Title: A Ripple in Destiny

Fandom: Merlin

Ratings: T

Warnings: Mild language and violence

Spoilers: Everything

Disclaimer: No I don't own this. I'm a broke student. If I owned this, I wouldn't be worrying about next semester's tuition.

Summary: The future of Albion is in peril. The forces arrayed against Merlin are too great for one secret warlock to face alone and succeed when he cannot even tell Arthur the truth. Sensing the cracks in destiny, someone decides that perhaps it is time that Arthur knew exactly what has transpired since Merlin entered Camelot. This is more or less a fic where the characters watch the series. Bolded words are directly from the show. Bold and italicizedwords are my descriptions of the action in the series.

*Edit Posted 25 April 2012: Grammatical Mistakes and a few minor tweaks.

Prologue: A Ripple in Destiny

The day Uther Pendragon died should have been a day of rejoicing for those with magic, not because it was right to wish any man death, but because his passing was supposed to mean the end of their suffering, the end of the tyranny that had forced them to hide or face persecution. It was supposed to be the dawning of a new era, the era of the once and future king and his warlock adviser. It was supposed to be the start of a time of unprecedented peace.

The day Uther Pendragon died was the day Arthur's heart was hardened toward magic. Because of Morgana's interferences, Merlin's one golden chance to show Arthur that it was not magic that was evil but those who used it for evil ends was gone. Despite his best efforts, there was little Merlin could do while hiding himself, not when his enemies didn't need to keep their identities secret. Now more than ever did Arthur believe his father's teachings concerning magic. The chance that Arthur would ever trust magic was growing slim. Destiny had been threatened.

The day Uther Pendragon died the Old Religion itself cried out in agony as it's great destiny slipped away. Merlin felt it, wrapped in his own grief and guilt though it was. Morgana felt it but did not know what it meant and merely rejoiced at her father's death. Far off in his cave in the mountains, the Great Dragon felt it and he too began to grieve. And in the distant future a man felt it as well. He alone remembered the devastation that had been caused by the chain of events that had now been set in motion. He sensed in that cry and in the very essence of magic a chance for change, a chance to make it all right agin. Desperate for an opportunity to save at least a few of the lives that had been lost and to avoid even one of the hardships they had endured, he spun a powerful spell the likes of which the world had ever seen.

The day Uther Pendragon died, everything changed.

Grumbling under his breath, Merlin stumbled after Arthur and the knights. It was almost dusk and they'd been tracking a mysterious magical monster...for six days...on foot. The monster remained illusive. There were few signs of it, though Arthur would swear they were following a trail whenever Merlin complained. There had been only the vaguest stories of its existence in the first place. Part of Merlin wondered why they were going after a creature when they had no evidence that it really existed. There were no confirmed sightings, no signs of it's existence in the forest that couldn't easily be attributed to other nonmagical creatures, just hearsay and rumors. For whatever reason, Arthur had decided that that was good enough. Merlin suspected that he was bored.

He ducked a low hanging branch, still grumbling to himself, and nearly ran into Sir Leon, who has stopped short in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked, slipping past the knights to Arthur, ready to defend his king if necessary. His stomach dropped when he saw exactly what was wrong.

They were standing at the end of a mist covered lake. A small, rickety looking boat was tied to a dock just a few paces away. The fog was so dense he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of himself, but Merlin knew exactly where they were. He could feel the magic in the air.

They were sanding at the edge of the lake which was home to the Isle of the Blessed.

How they'd managed to come to this place without his noticing was beyond him. He should have sensed the magic in the air and he cursed himself for not paying attention. This was the one place that Merlin did not want Arthur to be, especially after what had happened the last time he was at the Isle of the Blessed, never mind that Nimueh was dead.

Before Merlin could even begin to come up with an excuse for why they should leave and get back to Camelot as soon as possible, a figure appeared within the mist. The knights all reached reflexively for their swords. Slowly, it moved forward, becoming more defined with every passing minute. It was the figure of a middle aged man. He was tall and the simple robes he wore clung to the long lines of his body. His dark hair was sprinkled liberally with white and gray. A neatly trimmed beard covered the lower half of his face. A large tawny owl was perched on his shoulder and in his hand he clutched an intricately carved staff. Runes of both the Old Religion and another language that only Merlin recognized were etched into almost every inch of the wood. A blue stone the size of a man's fist topped the staff.

