This is my entry to the MerlinReverse fest at LJ for 2017. All credit for the cover goes to lao_paperman.

Merlin treaded slowly down the road. He'd been to this village before, but it had been many years since. And like any other village, it held no fascination for him. Of course nothing much held any fascination for him these days. It was just another day in what his life had become over his long lifespan.

He'd let himself age, of course. He'd discovered that no one paid much attention to an elderly man who walked through a town, not spending much time or money there. He'd had no reason to be young in so long, he'd just let it over come him so even he believed he was a harmless old man. And really, wasn't he? There was no reason to practice magic in this day and age, when science had largely caught up to the things he could do with magic.

He walked further down the road, occasionally looking up to note what had changed in the village, when a powerful wave of magic nearly knocked him off his feet. He turned to the left but it was to his right that the magic originated. It grew no less weak as he walked toward its source, a pawn shop set a little back from the road.

A bell dinged as he entered the shop. He looked this way and that, but the magic drew him to the back of the shop, where a counter stood. Behind the counter was a woman, but he paid her no mind. For there, hanging on the wall, was the source of the powerful magic: Excalibur, as perfect as the day Kilgharrah had burnished it.

He stepped closer to the counter, prompting the woman to ask, "May I help you?"

"The sword," he rasped, his voice gravelly from disuse. "Where did you get it?"

"That old thing? A man came in a few months ago, saying he'd found it at the side of a lake. He tried to get a lot of money for it, but it wasn't worth it in the condition it was in. I finally—"

"The side of a lake, you say?" He had no idea what she was talking about in regards to its condition. It gleamed as brightly as it ever had.

"Yes, a lake. Does it matter that much?"

"It does, to me. How much for it? And do you have a sheath?"

Her eyes grew shrewd at his apparent interest. "Five hundred pounds. And it came with no sheath, but I do happen to have a sheath."

"I'll take both." He didn't suffer from a lack of money, considering certain investments he'd made over the years.

The woman smiled. "Wonderful! I'll just get it ready for you then, shall I?"

"Yes, please."

She turned to reach up behind her and carefully removed the sword from its resting place. "I'll have to go to the back for the sheath, if you'll just wait here?"

"Of course." He waited patiently while the woman ducked through a door behind her. After a few minutes, she returned.

"Here it is," she said, indicating the worn leather in her hands. "Now let's see if the sword will fit." She laid the sheath down then picked up the sword and slid it through the opening. Merlin's eyes glowed gold briefly and Excalibur slid inside for a perfect fit "Well what do you know? It worked."

Merlin hid his laughter. "Isn't that something?" he agreed.

"All right then, if you'll just . . .?"

"Oh, yes." He swung his pack off his shoulders and reached inside for his cache of bills. As he pulled it out, the woman's eyes widened.

"The sheath will be fifty pounds extra," she said.

"Right," he replied smoothly. He didn't usually flash his money around like this, but he had plenty and it looked like this woman could use all she could get.

He counted out the five hundred and fifty pounds, then handed it over to her. "Thank you." He put his money away while she reached behind her for the sword. "Here you are." She handed it over and he took it from her. The sword vibrated in his hands, almost like it was humming and pleased to see him. "Have a good day now."

"And you," he murmured back as he turned to leave. The bell dinged again as he opened the shop door.

Once outside, the vibrating increased until he could barely hold onto the thing. "Whoa there," he told it, and it immediately calmed down. Walking away from the shop, he slid the sword under his belt to rest at his left side. "Good to see you again, old friend." He suddenly felt a gentle tug, like the sword was pulling him. "Oh, you have a plan do you? Lead on then." He walked in the direction the pull was leading and eventually left the village.

xxxXxxx

Merlin walked all the rest of that day, stopping to camp at night. By then he was fairly sure where they were headed—the Lake of Avalon. It was another day or so of walking in the direction he was being pulled, but he could weather that easily.

He rose early the next morning to continue his journey. He hadn't always been an early riser, but he founds as the years passed that he could arise earlier and earlier. It served him well today, and off he went, westward toward that blessed lake.

As he walked he thought about what this could all mean. The fact the Excalibur had been found could be no coincidence. And he was betting the lakeshore it had been found on was Avalon's. That also meant that he traveling through that village that day had been no accident either. The sword had wanted to be found by him and had placed itself in his path. Excitement rose in him; could this be the time for Arthur's rising?

