✨Various x Reader One-Shots✨

𝙷𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝙸 | 𝙰𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚞𝚛 𝙿𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗 | 𝚂𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚕𝚢 𝚂𝚒𝚗𝚜

"That's... interesting."

A voice penetrated through Arthur's head, a piercing wind through his slumber. The king jolted, finding nothing but an abyss of blackness. "Where.." He couldn't seem to catch his breath, or find any land for that matter. He fell and fell, constantly through a sea of black. That's when a hand grabbed him, lifting his own up in the abyss. It suddenly threw him up, feeling the breath of death around him. "Catch your breath. Then- again.. You'll have plenty of time to breathe." Y/n looked around, "Plenty of space too." Arthur felt no impact of solid ground, and it seemed he wouldn't for a while.

"Are you alright? Dizzy?" The figure flew around him, though avoiding his touch. "I.. I'm fine- My head's just.." Y/n tilted their head, "Try hanging upside down." She flipped herself upside down, hair falling with her. "What?" "Just try it." He took a breath, before flipping himself over. The void was silent, seemingly waiting for him just like the girl was. Slowly, he felt the ache from his head lessen, and was able to finally address the blackness around him. There was nothing to see, nowhere to go. He was sure he was falling, but at some point it felt as if he was flying instead. Arthur raked his mind for how he could have ended up here, if this is what really resided after death.

What a disappointment. A king dies after his first battle? Leaving his people to the demons residing in his castle? Before he knew it he was curled up, tears disappearing into the void.

Y/n frowned, flipping over to face the mourning king. "It's.. alright." Arthur held himself tighter, "No- No it's not! I didn't just die- I let my kingdom die with me! They'll all perish- and it's surely all my fault!" Y/n almost flinched, it all felt so familiar. She wondered if every despaired ruler ended up here. She looked at the voice around her, before gathering his tears into a large droplet. They floated in her hand, distorting the black below her. She closed her palms against the tears, letting a crowd of beautiful butterflies to erupt from her fingers.

Arthur opened his eyes, finding the butterflies crowding his form. He then noticed each one of his falling tears turned to one of the glowing wings around him. He held out his hand, watching one land upon his glove. "Sorry. I should have asked first- I'll.. fix it." just as she reached out her hand, the boy grabbed it. "No- Their.. Amazing." Blush met Y/n's ears, as she left his grasp. "Sorry-" "No.. I wouldn't have been able to make them without you." She held her hand to her chest, "I can't do anything here, without someone else." Arthur examined the blackness around him again, "What.. is here?" She paused for a moment, "I'm.. not sure."

"How.. long have you been here?" "Longer than you. There isn't much to see.. I'm afraid." "I can see that." He reached out to the void, but didn't even feel wind through his fingers. "There- must be a way out of here." He furrowed his brows. He couldn't leave Merlin alone, and he couldn't leave his kingdom to die. "And we'll find it." He quickly grabbed her hand, dragging her along through the emptiness.

Y/n didn't care enough to tell him she had tried, not with the hand she was given. She wondered how long it had been since she had felt a touch? Had it always felt so warm? By the time she was ready to muster something, he had to have realized it was a loop. "We'll.. Find it- we have to. Every night sky has a moon. Merlin.. She'll find us." Y/n shook their head, "They won't." Arthur turned, "You can't give up! If you do- you might as well join the darkness around us!" That's when he noticed the color of her skin. She was just a shadow, just lighter than the void around her. "You're.." "A lost cause. And when you realize it.. You'll end up like me." Y/n ripped their hand away, holding it to her chest once again.

Arthur had noticed she had done that, everytime he touched her. As if his grip seemed to hurt. He gazed at his own hand, "Maybe.. We just need to rest. We can't escape without any energy." He watched her turn the other way, the void embracing her shadow of a form. Arthur looked up, laying against the black below him. He had brought despair to his kingdom, and now the girl beside him.