an: i guess this is kinda like an annual writing exercise for me now? idk you can expect at least one chapter a year. it's gonna be a slow story especially since i haven't watched either of these shows since i was twelve. anyways, enjoy y'all.

Arthur, in all his years in Camelot, had seen a lot of things. He had fought beasts of all caliber, battled with sorcerers, he had slain a dragon with nothing more than a sword and his wits. But this, this pretender who wore Merlin's face and took his name, was unlike anything else Arthur had faced. Every other magic user who stole another's face did so through black magic, and always with a reflection of their true self shining through. This Fake-Merlin had no such reflection, just another visage of Merlin looking back at him.

"Do you believe me?" Fake-Merlin had been the one to suggest checking his reflection, not afraid of what they might find. Merely confident that he would be proven truthful.

"No. Of course we don't." Fake-Merlin's face fell, and Arthur had to look away. He was too much like the real Merlin, he couldn't stand to see that expression of hurt on his best friend's face, not even from an imposter.

"What do I have to do to prove it to you?"

"You can't prove it to me! I don't know how you changed your reflection to match his, but I know that this isn't possible! You can't be Merlin!"

"And why's that? Is it so hard to believe that I'm from the future? You've seen magic firsthand all your life, what makes this so different?" Arthur saw red. How dare Fake-Merlin pretend to understand anything Arthur's gone through. He had no right. "So you tell me, why can't I be Merlin?"
"Because Merlin wouldn't lie to me!" A stifling silence fell, engulfing Arthur and Fake-Merlin in it's hold. Arthur drew a breath, turned his back to Fake-Merlin. "The only way you could possibly be from the future is to either make nice with magic users or to be one yourself. And if you're truly Merlin, that would've meant you lied to me. For God knows how long. And Merlin wouldn't do that."

Fake-Merlin was quiet for a beat. Two. "Then maybe you don't know Merlin as well as you thought." Arthur turned on his heel, scowl on his face and a comeback on his lips, but he fell short at the sight of Fake-Merlin. Head bowed and hands clasped, shoulders shuddering with muffled sobs. The anger rushed out of Arthur, leaving only confusion in its place. "It's been so long Arthur." Fake-Merlin looked up, eyes shining with tears and a deep frown on his face. He was no older than twenty, same as the real Merlin, but his eyes held something more. A sadness deeper than the tears on his face and a weight heavier than the world. He looked old, Arthur realized. He looked millenia old and as fresh faced as the day Merlin walked into Camelot. "I'm so sorry you had to find out like this."

an: see you sometime next year, hope you liked the story. i'm on tumblr and ao3 at faithzephyr and i'm way more active there. comments are always appreciated