Merlin eyed the stranger warily. He could feel the magic emanating from him. The only creature he had encountered with more power was Kilgharrah. For the first time in months, Merlin feared that his own power might not be enough to protect his friends if the stranger attacked, especially since he was wielding a sidhe staff that Merlin realized with a jolt was very familiar.

Hang on a second! That's the staff I took from Sophia. How did he get a hold of it?

"Who are you?" demanded Arthur. He had his sword leveled at the stranger. Leon had his blade drawn as well, but Elyan, Percival, and Gwaine did not. They just watched the stranger warily.

The man smiled warmly, as though greeting old friends, and inclined his head respectfully. "I am called Emrys, your majesty. I mean you no harm. Night swiftly approaches. Would you do me the honor of taking your rest within my home?"

Merlin gaped at the man in front of him. He wasn't Emrys. Merlin was Emrys. Every Druid he had ever met agreed with that. Instinctively, Merlin reached for his magic and let it boil just beneath the surface of his skin where it was easily accessible if something happened. Emrys seemed to noticed and an amused smile crossed his face. Merlin glared at him.

Unaware of the reaction his manservant (and let's be honest, his friend) was having to Emrys, Arthur lowered his sword and regarded the man coolly. He didn't seem to be a threat. There was something familiar about him, especially his eyes. The king glanced back at his companions. They were a exhausted after nearly a week tracking down a beast that they weren't even sure existed. He was loth to give up the chase, but it wasn't as is they had seen any sign that they were catching the monster.

"Your offer is very generous," he said formally. "We have come on a long journey and would be glad of a warm bed. We would be honored to accept your hospitality."

"Thank the gods!" Gwaine moaned, relaxing his stance and letting his hand fall from the hilt of his sword. "I was afraid you were going to insist that we keep chasing your imaginary monster."

Despite the situation, Merlin had to stifle a snigger. He completely agreed with Gwaine. This whole thing was completely pointless, but he would never say as much until he was alone with Arthur because he did value his head, thank you very much. Gwaine, however, seemed completely unfazed by the fierce glare Arthur was giving him.

Emrys hid a fond smile, as though well used to their antics, and cleared his throat politely to get their attention. "My home is built on an island in the center of this lake. If you'll follow me, I will show you to the bridge. It is just this way and while the fog is lifting already, it is unlikely to remain that way."

Probably because you're magicking it, Merlin grumbled, glaring first at Emrys and then at the disappearing fog. With Arthur and their friends in such close quarters and without the cover of the mist, there was no way he could us magic without being seen. So far, Emrys hadn't done anything overtly magical, though how any of them could not notice the way his staff was glowing or the clearly magical runes carved into it was something Merlin didn't really want to think about.

"Lead the way," said Arthur in his most dignified voice.

Once more, Emrys hid a smile as he inclined his head slightly and turned to lead the way to his "home." Arthur sheathed his sword and followed after him. After a moment, Merlin fell into step beside the king.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" Merlin asked.

Arthur glared at him. "No, I'm not, Merlin. I don't know who he is, but he was kind enough to offer us hospitality. It would be rude to refuse and after that mess with Annis I can't afford that. If he tries something, we are Camelot's best warriors. I think we can handle ourselves."

"But what if-"

"That's enough," Arthur snapped. "We can't afford to offend him so just shut up."

The king immediately turned to engage Leon in a hushed conversation, giving Merlin the clear message that their discussion was over. Desperate to do something to protect his friends, especially when they were about to enter a very magical place, Merlin decided to do something he had only done once or twice before and that was to someone who he had more or less trusted. He was going to tell Emrys that he was a warlock. Tentatively, he loosed his grip on his magic and allowed it to flow out of him in a tangible aura.

Who are you? he demanded, using the mind-speech he had picked up from the druids.

To his credit, Emrys gave no indication that he was suddenly hearing voices. He simpley replied, I am Emrys.

No, you're really not. I happen to know Emrys and you most certainly are not him. Who are you?

Merlin, he chuckled warmly. You can stop time around single objects and slow it around other mortals. Is it really so impossible to believe that, at some point in the future, you will master your abilities to the point where you can travel through time?

It took Merlin a beat to process that. Are you really trying to convince me that you're me from the future? That's ridiculous. It's impossible.