Whatever it meant, he was heading for the Lake of Avalon and nothing would stop him.

xxxXxxx

It was sunset as he stepped through the woods that still ringed the lake. The sun still lingered in the sky as he walked onto the shore of the Lake of Avalon. A calming peacefulness washed through him, bringing a feeling of rightness, of completeness. As he walked closer to the shore, the water began bubbling. Was this it? Was Arthur rising right here in front of him? He watched as the bubbles began rising to form a female figure of transparent water. Another few seconds and the figure became opaque then bloomed into color, forming a woman he knew very well. "Freya," he said reverently.

Freya stepped toward him out of the water. "Merlin," she said, "it has been so long since I've been permitted to see you. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

She stepped closer and reached out a hand toward his face. At her cool touch, he instantly felt things begin to change within him. His old bones seemed to strengthen and his frame lengthened so he stood taller. His beard and hair receded and he lifted a hand to touch his suddenly-smooth face. He touched his hair next, unsurprised to find it shorter. Next he looked at his hands, at the firm flesh there. "Freya? Why?"

"My love, you will need all your strength for the challenges that lie ahead of you."

"Challenges?"

"King Arthur lies sleeping at the bottom of the Lake. It is now time for his return. You must journey to the bottom of the lake, wake him and return to the surface."

"How do I do that?"

"Journey to the isle. There you will find the Sidhe. Talk with them to learn the way to where Arthur lies."

Merlin blinked. "The bottom of the lake?"

"Yes, Merlin. Along the way you will face opposition. What it is I cannot say. But I know you and I know that you will find a way to defeat whatever lies in store."

He took her hands. "Thank you, Freya."

"It has been my privilege to aid you again." Freya began to fade from view.

"Wait, Freya . . ."

She lifted his other hand to his face, to cradle it between them. "Oh, my love, I wish I could stay longer. But my part is finished and I must go. But maybe a small favor before I have to leave." She tilted her head upward and pressed her lips to his. His arms came up to hold her to him, and they stood there for a long moment, basking in their love.

Gradually they broke apart, and he held her hands. "I love you," he told her tenderly.

"I love you too. Goodbye Merlin," she said as she disappeared completely.

Merlin fell to his knees. His heart ached for Freya, but at the same time, swelled with hope. Arthur was returning!

After a couple minutes on his knees, Merlin stood and looked around for the little boat that always seemed to be there when he needed it. Sure enough, it floated off to the right. He smiled and made his way toward it. Once inside, he glanced up at the tower on the island. It seemed so small, but it looked like he'd get there this time. He shivered in excitement and opened his mouth to guide the boat. "Astyre," he commanded. The boat began moving toward the isle.

The boat moved too slowly for his taste, but it did give him time to think. Would the Sidhe on the island still be angry with him? He had killed two of their number and thwarted their plans. And what were the challenges he would face? Would he have to use his magic? Now that he was young again, he felt it running beneath his skin, as if it were a living being. Speaking of being young again, he felt wonderful, like he hadn't felt in hundreds of years. It had been his choice to remain old, but it felt so much better to be young.

Gradually the boat coasted to the island. Once it stopped itself on the sand, he stood and gathered his pack and Excalibur. Once he stepped onto the sand, the wind picked up and he heard it sigh behind him. He turned to face the water and saw lights begin bobbing over the water at the shoreline and he knew he'd done it—he'd woken the Sidhe. A buzzing sounded behind him and he turned to find several Sidhe flying in formation toward him.

"Emrys, what are you doing here?" the Sidhe in the lead asked.

"Well hello to you too," Merlin replied. He had no time for a horde of upset Sidhe, so he wanted to get this conversation over with as soon as possible.

"You will not mock us!" The Elder hissed, and every SIdhe there leveled their staff at him.

"My mistake." Freya had told him he needed to ask the Sidhe the way to the bottom of the lake. It looked like he had some major backpedaling to do. "I apologize to you, Elder, I didn't come here to anger you."

"Speak, Emrys, for your presence here disturbs us."

"The Lady of the Lake has informed me that the Once and Future King's time is here. I am sent to awaken him and return him to the world."

The Elder stared at him while the Sidhe behind him began whispering amongst themselves. He turned to face his fellows and barked something in their language. The whispering stopped immediately. Turning back to Merlin, he said, "We have not heard of this, but if the Lady says it must be, then it must be. What do you need of us?"

