Title: Merlin And Arthur One Shots-Diamond of the Day Alternate Ending
Rating: PG-13 for minimal language
Dedicated to: anarose2002 for all of her support in all of my books and this is for the one-shot contest.
Reveal One Shot
Plot Line:Merlin reaches Arthur just in time, in his young form, just as Mordred is about to stab him.

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Merlin POV

Clang. Slash. Boom. These three sounds, over and over, ringing in the heads of every single warrior fighting on the battlefield.

Metal against metal. Man against man. Sorcerer agains sorcerer. Sword against sword.

I stand on the ledge overlooking Camlann, keeping a close eye out for Arthur. He has taken down the most Saxons it seems, him being the king after all. Still, he couldn't have done it without my help.

A new sound enters my ears though, distant, like it's far away. A woman's scream, I realize. Morgana.

"Emrys!" She shrieks, and I turn to face her, determination written on my features. My hands tightly grasp the staff, taken from the She themselves, white hair whipping in the wind, eyes as fiery as the flames of ember, and she is instantly thrown from the cliff in which she perched. A sickening thump alerts me that she too is unconscious among the pile of dead.

I turn my attention back to Arthur, only to realize the battle is already won. The Saxons are in the midst of fleeing, their greatest weapon lying seemingly dead on the hard ground.

By the time the sun sets, the battlefield is practically a graveyard. Had previously reverted back to my younger form, making it easier to search for Arthur. I spot him, kneeling beside an injured knight, there is no doubt he will be dead within the next few minutes. The Warriors hand falls from his shoulder, falling limply to the ground. Arthur bows his head, my guess being he is ashamed that he let so many of his faithful followers die.

He stays down like that, kneeling, eyes closed, not bearing to look into the eyes of his fallen comrade. I let my defenses down, positive it's just me and him, although Arthur doesn't know I'm here. A flash of light. A glint of a sword. I see Mordred stalking up to Arthur, weapon raised to strike. Whether by chance or fate, Arthur suddenly turns away, barely parrying the attack.

They continue to battle and I run over, though neither notices me. Mordred uses magic to disarm him and is about to go for the strike when I interfere, throwing all of my weight into a counter strike, blocking his sword from hitting Arthur.

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Arthur POV

"Merlin?!" I ask in shock. Merlin is supposed to be "running errands for Gaius", although I secretly thought that he was running. But what is he doing here?!

"Emrys." Mordred sneers back at him, casting an evil expression. He,can one go from being so innocent, to being so hateful? And why did he call Merlin, Emrys? "How did you escape?!"

"Let him go, Mordred. This is not Arthurs fight. It's mine."

"Merlin. What are you-"

"Enough!" Mordred yells. "It may not be Arthur's fight, but it is his death. I have no idea how you managed to escape your little prison, but I intend to end your miserable life one way or another. Arthur will stay and watch as you bleed to death in the very ground that you sought to protect." Mordred flings his hand in my direction, eyes burning a fiery gold as he incants a spell out loud, binding me in chains that attach themselves to the rock wall behind me.

"No!" Merlin screams. He looks at me directly in the eyes and we seem to have an entire conversation with just that one look.

No! Merlin run! What are you doing?!

I'm saving your damn life. That's what I'm doing.

"It's no use Emrys. The chains are unbreakable. Not even you could attempt to thwart such magic."

Merlin turns back to Mordred, anger clear on his face. "An old friend of my'n once told me that when I had the chance, I must kill you. It's the only way to save Arthur's life. I guess this is it. No more running."

"It seems not. For me anyway. But for you...tell me, if you're done running, why not just tell Arthur of your secret? I mean, you are the best of friends after all. He's shared everything with you, and yet, you cannot tell him one simple secret. One simple secret to add to your simple life."

"You think my life is simple?! Let's trade places for a day! See how long you last! I've kept this secret my entire life. The only people besides Gaius who know about it are dead! Will. Hunith. Balinor. Lancelot. Freya. They're all dead because of me! I could have saved them! They didn't have to know!" His face now looks more pained than angry. "And now...and now I'm all alone. There's no one left that I care about. You think my life is easy. You better guess again."

Merlin...

"Let's settle this the way honorable men would do it. If you're honorable. Are you? I honestly can't tell anymore." Mordred sneers in his direction. I know he's just goading Merlin now. I'd be scared out of my wits right now, if I was in his place, I am now, but Merlin let's no emotion show it's almost scary.

"I'm not sure you're the person to question my honor are you? You betrayed Camelot, me, but worst of all, you betrayed Arthur."

"I never betrayed anyone!" He screams back. His words are like a flaming ball hurtling it's way in both of our directions, scorching us alive. "If anything, Arthur betrayed me! I loved Kara! He executed her! That act is unforgivable."

"It wasn't right. I'll give you that much. But it's as much my fault we're in this mess as it is yours and his. We all have this unspoken anger and need for revenge that plunges us forward. I have faced much in the wake of Uther's wrath, he took my parents and he took yours. He took my love and he took yours. He took the people that I called family and burned them at the pyre, as he did yours. Yes, we have both suffered at the hands of the Pendragons, but I believe in the world Arthur will build. I believe he will be the King to bring about Albion, and save us all." Merlin finishes his speech firmly, calm and serene. He seems completely at ease with himself, as if a deadly sorcerer wasn't aiming a spell right at his back.