This coming from the warlock who mastered the power of life and death, a power that most sorcerers spend decades attempting to learn, before your power had even come close to its fullness. This coming from the warlock who has been using elemental magic from the day he was born. This coming from the last dragonlord, from a man who has spoken the fisher of all people should know that nothing is impossible, but, I suppose you do need some form of proof.

Before Merlin could ask exactly what kind of proof Emrys was suggesting, a tendril of magic stretched from Emrys to him. He gasped out loud when it mingled with his own power.

"What's the matter?" asked Arthur, none of the concern in his eyes leeching into his voice.

Merlin just shook his head, fighting to keep his breathing calm. "Nothing."

It was the strangest feeling. It was his magic he felt entering his body from another source. It was older and far stronger, but it was undeniably his. He could feel himself within it as he sometimes did when he passed objects that he had enchanted and felt the magic within them.

Okay, I'm convinced.

I thought that would do it.

It's a good thing I know myself so well.

That it is. Now I need not worry about being attacked by myself for noble reasons.

In my defense, I thought you were another in the long line of sorcerers who want Arthur dead.

Get used to that. It won't stop any time soon. There will always be those who blame him for what Uther did.

Wonderful.

Agreed.

Trying not to think about how surreal that exchange had been, Merlin changed the subject and asked, Why did you come to the past? Surely this messes with the balance of magic?

It is difficult to explain and I would ask that you wait until I explain myself to everyone. I would rather do this once. Suffice it to say, I am here to change the future and as magic has given me that opportunity, I am not risking the balance.

Dread crept into Merlin's stomach at the sadness and pain lacing his other self's words. Is the future really that horrible?

There was an even more melancholy tinge to the answer that sounded in Merlin's mind. For a time, it was wondrous. Everything we wished for came to pass, but at a terrible price that you are only beginning to pay. When I realized that the spirits of the Old Religion were giving me a chance to change what had happened, I had to take it.

Merlin didn't know what to say to that. He couldn't imagine things getting worse than they already were. He couldn't imagine failing his destiny so spectacularly.

You did not fail, Emrys (as he had decided to refer to his older self because it made far more sense than calling him Merlin), said firmly. You were placed in an untenable position, even Kilgharrah will admit this in the years to come. As powerful as you are and will become, there is only so much you can do when you cannot act in the open. You have done all you can. That is why I have returned. To do what you...what I...could not do the first time.

Whatever you're planning, I hope it works.

That makes two of us.

You know Arthur's probably going to kill you when he find's out you're a sorcerer, Merlin said worriedly. He wasn't sure if his older self realized just when he'd landed. It's only been a few weeks since Dragoon failed to save the king.

What happens will happen, replied Emrys wisely. All we can do is hope for the best and work with what fate gives us.

Merlin almost snorted. I spend far too much time with Kilgharrah in the future, don't I?

Probably, yes.

Resisting the urge to laugh, Merlin shook himself from his thoughts and took stock of his surroundings. They'd walked a fair distance around the lake to cross a rickety bridge that looked as though it had been there for decades when it had probably been there less than an hour. It led to a door in one of the few still intact sections of the once great fortress that had stood on the Isle. Emrys opened it and walked inside without bothering to wait for the others and Merlin followed him.

The hall they entered was almost completely dark. From what little light entered through the door, Merlin could see that the floor sloped steadily downwards. A little ways down the hall, a faint glow emanated from the crystal on Emrys' staff. Arthur paused in the doorway. If Merlin hadn't had proof that they weren't in danger, he'd have been triumphantly thinking something along the lines of "I knew it" while trying to figure out how to save everyone. Since he knew that they weren't in any danger, he just felt a bit smug, especially when he noticed Arthur signal to the others to keep their hands on their swords.

They walked in darkness for what felt like half an hour, but what was probably more like ten minutes before coming to a second door, which Merlin heard, rather than saw, Emrys open. They filed inside.

"It's a bit dark," Elyan began. The ominous sound of the door swinging shut cut him off. The glow from Emrys' staff brightened just enough that they could make out vague outlines. Without so much as a word of incantation, Emrys raised his free hand and light filled the room.