"I need you to tell me the way to the bottom of the lake, so I can find him."

The Elder threw his head back and laughed. It made Merlin uneasy—if these little flying pests didn't help him, he'd probably have to blow the island apart, piece by piece. And that would get really loud really fast.

Finally the Elder stopped laughing. "But of course!

"Oh. I thought this would be a lot harder."

"We have learned a healthy respect for you over the years, Emrys."

"That's good, I guess, but I won't harm you."

The Elder grinned. "We appreciate that. Now, Emrys, if you'll come this way?" He moved his arm to direct Merlin.

Merlin echoed the Elder's earlier words. "Of course." He followed the Sidhe as he flew toward the tall, black tower at the center of the island.

It wasn't a long walk and soon they stood before it. Merlin walked all around it but didn't see a way in. "So, am I supposed to go in it or what?"

The Elder stared at him, unblinking. "Yes, Emrys, you must open it with your magic."

"Why didn't I think of that?" he muttered under his breath. "All right, here we go. Ӕtýne." His eyes glowed briefly. Immediately a rectangle glowed on the tower, outlining a door. The door swung inward, revealing a set of steps leading downward. "Well that's great. Any idea of what I'm going to face down there?"

There was no reply, so he turned around. The SIdhe were gone. "Oh wonderful. Thanks for all your help." Since there was nothing left to do but go down, he whispered, "Leoht." A ball of blueish light materialized in his palm. He gave it an upward push and soon it floated above his head. It illuminated the steps before him and, since this was what he was here to do, he started down them.

The darkness increased the further he descended. He put his hand on the wall next to him to help him stay grounded. The steps kept going further down so he resolved himself to a long walk and kept going.

After an hour or so, he noticed a brightening. The stairs took a sharp right turn and standing immediately in front of him was his mother. "Mother!" he cried.

"Merlin, it's so good to see you. I've missed you so," Hunith replied.

He ran forward to the small landing she stood on. "Are you real?" He reached out to touch her—she was solid and warm.

"Of course I'm real." She reached out to take him in her arms. He went gladly and wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh mother, it's been so long. I've been alive so long." Tears came to his eyes.

She reached around to cradle the back of his head. "I know, Merlin. You must be so tired. I can help you with that.

Merlin drew back a bit to look into her eyes. "You can help me? How?"

"Come with me. You can rest here with me and all those who have gone before you."

"Rest? How?"

She pointed to a door behind her he hadn't seen before. "Through the door. You can rest from your tireless wandering. Forever."

He shook his head to clear it. "Forever? What?"

She pulled on his hand. "Come with me, Merlin. Rest. You deserve it."

He shook his head again. "No, Mother, I . . . I came here to do something. To wake Arthur, to bring him back into the world. I cannot go with you."

"You will not go." His mother's voice had turned cold and he looked down at her. She was just a female humanoid form now, with large eyes and stringy hair. "You are coming with me!" she shrieked.

"No, let go of me!" He tried to yank his arm free, but couldn't. The creature had a tight hold on him. "Oh no you don't—Ástríce!"

The creature immediately let go of his hand and flew backwards into the wall, where it disappeared. Merlin stood there, panting, staring at where it had vanished. He took a deep breath and straightened. "She wasn't kidding about the challenges," he murmured. He checked to make sure he still had his pack and Excalibur. Seeing that he did, he set off down the steps again, sure he was on the right path.

The stairs more and more frequently had landings and doors leading off of them. Merlin ignored them all, continuing perpetually downward.

After what felt like several more hours, the steps ended and Merlin stood in front of an ornate door. This must be it! Arthur must be behind the door. He tried the handle and it gave. He pushed it inward and was immediately blasted with heat. Looking up, he saw a creature he'd never encountered in all his days.

It stood several meters taller than him, had the head of a lion, the body of a goat and a serpent's tail. He'd seen its likeness only once before, in one of Gaius's books about mythical creatures—a chimera. It opened its mouth to breathe fire at him again, but he muttered "Scildan" before it got to him. The creature roared in frustration, then to Merlin's surprise, it spoke.

"Who dares enter this chamber?"

"It is me, Emrys, come to wake the Once and Future King."

"Come to wake the King? By what authority?"

"By the Lady of the Lake and the goddess she represents."

"The Triple Goddess? Indeed." The chimera threw its head back and laughed. "You'll need more than that to get by me."

