"How? You were meant to become infected, it- it was meant to corrupt you too!" Helena shrieked, realising that Merlin had wriggled out of her perfect trap. Her face was a brilliant red and fury burned in her eyes.

"I saw what happened to you Helena and I'm sorry, you've had the worst life so far with people trying to change you in all the wrong ways. You might have changed me too. But then I saw that night when you almost killed my mother, and I couldn't turn to that darkness because it had tried to kill her. I felt completely messed up but suddenly darkness wasn't tempting anymore." Merlin said, explaining as best as he could.

Helena's reaction was unexpected. The red drained from her face and he seemed to sink a bit. The rage in her eyes was extinguished to be replaced with something like…fear maybe?

"I…I" Helena had stammered "I don't want to be evil Merlin" she had whispered, sounding exactly as she had when Merlin had first met her.

Remorse. There was remorse in her eyes.

"You don't have to be- you can change your ways."

Helena considered this, before something like panic formed in her eyes, shunted the remorse to one side. "No, no, I can't Merlin. The darkness… it's too strong… it won't let me… but I don't want to go on hurting people. "

"Helena you won't, I can help you. I will help you."

"I'm sorry Merlin, but nobody can help me now. I know what I have to do." and with a flash of her eyes a gleaming dagger just like the one she had held to Hunith's heart appeared and circled around her.

"No Helena, there's another way just let me-"But she interrupted him

"No… Merlin- this is my choice now, and it hasn't been for a while. I know it's the right thing." With that the dagger flew forward straight into Helena's heart

"You did deserve her Merlin. I'm sorry." Helena just got out as she crumpled to the floor. Dead.

Arthur and the others had been observing this whole time, seeing Merlin somehow impossibly make his way out of the orange orb, then to see Helena get a dagger out. They all tensed. But kill then the dagger plunged into Helena- not Merlin. It was difficult for them all to understand it. Merlin would have to tell them.

As soon as she had given out her last breath the shield holding merlin had dropped, it left no trace of ever being there but Merlin didn't move; he just stood there.

The knights turned to look to Arthur, giving him his cue. Arthur would be able to bring Merlin back, just as Merlin always did for Arthur.

Arthur was almost shaking with anxiety as he slowly approached his still friend; he didn't think Merlin had even heard walk up. The boy was staring at Helena's body, his eyes full of tears that were on the verge of rolling out. His face was blank, but his eyes gave away the wars of depression in his head. Arthur almost felt as though he was intruding on something too private, but knew that leaving Merlin to deal with this was much worse and besides- that's not what friends did.

Arthur gently placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder, looked the man in the eyes and called to him.

"Merlin?"

Merlin had been in shock- confused, hurt, unsure and just very messed up; that dark magic had affected him more then he thought, and he found himself drifting again, but drifting farther and farther away then he'd ever been before. He didn't like it, so he started to panic it was as though he was drowning. That was until a firm touch to his shoulder alerted him back to reality, a voice, soft called out his name. His eyes shifted.

"Arthur" Merlin replied; his voice giving away nothing but everything at the same time.

"Are…are you ok?" Arthur had asked unsure of whether it was the right question. The answer was obvious.

"Let's just go home," Merlin replied quickly, then looked at Arthur "Please, can we just.."

"Yes, Merlin, we can" Came the quiet, concerned voice from Arthur, and with that the two turned back towards the knights and set back home to Camelot.

-Prologue-

That ride back home to Camelot had been tough, tough on all of them. Merlin didn't seem to be with them mentally all the time, despite how many jokes Gwaine tried to crack. It was quite a long way back and Merlin couldn't avoid their questions for the whole way- he knew everyone was anxious to find out who Helena was and what she had wanted from him, so when a sudden piercing silence hit the group he knew he would have to give answers soon.

A quiet cough from Percival alerted the group he would speak first "Who was she Merlin?"

And from that question Merlin had taken a deep breath and explained everything to Arthur and the knights, about Will and Helena (obviously missing out his magic) and then on to how she almost killed Hunith. In response, many shocked expressions framed the groups' faces.

After his past has been delved into, Merlin explained what Helena had told him to choose between, and then what they had discussed within the dome. He had managed okay so far, but when he tried to explain his experience under her spell he found that he kept getting confused, and the emotions kept coming too quickly. However, he did get through it and once he was finished had suddenly felt very exhausted.

It seemed the others all felt this way too thus the slumping postures in their saddles, hunting had been completely forgotten about and everyone was just happy to see the turrets of Camelot come into view.

Arthur had continued to watch Merlin after that day and had helped him deal with it all as best as he could, he kept up the banter, knew when to leave Merlin alone, but also when to be someone for Merlin to confide in. He wanted to that for Merlin. He deserved that at least.

I'd just like to thank everyone for reading this fanfiction- it has been my first ever pusblished one and the reviews have been so great, i have all of you to thank for that! Keep an eye out for more! :D