But the. It strikes me. In that moment of silence that followed his rather incredible speech, one of which I had never thought merlin capable of, I realize the meaning of his words. So pain-filled, so emotional, and yet so restrained. I killed his parents? I killed his love? I killed his family? Why wouldn't he tell me this? If what he says is indeed true, both Merlin and Mordred have every right to hate me. And yet Merlin is there for me always, as loyal as a dog is to his master, willing to put his life at risk for me in any moment of any time. I hate myself for not thanking Merlin earlier. For everything he's done for me, for every time he's brought a smile to my face, every time he kept up his useless banter to comfort me, every time he's set his own needs aside for my benefit, and I have never given anything in return. I hate myself for it. For not being the best friend that Merlin is to me.

Mordred's cold voice interrupts my ever depressing thoughts and my own self loathing. "Nevertheless, you may believe in the future Arthur may have built, but I don't. He's showed me too much. I now know the only way for magic to return is with Morgana on the throne. Killing my own kin is something I would never take lightly, and trust me, I would not do this if I had any other choice, but you are the only thing standing between me and freedom and I would take freedom any day. Bel onbryne." Mordred's eyes flash gold and a flaming ball of fire makes its way to Merlin, going at a speed that must completely defy gravity, and horror enters me.

"Merlin!" I scream. Surely this is the end... But then it stops. Right in Merlin's hand it stops, his eyes a fierce gold, anger clear on his face.

"You shouldn't have done that." He mutters quietly. Mordred' eyes fill with terror as the attack made fir the opposite warlock hits him square in the chest. The fire consumes him and his screeches of agony fill my head. I would cover my ears but my wrists are still chained to the wall. Instead, my eyes train in Merlin, the sickening truth dropping in my stomach like an extra weight.

Merlin's a sorcerer.

Betrayal trickles in next and I find tears streaking down my cheeks as he turns to face me, face grim and determined. "Traitor." I say, my voice dangerously low.

The hurt shows on his face but I desperately try to block the image from my mind. "So what next? You going to kill me too?"

"No." He states simply.

"I should kill you for the liar and traitor that you are."

"Then what's stopping you? Here, a clear shot at me. A sword even to make it quick."

His eyes flash gold and the chains vanish, leaving me momentarily confused. I quickly recover as the reassuring feel of my sword in its hilt enters me. I draw it quickly, smoothly, examining the fine workmanship of the blade Merlin himself gave to me. And now I have to kill him with it, I think. You don't have to, I retort back to myself. Yes! He lied to me! Deceived me!

"I called you my friend. Why Merlin?" I whisper.

"Believe me, if I had a choice, I would have never learned magic. But I didn't, so do with me what you like. My destinies complete."

So many questions. If I'm going to kill him anyway I mine as well get answers. "What do you mean you didn't have a choice? Your destiny? What's that supposed to mean?" I hate to admit it, but I'm relieved I've found something to distract myself from the task at hand.

"I didn't have a choice because I was born with it."

"Impossible." I spit back. He's about to die and yet he still chooses to lie.

"It's not. I could move things before I could s-speak."

"You don't have to tell me anything, sorcerer." He flinches at that. "But I'd still like to know what the hell you mean about destiny."

"My destiny? To protect you Arthur. Ever since I first met you, I-it's always been my destiny to protect you."

"So, that was all an act?" My voice sounds uncertain this time as Merlin now fully realizes that I am going to kill him. I honestly don't know how you can sound so strong one moment and break down the next. "Get close to us, and then attack when you're sure that we trusted you completely?" I hesitantly point the sword at his chest, having unknowingly moved closer to him, face to face.

"no." He looks like he's about to cry now. "never. I would never hurt you. You're my best friend Arthur, please understand I never wanted to hide it from you."

And that's it. The dam breaks. Everything Merlin had hidden, that calm mood that disconcerted me before, that seriousness that followed him everywhere, it's all gone. Now, I find a broken man. A man forced to live his life in silence, almost driven insane by the constant reminder that his kind is supposedly evil. Amd I can't find it in myself to hate him. He's my friend. My best friend. And I've pit him through so much, now I've betrayed his trust. Maybe I'm the monster here, not the sorcerer in front of me.

Merlin collapses, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably and I quickly drop my sword, just barely catching him as I bring him into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, Merlin. I'm so, so sorry." The tears blur both of our visions but that only makes me clutch him harder as we both slide down to the ground.

"You-you don't h-hate me?" He whispers brokenly.

I try to make light of the moment. "Hate you? Honestly Merlin, I thought you knew me better."

"Thank you." His muffled voice replies back.

"No, Merlin. Thank you."

-------------------A/N---------------------

So, I hope you liked it. I didn't really mean to wait so long for an update. Sorry it took so long. I don't think I'll be able to update till Tuesday though, I am so sorry again. Please comment and vote, I always appreciate it. Keep Reading,

gracie1009

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