately carved red chair appeared by Arthur. He shifted the chair a little away from Nathan so that he was about three feet away from him.

“Your eyes glowed white when you did magic. Merlin’s eyes glow gold. I did notice how Artemis’s went a slightly paler shade as well. Is there a reason for it?” Arthur wanted to know.

“I feel like I’m being interviewed,” Nathan remarked. “I have no control over the color of the glow. My magic just works like that, in this incarnation anyway. It makes things more interesting, don’t you think?”

“Or gives me less reason to believe you’re Merlin’s incarnation with the differences,” Arthur pointed out.

Nathan looked a bit surprised at Arthur’s reasoning. “Do you want to see a memory?”

“No, no…I can only take one of those for one night,” Arthur quickly said.

He couldn’t stand to see another look of accusation from Merlin again.

“I can’t have you doubting who I am,” Nathan argued.

Before Arthur could do anything about it, a memory of Merlin appeared again. This time he was wearing chainmail. It was the very same look he had when he along with Gwen and Morgana came to help Merlin defend his home village, Ealdor, against raiders. Arthur tried not to look at him when the memory set his gaze upon him. He wouldn’t risk it.

“Will wasn’t the sorcerer,” Nathan said as the memory vanished.

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Clearly he wasn’t. Only you would be mad enough to come to Camelot knowing you could be executed if you were found out.”
Part 2