As Clear As Blood (A Merlin Fan Fiction)

[35]

"He's practically dead!" Gaius screamed, bumbling hurriedly around his room for books. Panic pinching at his voice.

"I'm sorry Gaius I couldn't get here faster!" Arthur sobbed, "I found him lie this on the floor,"

"Pass me your shoulder please sire," Gaius ordered, pulling out a bandage.

"Why?" Arthur asked as he shuffled closer to Gaius and pulled up his sleeve where the giant sword cut was. "It doesn't hurt, why?"

"It's hurting Merlin remember? He told me about that," Gaius explained, wrapping the bandage tightly around his shoulder.

"Oh yes," Arthur nodded, remembering now, Guilt wove its way hungrily inside of him.

"It says he's been stabbed," Gaius stated puzzled, "have you been stabbed anywhere else?"

"No, just the shoulder," Arthur promised.

"Have you the flower sire?" Gaius added.

"Yes it's here," Arthur said laying down the flower near him.

"Gwaine bought me the other one back, he didn't realise Merlin was so badly hurt or he wouldn't have ever left him," Gaius explained, still pottering around his room looking for ingredients.

"Gwaine?"

"He followed you out of the castle, you weren't very secretive!" Gaius chuckled and then he stopped and fell back into his solemn mood for Merlin was on the edge of death.

"The monster! It said Merlin might die if I killed it... I didn't realise and now it's my fault!" Arthur sniffed trying to control his sadness.

"Arthur you were not to know! It says a process to undo magic should heal him, that's good we have to swap you back into your own bodies!" Gaius said cheerfully, "we haven't got time to find the herbs so this better work,"

Arthur wrapped his hand around Merlin's when Gaius wasn't looking, their fingers combed together and electricity emerging through his veins. He was on the verge of tears, his eyes sprinkled with droplets of salty water.

He'd done this, he'd killed Merlin. If he was to die today it was to be his fault, Arthur wasn't sure he could live with such a thing.

"Here, drink this," Gaius said, passing over a small glass of a yellowing liquid.

Gaius pored some down Merlin's mouth too, and Arthur world became out of focus.

Arthur could see Camelot and it's busy streets, Merlin was there holding a mace and Arthur could see himself too, swinging a mace around towards Merlin. It hit him on his back but Merlin hardly flinched, Arthur stated at the younger version of himself and Merlin, this was the second time they'd ever met, Arthur could remember this.

He could see the isle of the Blessed again, the black haired woman smirking, "pity, we could have ruled the world together,"

A scorpion sent its tail down into Merlin who screamed in pain, Merlin could feel it too, a stinging sensation running down his spine, however did he escape?

"Your first battle wound!" He heard his younger self exclaim after a sword had just torn open a small area of his skin. Looking at this it was definately not his first.

Morgana had him tied up, Arthur could feel the rope upon his skin burning through layers of him even though it was Merlin who was hanging above the ground. Something dug into the back of his neck and Arthur watched in horror as Merlin shook wildly and his screams echoed around the small building unheard. A fommorroh could be seen, it wriggled inside Merlin's neck and made him scream for pain, how had Arthur never known?

An arrow shot through him, pain filled Arthur's body from his torso, he gasped for air unable to find any. Tears pricked his eyes at the unimaginable pain he felt.

Words erupted from Merlin mouth, words he'd never heard before, they were shouted in a deep rumble from Merlin. He'd heard the words before even though lots of the sentences overlapped each other several merlin shouted unknown words at the same time. These words were spells and Arthur - he knew it.

Merlin - the real Merlin, still in Arthur's body, stood up. He looked like a zombie with raw circles around his eyes.

"Please no... Arthur don't, " he whispered his voice cracking and tears dropping elegantly from his sorrowful eyes.

"What is this?" Arthur asked in alarm, "Merlin what is this?"

By an unknown force Merlin and Arthur were pulled like magnets, their noses were almost touching and their eyes were glued on the other person's eyes. They felt the ground fall from underneath them, they were floating and it was magical.

A bright blue light came from Merlin and on came from Arthur.  They coiled playfully around each other sparking and glowing with joy.

Merlin found himself back at home, in his own body and there was relief and freedom to potter around his mind without any one else routing around.

Arthur too felt pleased to, having to spread out in Merlin's skinny she'll had been hard for him, being in his own body again felt like a luxury.

Their eyes were drawn back to the scene, spells we rupee from Merlin's fingers,  casting people easily aside, starting fires and drawing pictures in the smoke.

"Please... no" Merlin begged shamefully,  "stop,"

"Your a sorcerer?" Arthur asked slowly

"Yes..." Merlin whispered heart broken "I'm sorry, yes, I am,"

"How? How could you keep this from me? Betray me like this?" Arthur asked, guilt winding it's way inside him, he hated the thought Merlin had kept this from him incase he'd have killed him. Arthur knew he'd never kill Merlin.          

"I'm sorry, " Merlin repeated, "I only ever used it to protect you!"

Arthur's mind swam back to the images he'd seen of Merlin getting hurt - for him.

"No, I'm sorry," Arthur mumbled staring at Merlin sadly, "I should never have let anyone live in fear like that! Merlin," Arthur and Merlin stepped closer to each other so they could feel the warm breath of each other. "I guess that means your not as brave as I thought you were - you had a secret power," Arthur whispered slowly, electric bolts running from his skin to Merlin's, their lips hovering near each others.

"You wish," Merlin breathed, his eyes gently closed at the feel of Arthur's breath.

Arthur pushed his lips softly onto Merlin's with care, their eyes both closed, hiding the images of all Merlin's pain. They stayed in a long embrace, their breathing became one, their chest rising in a slow and peaceful rhythm.