The Once and Future King

Recollection

        Arthur was walking down a darkened hall. He glanced around, eyes scanning for any sign of movement. In the distance, he could hear the sound of metal on metal- clanking swords in the armory. He walks in and finds a girl. A name pops into his head: Gwen. She's struggling against the swords steadily advancing towards her. Arthur pull her out and tells her to run. He sprints to the kitchen, following the sound of banging pots.

        Arthur finds there Merlin, with the spirit of Arthur's father, Uther. He declares his love for Gwen, and as Uther opens his mouth to speak, Arthur banishes him to the spirit world, but not before he could get out two words.

        "Merlin has-" and then he was gone. 

        Arthur opened his eyes, panting, already on his feet. He was pointing at something, as if brandishing a sword. His dream was so vivid he could swear it was a memory. In fact, he knew it was a memory. But it was from a time long before he was born. He paced all night, trying to make sense of it all. What has Merlin got? Who is Gwen? My father's name is William, not Uther. Are spirits real? Magic? 

        Merlin found Arthur outside his door in the morning. His face was gaunt, as if he hadn't slept, and his eyes were bloodshot. Arthur flicked off his torch and immediately recounted his dream- memory, really- and all of his questions.

        Merlin tried to bite back his smile. So much for easing the burden. He didn't want to spring the "m-word" on Arthur so quickly. He didn't want Arthur to take it the wrong way.

        "Arthur," he said, "Have you heard of King Arthur? The once and future king?"

        "Yeah," came the reply, "I guess."

        "Well... Once and future means once and future."

        "Get to the point, Merlin."

        "You're the reincarnation of him." Merlin said quickly- it was barely audible.

        "What was that?!"

        "You are the reincarnation of him." Merlin said slowly, more understandably. 

        "Oh right, and what are you, a reincarnation of Merlin?!" Arthur laughed, skeptical.

        "No."

        "Then what?"

        "I am Merlin." 

        "That doesn't make any sense! You'd have to be more than three hundred years old! And you definitely don't look it."

        "Why thank you. But I am three hundred and twenty three years old and twenty six days."

        "You'd also have to be able to do magic. What magic can you do? And don't bother with petty coin tricks."

        "You're not going to like it, but... I'll do magic, and show you how old I am at the same time." And with that, he stands up from his perch on the bed. His eyes glow yellow and seconds later, Merlin is a hunched over old man with a cotton-candy beard.

        "Been living two hundred years like this, and I still never get used to it." He quickly changed back into his younger form. Arthur just sat there, dumbfounded. Merlin could have sworn he heard a cricket chirp.

        "Right, that must have been some special effects hologram thingamabob!" 

        "Want me to turn you into an old, crotchetty man!?"

        "Ah, nope, nope, I'm good!"

        "I can do it, you know! Been practicing all my life. I am the one and only Merlin, and you are the once and future king. I am your destined servant." He pauses. "As the legend has it, when Albion's need is greatest, King Arthur will return. So, what's wrong with Albion?"