A.N. So, this is the second part of my little experient, thank you for choosing my story. And just a reminder...I still don't own Merlin...if I didn't there would seriously be more episodes and a different ending. These little stories are merely my attempt to find said ending. I hope you guys like this one as well as the last one :)

Another Twist of Fate

Chapter 1: The Sidhe Will Never Forget!

I watched as Arthur lost the remains of his will to fight. I couldn't believe it, we'd come all this way! I couldn't lose him now! He couldn't die now! He had too much yet to give! To Camelot! To Gwen! To the world! How could fate foretell a Once and Future King and then cut him down in his prime?

A world without Arthur was not one I wanted to live in! He was my best friend! He was my brother! How could he give up?! How could I fail him?

"You're not going to say 'goodbye'," I tried to sound confident, but even to me it sounded more like a question.

"No...Merlin...Everything you've done. I know now. For me, for Camelot. For the kingdom you helped me build..."

"You'd have done it without me," I told him.

"...Maybe..." he replied and I could see the old look of confusion and incredulity on his dying face. "I want to say...something I've never said to you before...thank you..."

From then, his glassy, blue eyes faded away and I felt the very life of the king fade with them. My friend was dead. Even when I begged him not to leave...he was gone.

I couldn't believe it. After everything we'd been through...there was peace...Morgana was gone...how could Arthur too be gone?!

I would not allow it!

"O drakron! E male so ftengometta tesd' hup' anakes!" (*1) I screamed into the sky and lowered the lifeless body of my friend to the ground.

Every second I waited for Kilgharrah was agony. It seemed to go on forever, and when I finally saw the large, elegant from of the great dragon in the distance I suddenly felt guilty. He was dying too. Soon I would be without another old friend. I would sorely miss him.

"Kilgharrah, I would not have summoned you if there were any other choice. I have one last favour to ask," I told him as I stared into his amber eyes; they were the eyes of old magic. Eyes that would soon be closed forever.

I held Arthur as the wind rushed past my face and the clouds began to look like snow blankets from high above but I'd never felt so low. I had failed Arthur, I had failed Gwen, the people of Camelot...and Albion. It would never have the king it was meant to. It had been denied its noble ruler...all because of me.

All because I had thought Morgana could be saved. All because I thought I could stop Mordered. All because I thought I could deny Fate. Maybe if I'd been a little more ruthless back then, all this could have been prevented.

But I MUST save Arthur!

I moved him from Kilgharrah's back and down onto the grass where I tried to take him to the water.

"Merlin...there is nothing you can do," the great dragon, my old friend, told me sadly.

"I've failed...I cannot let him die!" I shouted and I continued half carrying, half dragging the body of my friend to the water's edge. Water had brought me back from certain death once...perhaps it could do the same for Arthur. I gently lowered him to touch the water as quickly as I could and removed the glove from his hand.

"Young Warlock..."

But I ignored him and I called to the Sidhe, I commanded them to answer me as I shouted in the Old Language. After a second of silence a small blue light appeared and flew towards me. It was the Sidhe Elder, and he did not look pleased to see me.

"Please, please I need your help, Arthur is dead, I need..."

"Emrys," I heard an echoing collection of voices call to me. The wind picked up and the air around me seemed to darken as I held Arthur on the ground. If I failed here, then all was lost. This was my one chance to redeem myself and save Arthur.

The Sidhe Elder flittered across to me while the Lake was consumed by other small, blue lights; the Sidhe. "You are an ally of Arthur Pendragon, and therefore and enemy of the Sidhe," the Sidhe Elder said to me with disdain. "Why should we help? Why should we listen?"

"Because you too could live in peace in Albion..."

"We have Avalon, we need not Albion, it is for men," he sneered.

"It is for men and women and children to live together with the world of magic, now Arthur is dead, how can it..."

"You don't understand," he scoffed, "Albion was destined to be created IN the name of the Once and Future King. Not by him. In his name. He was always meant to die at Camlann. Fate does not lie."

"Then I will change Fate; I will not let him die!"

"Your arrogance will be your undoing, Emrys,"

"Arthur was born of magic, why can magic not bring him back?!" I tried again. I would not give up.

"The King has surved his purpose, the magic has gone," the elder said resolutely.

"I demand that it be returned! Arthur must live!"

"He cannot live," he replied quickly.

"HE MUST!"

"Then...a life for a life, you are aware of the Old Ways..."