It looked like someone had grown the place out of the ground. The walls and ceiling were seamless stone while the floor was grass. White stones interspersed like sconces along the walls around the room were glowing brightly, giving off a warm light, almost like late afternoon sun. In the center of the room, a large crystal that looked hauntingly familiar, sat atop a stone plinth that was carved to look like a tree trunk with branches that curved up to support the crystal. Merlin shuddered at the sight of it, memories of the Crystal Cave rising unbidden to his mind. Emrys laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and Merlin actually managed to relax because he knew that Emrys had experienced the exact same thing.

"Sorcerer," Arthur hissed. He obviously hadn't noticed the beauty of the room. He was glaring daggers at Emrys and trying to discreetly motion Merlin away from him. He looked absolutely livid.

Rolling his eyes, Emrys waved a hand almost lazily and the swords that had been pointed ominously in his direction vanished. Arthur spluttered indignantly.

"I mean you no harm, Pendragon. I brought you here for a reason and it was not to kill or anything such as that."

"What, pray tell, might that reason be?"

"You will learn soon enough," said Emrys mysteriously (Definitely spending too much time with Kilgharrah, Merlin thought). "First the rest of our guests must join us."

He raised his staff and his eyes glowed a brighter gold than Merlin had ever seen, even when he watched his own spell-casting in the mirror. It was hard to believe that he would become this powerful warlock.

The air didn't even stir as Gwen and Gaius appeared right next to the knights. Arthur immediately pushed Gwen behind him. Gaius just gazed at them all, his eyebrow raised. Merlin pointed discreetly at Emrys before his mentor could start glaring at him in earnest.

Emrys beamed. "Now that we are all here, I feel I should properly introduce myself. My name is Emrys and I am the High Warlock of the Old Religion. I have brought you here for a reason. You have a great destiny ahead of you, but it is in peril. There are things which you do not know and which you will not learn quickly enough without my aid." He walked over to the crystal and laid a hand on the plinth. "With this crystal, I will be showing you events that have transpired over the past five years."

"We were there. Why would we need to see them?" asked Sir Leon warily.

Gwaine rolled his eyes. "You might have been there, but some of us are relatively new to Camelot."

"That is one reason, but there is another." Emrys frowned sadly. "Uther's hatred of magic prevented you from seeing how these events truly occurred. There are important details that you missed and because of that, your own view of magic has been affected."

"Why the past five years then? Why not go all the way back to the Purge so you can show us how wrong my father was from the very beginning?" Arthur grumbled.

"You will be witnessing events of the past five years because that is how long it has been since a warlock entered the city and chose to protect it, despite the risk to his own life."

A stunned silence filled the room. Arthur looked furious. He was practically vibrating with anger. "A sorcerer has been in Camelot for five years and no one even noticed."

"I wouldn't say that," Emrys chuckled. "But those that did were either enemies he defeated or friends who saw that he was protecting the city and wished him no harm. Unfortunately, the latter category is very small."

"How are we to know that you are showing us what really happened?" asked Percival.

Emrys smiled. "This is the Crystal of Gwaith. It was harvested from the Crystal Cave. A powerful sorcerer can conjure images of any event in the past and it is said that it is even possible look into the future, though none have ever accomplished that. It cannot lie. What we see is the truth. In the days of old, the Crystal of Gwaith was used as a means to determine guilt."

"I thought it had been destroyed," Gaius breathed, gazing curiously at the Crystal.

"It was brought here, to the Isle of the Blessed, to be kept in this chamber. Few knew this place existed and after the Purge, all were dead. I stumbled across it purely by chance."

Gwen managed to side-step Arthur and walked a bit closer to Emrys. "How does it work?"

"I simply tell it what we wish to see and it shows us. If we need a moment to collect ourselves or to discuss what we have seen, it will stop of its own accord. Like any crystal from the Crystal Cave, it is mildly psychic. It is sensitive to our thoughts."

"You mean get inside our heads," growled Arthur.

Emrys glared at him mildly. "I mean no such thi-"

The owl on his shoulder, which everyone, including Merlin had forgotten about, hooted indignantly and ruffled it's feathers. Ermys immediately looked apologetic. "Sorry, I'd forgotten. I'll turn you back now."

Hooting happily, the owl leapt of his shoulder. Emrys muttered a word under his breath that no one quite heard and golden light enveloped the creature. Between one beat of its wings and the next, it was transformed into a white dragon the exact same size as the large tawny owl it had been.

