SEASON 5 SPOILERS BELOW: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

So, like many people, I was unsatisfied with the ending of Season 5. My biggest issue was not that Arthur died, but that it didn't feel like he had fulfilled the destiny the whole show had been leading up to. He never united Albion or brought magic back to Camelot. So I decided to write my own ending, the way I would have liked the show to wrap up. A lot of it is self-indulgent Merlin/Arthur scenes, because I love them (no slash, just lots of closeness and brotherhood). Please review; good, bad, anything!

Chapter 1

Avalon

Merlin looked down over Kilgharrah's head at the approaching lake. A single, lonely tower rose from the island in the center. He glanced at Arthur. The king's eyes had not opened in far too long.

"Come on, Arthur..." Merlin whispered. "Come on, you've just got to hang on a bit longer."

The dragon came to rest beside the lake. Merlin hooked his arms under Arthur's and dragged the king to the ground and toward the lake.

"Merlin."

The sorcerer paused and looked back at Kilgharrah.

"The king is dead."

Merlin only gritted his teeth. "I have to try."

He hauled Arthur into the boat that waited at the water's edge. Pushing off from the shore, he climbed in behind his master and began rowing toward the island. Arthur moaned weakly as the boat rocked.

"Good," Merlin said, rowing even faster. "Good, Arthur, that's it, hang in there."

The shores of the island were rocky. Merlin found a tiny stretch of sand wide enough to pull up the boat. He lifted Arthur over the gunwale and dragged him to the tower. He eased open the door and passed through it, laying Arthur just inside the opening.

The inside of the tower was a single, open room, bare of anything but a large table in the center, and a shadowed doorway on the far side. On the table sat a bright blue light. As Merlin drew nearer, he saw that the light was in fact a creature only a few inches tall. It stared at him coldly as he approached.

"You're one of the Sidhe elders."

"Yes," it answered. "What business do you have in this sacred place?"

"The king is very sick," Merlin said. "He is dying. I was told the Sidhe have magic that can save him."

The Sidhe elder surveyed him with disdain. "And why should I help the Pendragon king?"

Merlin fought tears. "He has yet to fulfill his destiny," he said, his voice breaking. "He is the Once and Future King, who shall unite the kingdoms of Albion and restore peace to the land. But he needs your help."

"What do I care for the destiny of a human king?" The Sidhe lifted off the table and hovered at Merlin's eye level. "Human kings rise and fall. For this one, the fall will be particularly satisfying. He has persecuted all those with magic, just as his father did before him. And we haven't long to wait. The end is near."

Merlin looked back at Arthur. The king's breaths were growing smaller and more desperate.

The Sidhe smiled cruelly. "You work so hard to save him. You serve him night and day with no reward. Does it bring you satisfaction? Do you feel honorable, serving this human king? Do you enjoy knowing that he would kill you in an instant if he knew who you really were, Emrys?"

"How do you know my name?"

"You are known to the Sidhe as you are to many others," the creature replied dismissively. "But not, it seems, to your Once and Future King."

Merlin's jaw tightened. "You're wrong," he said. "Arthur knows I have magic. He has known for days. He knows I have used it to save him. And still he trusts me."

"Because he needs you," the Sidhe spat. "When you have saved his life and given him back his kingdom, do you think he will spare you? Will he keep his sorcerer as a pet? He will fear you, Emrys, as they fear us all, and he will not show you mercy."

"Arthur has been told all his life that sorcery is dangerous," Merlin answered. "It took his mother and father both from him. He has seen it do great harm to his kingdom. And yet when his servant, a nobody who polishes his armor and fetches his meals, confessed magic, he did not run. He did not harm me, he did not even send me away. He placed his life in my hands and trusted me to protect him."

The Sidhe stared at Merlin. His expression was no longer one of anger, but one of calculation.

"Arthur will restore magic to Albion," Merlin said. "If you heal him, he will ensure that your people live without fear. But if he dies by magic's hand, by the hand of a Druid, who then do you think will protect us? Who then will allow sorcery to live once more, when it has robbed them of their beloved king?" He dropped his voice nearly to a whisper. "Please, you must help him."

The Sidhe hovered there for a moment. Then, without words, he flew to the king's unconscious form. Merlin watched him, barely daring the breathe. The Sidhe elder dropped low, resting only inches from Arthur's chest. His eyes met Merlin's for only an instant. Then he breathed one long, low sound, so quiet that Merlin could not make out the word. A thin, shining blue smoke passed over the king's face.

The Sidhe drew back. He flew across the open room and stopped in the far doorway. He turned to face Merlin.

"Your king will live," he said. And then he was gone.

Merlin rushed to Arthur, falling to his knees at his side. "Arthur, wake up. Arthur, come on, wake up..."

He didn't bother to wipe away the tears that stung his eyes. He pressed his hand to the king's chest, trying to find any sign of breath. Arthur's body was still. Merlin dropped his head, desperately holding back his sobs.

"Merlin."

The sorcerer's head snapped up. Slowly, ever so slowly, the king's eyes opened. He looked up at his servant and smiled weakly.

"Arthur," Merlin breathed. "You're alive."

"I thought I told you," Arthur murmured, "that no man is worth your tears."

Merlin laughed raggedly, still trying to breathe steadily. "You know me," he said. "I can't ever just do as I'm told."

It was dark by the time Merlin carried the stumbling Arthur back to the water's edge. He helped him into the boat and set off. Arthur slept as they floated under the black, clouded sky. Merlin pulled the boat onto the beach and looked down at the king, wondering how to pull him out without waking him.

"Merlin."

The sorcerer whirled around. Kilgharrah still sat beside the trees, hidden in shadow. Under the cover of darkness, Merlin had not seen him.

"You waited."

"Yes. And not in vain. I have waited to take you home."