"I will gladly use my life..." I tried bSheehan shook his head.

"The balance will not accept the life of you, Emrys, you still have much to do..."

"Then...I offer...the life of Morgana Pendragon," I said.

"The Witch..."

"I killed her, her life is mine to use as I chose, I have the power to mirror life and death, I chose to use it to bring back the king..." I said and before I could continued he chose to speak.

"Without our aid Arthur would die again, the twin blade of his sword was destined to kill him and it has done so. Even you cannot defy such power," the Sidhe said dismissively, "It will not work, there is nothing you can do."

"I do not need your advice, I offer you a truce in exchange for your help there is a fragment of blade near his heart, you can remove it," I said quickly, "The balance will accept Morgana's magic, it must! Do you accept?"

"A truce? With you? With Arthur Pendragon...our sworn enemy?"

"How is he your enemy? he will bring magic back!"

"Magic will already return, I reject the offer,"

"Wait! Tell me what you want!"

"A Sidhe ruling Camelot!"

"That cannot happen! Camelot is Arthur's!"

"Then I bid you farewell..."

"No...wait...I can offer you...I promise not to harm any Sidhe if you help him...I will grant you favours...I..."

"Favours from Emrys?" he repeated, "And what if I ask you to de-throne your beloved king in place of me?"

"...Resonable favours," I corrected. This was definelty going to come back to haunt me, but if it meant saving Arthur I would pay the price. I would pay any price. "...One favour..."

"Three favours," he said.

"Two, and no threats from you to Camelot or its people!"

"Agreed, and no harm to the Sidhe!"

"Done!" I agreed, "Now help him!" I shouted and suddenly the clearing erupted in small, glowing blue lights. They surrounded the king and I watched as he too began to glow. The Lake reflected all of the blue lights and the cleaning was beautifully lit with a hundred thousand Sidhe all working to bring back the life of the king. Which meant I had to do my part.

I looked deep inside myself where I had buried the power to mirror Life and Death, I had vowed never to use it again...but this was more important than my vow. Morgana was dead on the other side of the Lake; it would be difficult to call her black life force across and offer it to the Old Ways...especially since this wasn't typically where its rituals would take place.

Kilgharrah would most likely hate me for this, he knew the ways of Prophecy like I did. He was by brother in magic, but the one difference in us was that I always tried to change things while he accepted them, no matter how wrong they were. Maybe it was because he was far older than I was. Maybe the Sidhe Elder was right...maybe I was arrogant. But I was supposed to be Emrys the all powerful Warlock, wasn't I? Why else would I be given so much power if I couldn't change things for the better?

As I felt the evil life force and magic of Morgana Pendragon I began the ritual and offered silent prayers to every deity I could think of; I would need their help before this was over.

"The fragment is gone," the Sidhe told me, "We have done as you wished."

And then I exchanged the life of Morgana for her half brother's. How one man was destined to father two children meant to destroy each other was beyond a cruel twist of Fate. If Uther Pendragon could see his children from the Other world would he feel shame? Because he fathered the Witch and took such a hated stand on magic, countless people had died. But of course, if I had acted differently, perhaps they would have lived. I was just as much to blame.

I could feel the golden light of Arhtur's soul return to me and suddenly I felt drained of my power. I felt more tired than I had in years. I felt even older than the old man version of myself. I was done for. Bringing Arthur back had required the use of every ounce of magic I possessed.

"...Remember your promise, Emrys, for the Sidhe will never forget..." I heard the laughing voices carry on the dying wind and I fell to my knees. I looked across at Arthur and I was overjoyed to see him breathing. His eyes were closed...but he was breathing...he was alive...I had defied Prophecy...I had saved Albion!

"Young Warlock..." Kilgharrah began but I was too tired to listen.

The world was hazy and the trees had begun to spin..I know trees weren't supposed to do that unless you were drunk...I wasn't drunk...The sky grew dark and the colours around me seemed to blur together like a grand painting, tragically ruined in the rain...what was happening?

"Merlin!" a voice called...but it was too late...I had fallen to the ground...and everything was dark.

(*1) I've no idea what it actually means, if it means anything at all, but as you can imagine, my spell checker had a helluva time with that one! It's taken from the program so it is all spelled correctly, 'cos I'm a nerd like that!

A.N. I had a lot of fun writing this one, I hope you had fun reading it. It took me a while to figure out how Arthur was gonna come back, and this, I think is the most believable version I could come up with.