The soul in the stone ( A Merlin fanfiction )

the Affray

Arthur had never thought he would go to sleep with determination, but this was getting rediculouse, and he needed to sort it out. How the bloody hell he could visit Merlin's entrapped soul in his dreams was beyond him, but he could, and he was going make the most of it. Getting to sleep that night was one no easy feat, but eventually his breathing evened out, and he fell into the dream he knew was waiting for him.

  He ran through the halls of the empty Camelot, strate to the dungeons... and there he was. Just as he left him, down cast and chained. Arthur wasn't sure what to say. When he believed this a dream, he spoke to him as he normaly would, but this was Merlin, his soul, trapped. What does one say to the imprisoned soul of their brother? So he walked in and sat down as he had before. And just as before, Merlin closed his eyes and sighed.

"No need to seem so excited to see me Merlin." Arthur said, hoping he would get a hint of a smile. It was as if Merlin's responce was to look up, and then he caught himself and closed his eyes again. It was to late though, Arthur could still see the gold shining for just a second. It only confused him more.

"I spoke with Gaius....he told me where we are...where you are." This time Arthur looked down. "He says he doesn't know how to help you...that you have to want to break free." He couldnt hear Merlin breathing, he looked up and saw that he was holding his breath... holding his breath and closing his eyes tight.

"Why the hell would you want to stay here Merlin? What is so scary that you would rather stay in a rock?!" He stood and started pacing. And then there was silence for a long time.

"How are you here Arthur?" Merlin finaly said, confusion in his voice. Arthur was just as confused although more about why that was what he chose to say.

"I don't know Gaius didn't tell me how when i sleep i enter the stone in which your soul is trapped! Oh by the way... how the hell is your soul trapped in a rock?! And if you are able to get out like Gaius thinks... Why the hell don't you?!" He punched the wall, and was only slightly taken aback when it actually hurt.

"I tried for a while... but I don't know where by body is, if i could return to it once i was out... and then you...."The first part he understood, he hated that he did, but he understood but what about him?

"Merlin, what do you mean 'and then you?'" This was rediculouse, was he actually scared of his answere. "Merlin look at me." Merlin very purposefully did not look at him. And then it made sence.... Merlin would not meet his eyes, and he knew why. "You knew didn't you, last night. You knew i was real, thats why you.... closed your eyes." he took a deap breath, "That's why you won't look at me." Merlin was shaking now. But he was still obviously trying to hide it, still trying to apear as if nothing was wrong, while he was chained to a bloody wall. Arthur sighed. Merlin had magic. To be honest he had been thinking about it since the first night he saw those eyes, and it made sence. It made sence why Merlin made it without a scratch in battle, why Arthur somehow lived thorugh unlivable situations, how magical threats just kind of whent away....but how did he do it? How could that have been Merlin...alone? Arthur sat infront of his friend, his friend who had given so much, his friend who was shaking, because he was apparently more scared of this conversation than the situation he currently found himslef in. And he just sat with him for a while... thinking.

"Merlin... who did this to you?" He asked as gently as possible. And then it happened... Merlin looked up. His golden eyes met Arthur's blue, and he looked... confused.

"Do you...know who did this to you?" Arthur asked not sure why he was silent.

"Yes...but..." He scrunched his face togeether as if trying to solve a riddle.

"But what Merlin?" This was rediculouse, and frustrating.

"....why?" was all he said. Arthur didn't understand. Why would he not know why Arthur wanted the identity of his attacer? was he protectiong them?

"What do you mean 'why' so i can go kill them and get your body back! Don't be an idiot Merlin, unless you have a better plan." Ugh the idiocy! But Merlin looked at him with confusion and what looked like just a hint of fear.

"Why would you do that?" His question was genuine.

"Merlin, now is not the time for your jokes, now come on who did this?" This was getting ridiculous.

"No Arthur why?" He looked desperate, as if he were suffocating, and Arthur's answere were the air he needed. "Why try and help me? why try and save a...a sorcerer?! You know what I am now! You hate my kind! You think us monsters! So why try and help this one?!" Arthur had never felt a blade as sharpe as those words. They stung, and burned. Not only did Merlin just call himself a monster, he expected Arthur to call him one to, he was confused as to why he would help him. His brother didn't know why he wasn't just going to let him die, hell, he probably expected Arthur to do the honors. Merlin was afraid... of him. Arthur was silent for a long while as he sat infront of his brother. Merlin had calmed down a bit, but he wouldnt meet Arthur's eyes anymore, and his hands were still shaking.

"I don't understand alot." Arthur finaly said. " And before you go off all 'Yes we know you great prat its a wonder you understand anything,' on me let me finish... I don't understand why you came to camelot if you had magic. What I can see is that this is you... your soul, your soul's eyes are gold, it's part of you... wich is why I don't understand why you came to Camelot." "I don't understand why you called me friend that first day, or how we grew to be just that." " I do know that I never knew the meaning of the word before you. And to be honest I was never a really good one." Merlin looked up at that, a tear threatening to escape. Arthur kept going. "I thought I understood loyalty... and then you drank poison for me, after only a few weeks of knowing me...and then you kept trying to die for me, so i gues i didn't understand loyalty before you ether." He took a deep breath. "Merlin, I don't understand what all of this means," he gestered to their surroundings and the chains, "But I will be damned if I let you wallow if self pitty calling your self a monster, which you couldnt be even if you tried, and letting yourself die!" And then as if he were holding a breath Merlin let it go, he let go and met Arthur's gaze as he used to, with pride. And then the corner of his mouth rose, jsut a bit.

"I am not wollowing." He said. Arthur almost cried with relief when he heard that.

"Yes you were you girl, now tell me who did this and where are they?"

"Arthur I don't think you can fix this, I mean If i were in my body, maybe i could defeat her, but you need magic Arthur, shes to...powerful." And then he shivered.

"Who?" Arthur wasnt sure he was going to like the answere to this.

"Nimueh....I thought I killed her, I did kill her. But she's back some how."

"Ok were fighting a dead sorceress, do you have any diea why she did this to you?"

"Pay back?" Merlin sad, more a question to himslef really. "I killed her, she must finde this satisfying trapping my soul.... how did you know?" he asked his head snaping up.

"A man came to court and gifted me the stone. he said... Merlin.... I think I know how the help!" But the world around him as fading and he woke up, in a cold sweat, franticly searching for the stone.