Random Oneshots

The Eye of the Phoenix

Merilin stepped carefully toward the cobweb ridden throne, still mindful of the false stones that had trapped her in the room in the first place.

She treaded slowly, uncertain of what she will see sitting in the throne. She peered around it, curious of what she will find, but stopped in her tracks when an old voice rasped out, "So, Emrys, you are here at last..."

Merilin hesitated, wary of the voice, but still she walked till she was standing in front of the throne.

There sat a withered old man, covered head to toe in cobwebs, holding an equally cobweb covered trident in his hand. A golden crown sat atop his head, and it still shined with gems as if it were brand new. His robes were dusty and moth ridden, strands of fabric hanging from his sleeves.

Slowly, the Fisher King turned his head to look at her. His neck protesting from the movement, as it crackled and groaned.

"So you are still alive." she whispered, unbelieving at the man sat in front of her. She watched his wrinkled and pale face as his lips turned up in a gentle, grandfatherly smile.
"For now," he said, his voice as gentle as his smile.

Merilin couldn't help but return his smile with one if her own. She looked down at the trident clutched weakly in the King's hand. She looked back up at him and opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted when she heard rocks crumbling loudly on the other side of the door.

It must be Gwaine and Arthur, they were probably trying to get a way in. She watched the door for a moment, but her gaze was snapped away when she heard the King spoke.
"That'll be your friends, courage and strength, I know. Without their help, you would not be here." he said, shaking his head gentle.

She looked at him confused, what did he mean?, she thought. "What is it that you want?" she asked instead. His smile fell from his lips, and he looked away from her, his eyes taking on an unseeing look. He sighed and spoke in a sorrowful tone, "I want an end to my suffering,"

Merilin tilted her head to the side and looked sadly at the withered King. "You want to die," her voice betrayed her and trembled with poorly hidden sadness.

The Fisher King looked back to her and nodded his head, "I have been waiting all these years for the arrival of a new time," his voice held unspoken sorrow and sadness, making Merilin's heart clench. "The time of the once and future King."

Merilin could feel as her eyes started to burn and well up. The words the King spoke were familiar, "I've heard these words before," the were spoken to her by the Great Dragon, and many more. If she were to be honest, she was starting to get tired of hearing them.

The King nodded his head, and his smile returned, he looked at her with a knowing glint in his eye, "And you will hear them again, for that time is dawning. And my time can finally come to an end." his voice soft as he spoke.

Merilin nodded her head weakly and folded her hands behind her back to prevent the King from seeing them shaking. When she said nothing, he continued.

"This is why you were brought here, for this is not Arthur's quest; it is yours. Arthur thinks the prize is the trident,"

He looked at the said forked staff and dropped it to the floor. It clattered against the dusty wooden boards and echoed across the empty room.

Merilin watched as it stilled, her ears not yet processed the words the Fishers King as spoken to her. "For the real prize," he said, looking back at her, "is something far greater."

She started at him confused, still processing the words. The King nodded his head toward the hand that had held the trident for many years, now empty, except it wasn't. Merilin stared at his hand, which now held a vial filled halfway with water that sat securely inside a wooden cage.

He lifted his hand toward her as if offering it to her. "Water... from the lake of Avalon," he whispered, "I have kept it safe for many years, waiting for the right person to claim it, and that person is you, Emrys. You are the one chosen."

Merilin shook her head, not believing the old King sitting in front of her. "What are you talking about?"

"Albion's time of need is near, and in that dark hour, you must be strong, for you alone can save her." was the answer that she got. "Your powers are great, but you will need help. And that is why I am giving it to you,"

He leaned forward, as if wanting to reach out and put it in her hands. The water glistened in the weak light shining through the dirty windows. Her gaze shifted between the King and the vial in his hand, looking to see if he would take it back and say that he was mistaken and that she should leave. But he didn't, simply looked at her expectantly.

She stepped forward and slowly took the vial form his old hand. She had barely touched it when he spoke, "When all seems lost, this will show you the way."

She looked at him, really looked at him. His eyes were dark and looked like they held many untold mysteries and horrors alike, his gentle smile that reminded her so much if her mother, his pale and wrinkled skin that was patched with dark spots that had could only have been caused by age.

Looking down and the vial, she fully took it from him and stepped back. She looked back at the King, and something inside her compelled her to do the following: she leaned down and pressed an gentle kiss to she cheek, like one would do for their grandfather when saying goodbye.

"Thank you," she whispered, and stepped back with a bow. His smile was still there when she looked back at him, even when he sighed and said, "I have given you a gift, now you must give me one in return."

Merilin hesitated, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, "But I have nothing to give," she finally managed. The King sighed again and stood, something she thought he couldn't seeing as he could barely lift his hand and turn his neck. His body creaked and groaned in protest, it having been so long since it had properly moved.

"I think you do," the King said, looking down at her jacket. Suddenly she remembered that bracelet she had taken off of Arthur when she had found him. She reached inside her jacket, the King watched as she pulled the bracelet out, the single gemstone shining as bright as the sun outside.

She looked back at the King, who was still staring at the bracelet in her hands. "If I give you this, you will die." her voice trembled, not wanting to do what the King was going to ask of her.

The King said nothing, instead he held out his hand. She knew what he wanted, and she was reluctant to give it to him. She twiddled with the bracelet, her hands shaking. She looked back at the King, his smile had turned from gentle, to reassuring. He nodded at her, and she nodded back, she stepped forward slightly and sank to one knee.

She took a deep breath and placed the bracelet on the King's wrist. She watched as the gem glowed, the King lifted his hand in the air, admiring the very thing that is going to kill him.

She looked away as she heard thunder rumble in the background and felt was wind slapped against her cheek. The wind howled and lifted the dust from the ground, creating a whirlwind around the King. She covered her face and stood again.

When the wind and thunder had stopped, she opened her eyes and looked at the empty stop where the Fisher King had stood only moments ago.

"Thank you,"

The King's voice echoed in her head, it kept all she had to stop the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks. She stared at the now barren throne, not believing what she had just done.

Her eyes were snapped away when she heard the stone door sliding open. Near the bottom it had opened up and Arthur had crawled in just as it had opened wide enough, Gwaine soon followed him.

"Merilin," Arthur said, confused as to why she was standing in the empty room. She simply smiled at him, the prince shook his head and walked pass her while he gave her a pat on the arm.

She turned back to look at him but turned back when she heard Gwaine approaching her. She smiled and him too but was surprised when he pulled her into a crushing embrace. He mumbled something to her, but she couldn't hear what it was because Arthur had announced loudly that he had found the trident.

The two looked at the blond prince as he walked past them, "Now let's get out of this place," he said, disappearing through the door. Gwaine followed after him, leaving Merilin behind. She looked back at the empty throne, then turned to go after the two men.