Daylight is Mine to Protect

The Battle of Killahead

Merlin leads us away. "While you were focused on the battle," he explains to Blinkus and Aaaarrrgghh, "There were events unfolding that you were unaware of."

"I suppose fighting for our lives would be a little distracting," Blinkus admits. 

"What?!" exclaims Claire as we approach the scene in front of us. "That's her! That's--"

"Morgana," Merlin finishes. "Yes. The Pale Lady. The Mother of Monsters."

"I could add a few more names to that list," Claire growls. 

"So could I," I mutter darkly. Claire looks at me, surprised, but Blinkus is talking.

"But none of the history books even speak of this," he muses.

"Well," Merlin says as he walks up to the scene. "Books don't talk for one thing." He turns to face them and raises his arms, ever the dramatic. "This was the true battle of Killahead," he announces. 

"You and Morgana?" Jim seems starstruck. Guess he's supposed to be, being Merlin's Trollhunter and all.

"She is as ancient as I am," Merlin agrees. "Perhaps more so. Craving chaos, she so deceives the dissentions between humans and trollkind."

"I know her well," Claire adds. "She's a real head-case."  

I hmph. "More than you know."

"Hence the Eternal Night," Merlin says darkly. "She realized that if trolls could not survive in daylight, what if the night were ever-lasting."

"Gunmar and his forces could do whatever they wanted!" Jim realizes. 

"Morgana had to be stopped at any cost," Merlin agrees. "It turns out...."

This time, Jim is the one interrupting, "That cost was your magic."

"Aye." This is the one part of the battle Merlin regrets. I can see it in his eyes. "The only way to stop her was to extend almost all my power and confine her for as long as possible."

Claire steps up. "I'm guessing 'as long as possible' means right about now." 

I shiver thinking about it. Merlin gives me a sympathetic look before continuing. "We're doomed to wage battle once more thanks to the work of Angor Rot."

The spell ends. We are back in the cavern. "Well," Merlin says. "Some things must end."

"Well, if we're going to have to do anything, we're still going to have to get out of here," Jim points out.

At that moment, a rumble shakes through the cave. "What was that?" I ask. I turn to them. "What happened in your fight with Angor Rot?"

"We may have caused a tiny cave-in," Jim reveals. Water begins pouring from the ceiling. 

"The cave-in must have diverted the water to the cave!" Blinkus realizes. 

"So we're not trapped, but we're going to drown!" Toby exclaims.

Merlin sighs. "Centuries later, it never gets any easier." He turns to Jim. "I assume you have the amulet? I'll need it's power to get us out of here."

Jim rubs the back of his head. "That might be a little difficult. I destroyed it to get the map so we could find you."

I nearly choke. "You did what?!" Jim had been without his amulet, and I thought it was a good idea to abandon him??

Merlin raises a hand to silence me. "Hand it over." Jim does so, looking like a puppy being scolded. "Oh," Merlin studies the broken pieces. "You really did a number on this thing."

Jim laughs nervously. 

"Can you put it back together?" Claire asks, coming closer as Merlin puts the pieces on the spot he used to lie. 

"Of course.... Let's see, this goes here and this thingamagig twists over here."

I inch closer, staff in hand, to the Trollhunter as the cave rumbles again, hoping I can protect him from any falling rocks. I focus on that instead of the many whining from the other for Merlin to go faster. 

"Amber, dear, do you mind handing me your staff for a minute?" Merlin asks as he works away on the amulet. I hesitate, wanting to keep it to protect Jim but decide the amulet is our best hope for that. I give him the staff, and he takes a piece off of it to finish the amulet. Then, he hands it back to me.

"Here," he says to Jim, handing it to him.

"Now what am I supposed to do?" questions Jim. 

"You're the Trollhunter," Merlin quips. "And you alone must tap the amulet's true potential." I look at Merlin in surprise. Even he doesn't know all the secrets of the amulet. 

Everyone rushes to stand by each other as a wall of water comes in from the blue crystal caves. "For the glory of," Jim pauses. "Well, you, daylight is mind to command!" The water rushes closer. "And Daylight will protect us!" he adds as if by a strange power. I watch, amazed, as he transforms into his armor, holds out his swords, and diverts the rush of water coming from the cave. 

What power! I reach my hand out to the sides of the barricade where water droplets separate from the main flow and hit my skin. 

Jim diverts the water flow to the side of the cave where the water breaks through the rock as if it were glass and reveals an opening beyond. I look up at the moon and at my hand as purple light dances along my fingertips. My armor appears back on me and my staff glows in my hands. My moonlight was powerless in the cave, and Jim's Daylight saved us all. I've never felt so powerless. 

I hear Jim and Merlin talking behind me. "How did you know I could do this?" Jim asks. 

"You can do more than you realize," Merlin replies. "And you will."

"How?" 

"When you help me destroy Morgana."

A/N: Really really really motivated.