How Long Is Forever? - Merthur

finding magic

He felt something dripping on his face. Arthur's wet hair, no. The shower? No. He stilled himself and he could almost hear it. The soft cooing of the lake. But now it wasn't just water. He was underneath it all. He couldn't see, it was pitch black but he could feel the heavy water surrounding him and the current above. The water kept crashing into him, one after another. He could feel the bruises forming on his chest but the waves showed no mercy.

He couldn't breath either, the water was like a bad tick you couldn't get ride of. He would try to push it away but it kept coming back. He felt his lungs disappear and let out a quiet scream in the dark.

Then he realized, all he had to do was open his eyes. The water didn't sting, it was bright. He could see under the water. The water wasn't throwing waves at him, it was creating shapes of people. Dozens of them, all using magic. It looked like a whole town underwater of people. They didn't look real though. Just water.

They were of all ages, druids? befriending each other. But, they all looked...sad. No, mad. They were mad. He knew what they looked like and they all had the same look that Morgana had many years ago.

He didn't know what they meant until he saw a door on the floor surface. Then he woke up.

------

Merlin woke up with a mouth full of water, he leaned over the couch and coughed it up on the floor. He felt sea sick and couldn't find himself to stop throwing up water. He felt dizzy and still could see the bright reflection of water in his eyes.

Besides him Arthur was there, wide eyes and fanatic.

"Merlin!" He practically shouted and merlin winced, he finally emptied himself of any water. "What just happened?"

Merlin turned to look at him, it felt like he has been swimming for the past hour. "Just sleeping? Dreaming?"

"That wasn't any normal dream." Arthur paused and look nervous--which worried Merlin. "You stopped breathing."

"What? Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I tried! You wouldn't! You kept mumbling words I didn't know then just stopped breathing and now you are puking water."

Merlin still felt the weight in his chest, the bruises he felt in his dreams. Was that the druids sending him a message? And brought back the sword?

Merlin stood up fast, leaving him dizzy. Arthur stood right up next to him, merlin put his arm on his.

"I know what to do next."

------

They made way back to the lake. After explaining to Arthur, his dream, the druids. Maybe he wasn't the only one left without magic after all.

They both stood back and stared at the lake. Merlin still felt shakey and his legs felt like jello, but he took a step forward, one after another until he was in the lake and continued forward, getting his shoes and pants wet.

"Merlin, don't be stupid, what are you doing?"

"I'm going in!" Merlin shouted. He has waited thousands of years and wont wait another second. "I think there's magic here. We just have to find it, I think that's what the dream was telling me." He pushed on until he was chest deep and turned around to face Arthur. "So are you coming?"

Arthur mumbled a curse under his breath but smiled for merlin and went in after him.

"So how are we supposed to find this...door?"

"I'm not sure but I think I have a pretty good guess." Merlin grabbed Arthur's hand and dived under water, pulling Arthur with him.

Merlin opened his eyes and saw the bright water like in his dream, but all the people were gone. He kept making sure Arthur was behind him and just noticed he was holding his hand. He felt a lump in his throat and his heart start to race and hope it wasn't something he'd regret.

This time it felt like he had unlimited air and could breath. He felt the water move around them not at them.

The water suddenly broke away and left a path. The both walked along it, and at the very end stood the door.

Merlin felt a sense of calmness and stillness. Like he was the only one there, just him and magic. But he slowly turned to face Arthur for approval and he gave him a slight nod.

He opened the door.