"Is that so? What must I do?"

"Defeat me in battle!" He roared and breathed fire again.

Merlin threw up his shield and groaned. How in the world was he supposed to defeat such a fearsome beast? Excalibur flopped against his side as he moved backward. Of course! He had a sword that could defeat magical creatures. He drew Excalibur and faced the chimera. "I accept your challenge!"

The chimera unfolded its wings and flew upward, toward the room's high ceiling. It immediately turned and came at Merlin again, bellowing fire. Merlin dodged it and swung Excalibur toward its snout. It roared and turned away. He got to his feet and yelled out, "Ástríce!" The chimera flew back and hit the wall. Stunned, it slumped backward against the wall. Merlin ran forward and stabbed Excalibur into its body. The chimera roared weakly then said, "I yield." It began fading just as Freya had, and soon it had disappeared completely.

Merlin sighed. He stood and sheathed Excalibur. Just in front of him, a door materialized much like the tower's door had. He stepped toward it and lifted the latch. Pushing it in, he stepped into the next room.

The room was completely dark except for a bright light which shone down on the object in the center of the room like a spotlight. Finally! The object was coffin-shaped, but clear, like glass. And inside the coffin was Arthur, dressed exactly as he'd been when Merlin had sent him off in that boat. He hurried toward it, gazing at it wonderingly. As soon as he reached it, he touched the top. It was warm yet smooth. He brushed his hand along it, walking toward Arthur's head. "There you are, you clotpole," he told Arthur, but Arthur didn't stir. "Now, how do I wake you up?"

He looked for a seam in the glass so he could lift the lid off, but saw none. It looked like he was going to have to try magic again. "Ӕtýne," he whispered. He watched as edges defined themselves, then bent down to lift the lid off. Its light weight was surprising, so he easily managed to overturn it to the floor behind it. Thankfully it didn't shatter.

Merlin walked back to Arthur's head. He laid a hand on his forehead and found it warm to the touch. "All right, you cabbage-head. Time to wake up." Nothing happened. Merlin reached down and put a hand on each of Arthur's shoulders to shake him. "Rise and shine!" Nothing. "So now what?" He could think of only one more way to wake him, besides the old fairytale standby, which he wasn't going to try. Magic had taken care of everything else this long night, so why not now?

Bending over, he laid his hand on Arthur's forehead again. "Wӕcce," he commanded. He drew back his hand as Arthur's eyelids began to move back and forth. Arthur opened his eyes and took a deep breath in, as if he hadn't breathed in a long time, and he probably hadn't, considering the state he'd left him in.

"Arthur?" Merlin said carefully.

"Wh-what? Merlin?"

"Careful. Yes, it's me."

Arthur pushed up to his elbows. Merlin reached down to his arms and helped Arthur pull himself up. "Merlin. Where am I? And why am I here? We have to get back to Gwen and the others—"

Merlin sat down next to Arthur. "Okay, calm down. I can answer some of your questions if you'll just let me. First, you're under the Lake of Avalon where you've evidently been sleeping for over fifteen hundred years."

"Fifteen hundred years? That means . . ."

"Yes, Gwen and the others have been gone for a long time. But Arthur, you'd be proud of what has become of Camelot. Or England, as it's known by today."

"England. That sounds interesting."

Merlin laughed. "Doubtless you'll find the whole world interesting. But come on now. We've got to get you out of here. Do you think you could walk?"

"Merlin, I feel as if I could climb a thousand stairs."

"Funny you should mention that, as that's pretty much how I got down here. Except I think there are more than a thousand stairs."

Arthur rose with Merlin's help. He paced around the chamber a bit, until he had the hang of walking again. Then he walked over to Merlin and placed his gloved hands on Merlin's shoulders. "Thank you for coming for me, my friend. If I had to choose someone to wake me, it would always be you."

Merlin felt his eyes tear up again. "I'm so glad you're back. I don't have to be alone anymore."

"No you don't. And you're going to tell me all about it as we climb these stairs. I want to hear about everything you've done."

Merlin laughed through his tears. "All right. You're in for one hell of a story!"

Together they walked out of that chamber and the next then began ascending the stairs. Merlin began telling him about his life, starting after he'd sent Arthur off in the boat. And Arthur listened surprisingly well. He found new respect for his former manservant with every step they took.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. :)