"This is Aithusa," said Emrys. "I found him just as I arrived here. For reasons that I will not disclose quite yet, he became attached to me."

The little dragon soared over to Merlin, chirping happily, somehow recognizing that this version of the dragonlord was the one that belonged in his time. Merlin couldn't help but grin when Aithusa landed on his shoulder and nuzzled his ear affectionately.

Arthur looked even angrier than before, if that was possible. His face was a fetching shade of red that practically matched his cloak. Leon and Elyan looked wary of the dragon while Percival seemed merely curious, and Gwaine was grinning broadly. Gaius was glaring at Merlin in exasperation and Gwen, despite her experience with Kilgharrah, seemed like she was seconds away from cooing. Merlin couldn't blame her. Aithusa was very adorable.

"Shall we begin?" asked Emrys.

"I suppose we have no choice," replied Arthur coldly.

A sad look crossed Emrys' face. "You always have a choice, Arthur. I simply want you to have all the facts and the best chance possible of protecting your people."

He waved his hand and a series of comfortable looking chairs appeared, gathered around the plinth that held the crystal. They looked incongruous in the otherwise natural atmosphere. Merlin noticed when he looked closer that they were all carved in the style of the Old Religion.

Knowing that he couldn't avoid Gaius forever and that the old man would want answers, he plopped down in the chair next to the one Gaius had taken.

"We can trust him," he said quickly. "He's me from the future."

Gaius' eyebrow climbed up his forehead in skepticism. "And you believe that?"

"I felt his-my magic, Gaius. It's older and more powerful, but it's still mine. I know it sounds ridiculously far fetched, but he really is me. He came back to change what happened. I don't know exactly why yet."

"That does sound like the sort of harebrained scheme your mind would concoct," Gaius said dryly. "You never cease to amaze me, Merlin."

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

"I've yet to decide."

"Until you do, I'm going to pretend that it is a good thing."

"What's a good thing?" asked Arthur irritably. Apparently he'd decided to sit next to Merlin. Any other time, Merlin would have been pleased by this show of friendship. Right now, he wished that Arthur was sitting across the room.

"Merlin's way with animals, sire," Gaius replied smoothly. "They always seem to like him and I'm not entirely sure that is something he should be proud of."

Arthur glared at Aithusa, who was still perched on Merlin's shoulder. "I'd say it's most definitely a bad thing."

As though he knew what was being said, and given how intelligent Kilgharrah was, Merlin would be surprised if he didn't, Aithusa dropped his head and let out a sad sounding warble. He leapt off of Merlin's shoulder and curled up in his lap, sending Arthur a decidedly hurt gaze.

Gwen looked at Aithusa over Arthur's shoulder. "I never knew a dragon could be so..."

"Cute?" Merlin supplied.

She nodded. "You'd never know that creature will be a monster one day."

"Who says he will?"

"All dragons are monsters," Arthur scoffed. "Or have you forgotten what happened when the Great Dragon got free."

Merlin glared at him. "I will never forget that, but the actions of one person, being, or creature don't reflect the behavior of others. This dragon may be the complete opposite of the Great Dragon."

"You don't really believe that," said Arthur dismissively.

"He has a point," said Gwen. "Most would say that commoners cannot be knights and yet Percival, Elyan, and Gwaine are both commoners and knights. Emrys seemed to say the same thing. This is supposed to show us another side of magic. Maybe it's not all that bad. It did save my father from that illness."

"It nearly got you killed," he retorted. "Magic is evil, there is no other explanation."

"That was Uther's view," said Emrys from where he stood beside the plinth, his hand resting on the crystal. "I would ask, sire, that you keep an open mind and wait until the end to form your own opinion."

Arthur met the warlock's gaze coldly. "I know all I need to."

"You know only what you have seen. You have no concept of how much you have missed."

The crystal suddenly pulsed with light. Emrys dropped his hand. A shimmering image of a road cresting a hill appeared in the air above his head. He picked up his staff and sat down in the only remaining chair.

"Let us begin."

Merlin braced himself.

Author's Note: This is my attempt at at Merlin breaking the fourth wall fic. I'm still working on getting the first episode transcripted and adding the dialogue, so it may be a little while before it is posted, but I wanted to see how everyone felt about the set up. This was the winner of my poll. The modern AU fic for Merlin was only one vote short. I hope you enjoy. R&R!