Merlin cried his grief out into the air. A dead Arthur was lying cold in his arms.

"You are wrong! This cannot be his destiny! Bring him back! Do you hear me? You have got it wrong! I curse you! Bring him back or I will make sure you will be forgotten and magic will never return to Albion! You have taken everybody that I cared for from me and I suffered it because I thought it was for the greater good! But now I know that I was wrong! I will fight you! Do you listen? Bring him back!"

He wasn't sure if they heard him nor exactly was he sure whom he was shouting at. Yet, he knew that this whole thing wasn't right. For heaven's sake! He had spent over ten years protecting Arthur and making sure he could fulfil his destiny! This was not how things were supposed to be! Arthur was not meant to be dead! There was still so much they both had to do. This couldn't be the end! As he was sobbing over Arthur's dead body, a magical wind suddenly arose around them and covering them in a blinding light so that Merlin had to shield his eyes. It took him a while to adjust to the new brightness but then he could make out its cause. Above the lake, there were floating three women and a cool silver light was shining around them. To the left, there was a young maiden clad completely in white with white lilies in her fair blond hair and watery blue eyes. Next to her came a mature woman with lavish auburn curls and bright green eyes. She was wearing a crimson red dress and a wreath of holly upon her head. The third one was an old hag with black hair that was already turning grey wearing a black hooded cloak under which her dark brown almost black eyes pierced through Merlin. He recognised them instantly though he had never seen them before.

"Who do you think you are that you can challenge the Triple Goddess?" the youngest part of the Goddess confirmed him.

"I am Emrys, Goddess, and I have every right to challenge you! You have taken my best friend from me and a bright future from Albion! You made a mistake in taking him!"

"We didn't take him, young warlock. It was his destiny to die at the druid's hand" replied the old hag.

"But it was too early! There was so much he should have done! He was to unite the lands of Albion and to bring back magic!" Merlin interrupted her.

"It was his destiny" she repeated, "but he paved the way to his doom himself. He refused to show atonement for his and his father's crimes against our kindred, young warlock. Mordred was his punishment."

Merlin shuddered and lowered his gaze. So Arthur's death had been his fault in more than one way. After all, it had been his advice that had led to Arthur's defiance of the Goddess. But when he looked up at them again, his voice didn't divulge any of his emotions: "Arthur is not responsible for his father's actions."

"No, but he didn't allow magic to return when he had the chance. We have watched closely, young warlock, we have watched and waited but nothing has really changed since the death of Uther. Magic is still outlawed and punishable by death" the middle Goddess spoke harshly.

"He would have understood in time and changed that. I know him. I know he would have changed that. You didn't give me enough time."

"We gave you as much time as we could, young warlock. But Arthur failed"

"You mean because he chose to defy you? What would have happened if he had consented? Mordred would have died, wouldn't he?"

"If he had chosen to comply with our demand, there would have been no need to punish him. Many people would still be alive if he had made the right choice" the youngest spoke merciless.

Merlin sighed heavily. He had to tell them: "It wasn't Arthur's choice. I advised him not to comply with your threat. This is my fault."

"Why would a warlock object to magic returning to Albion?"

"First of all, because I thought that defying you would ensure Mordred's death. But I was wrong. I blamed myself for a long time that I was responsible for Arthur's downfall. But then I realised that the forcing of a choice was the mistake, not the actual choice we made."

"How that?"

"Because your way was not the one to achieve the return of magic. If Arthur had chosen to obey you, Mordred would have died, wouldn't he? How do you think Arthur would have reacted to magic betraying him again? He didn't see Mordred for what he was. He was his knight and friend. He would never have welcomed magic after it robbing him of another whom he held dear."

The different parts of the Goddess turned to each other and held a quiet conference. Merlin didn't understand a word they were saying but he guessed from the occasional sceptical look at him and Arthur that their conversation was about their destiny. He prayed to the spirits that they would revoke their sentence on Arthur and somehow bring him back to life. After what seemed to Merlin like hours, the Triple Goddess turned towards him again.

Solemnly they all three spoke as with one voice now: "You are right, Emrys. Our decision was an over-hasty one. We should have put more faith in your ability to guide the King to our all intended destination. We, the Triple Goddess, have decreed to give you both another chance to fulfil your destinies. We are sending you back in time to alter the course of history. Make sure you do not fail this time, young warlock. You will not get another."

Then the young maiden continued: "Before we send you back, we have three warnings to give to you! First: Once you are returned to the time when your quest started to go wrong, you will be the only one to remember that there had been another future! You must under no circumstances tell anyone of what happened! Heed our words, Emrys!"

"Second: This is a unique chance we offer you - a chance to avert the prophecy. But beware that you cannot prevent destiny itself. No men, no matter how great, can change their destiny. Heed our words, Emrys!" said the middle woman gravely.

"And last: Know that each of the changes you make has a consequence. Each of your choices alters the future. Yet, you will not be able to save everyone. Heed our words, Emrys!" As soon as the old hag had ended, there was a bright ray of light and a noise of thunder engulfing Merlin. He felt dizzy and all around him was mixing into one hazy blur of colours. He lost his conscience.

Next, he awoke to a familiar voice pronouncing his name.

"Merlin?" he could hear Arthur ask.

He quickly came to his senses. He was sitting to Arthur's right at the round table in the Castle of the Ancient Kings of Camelot. Around him, Leon, Gawain, Elyan, Percival, Lancelot, Gwen, and Gaius were standing around him looking at him expectantly.

Oh my God, Merlin thought, I went that far back? He immediately checked himself and replied: "No, don't really fancy it."
"You don't have a choice, Merlin."
"OK" he said and stood up, the rest smiling knowingly at him.

So here we are back at the end of season 3, the point where for me the series took a turn for the worse. In the course, I'll write how season 4 and 5 will develop when a certain event taking place around that point in the plot gets changed. Hope you like it and I'm looking forward to your reviews!