MC4A
Fill: 6
Prompt: 4E (Candle)
Representations: Merlin; Magic
Bonus Challenges: Where Angels Fear; Saucy Buns; Second Verse (Most Human Bean; Land of Enchantment; Esbat; Mermaid; Rock of Ages; Fruit Fly; Car in a Tutu; Some Beach; Ladylike)
Stacked With: Winter Bingo; Romance Challenge; No Capes Required; Final Frontiers; Shadows of Consequence; Lessons Learned; Not Commonwealth; SI(N); StL; ToS; Fem Power Challenge; New Fandom Smell (N); Long Haul (Y); Mooning (N)
Word Count: 1,412

There is a candle hidden in a cave hidden from the world by all types of magic and terrain. It was an important candle, as one would expect from such security measures. If the candle was ever lit, it was said that it would bring back Merlin from Arthurian legends. Most would disregard this fact as pure myth, most would think the candle itself was a myth. However, those who believed in one, believed in the other and the candle needed protection.

An oasis in the desert above the cavern held a protector. They lived there to keep others from reaching the candle, they would continue to live there until the candle was found and lit. That was their purpose until they were given another one. It had already been hundreds of years since they had first taken up the mantle of protector.

A thump sounded outside their door and Lin looked up in surprise. Was there an innocent traveler lost in the desert or was there yet another seeker of the candle? Either way, they would help. Protecting the candle did not mean letting others die from the desert outside when they collapsed on their doorstep.

Lin opened the door to see a figure collapsed on the sand. "Hello," they said to the unconscious person. "Let's get you patched up."

With a wave of their hand, Lin lifted the figure up and floated them into the house where they could take care of them. The woman groaned as she was gently let down onto the ground; Lin ignored the sound. Instead, they went outside again to fetch water from the oasis and fruit from the trees.

Lin returned to find their visitor sitting up and looking around. "Good, you are not too far gone. Welcome to my home."

"Who are you?" the visitor asked.

"I am Lin," Lin replied simply before offering a pear and a cup of water. "Refresh yourself. It does not do good to be in the desert without food or water."

"I didn't really have a choice. They threw me out of the plane and I only just managed to grab a parachute. I so wished for a stress-free pregnancy as well…" her hand caressed her belly as she spoke of having a child.

"There will be others?" Lin asked, pulling down a bowl of cherries at the news that their visitor was pregnant.

The lady shrugged as she drank the water. "Most likely. They pulled me from my classroom to help them find the location of Merlin's Candle. Once I'd given them the coordinates, they decided it would be better for me to vanish into the desert sands and pushed me out."

"Eat the cherries, they'll help stabilise any problems your baby may be having from such a shock."

Not questioning the words, the woman quickly started eating cherries. "I'm Martha, by the way. Thank you for helping me."

"It is merely part of my duties as keeper of this oasis. Do you expect your companions to arrive soon?"

Martha looked confused, "Here? No, they're heading for the cave on the map I translated for them. The only reason they would come here is for water, and they had plenty of that."

"An oasis is a place of mirages," Lin replied. "What you see is not often what you get."

"Are you saying…" Martha was stunned, her mind looked to be whirring at full speed. "The cave is here? I actually found the location of Merlin's Candle?"

Lin rose an eyebrow. "Did you not expect to? That is why you are out here, is it not?"

"Well, yes, but I've always thought that perhaps it was a legend and maybe that the candle was actually a rock or some sort of monument built by ancient civilisations in honour of the person we know as Merlin today. I never thought I'd actually find it."

Lin studied the woman critically, searching her aura for troubles. "Eat more cherries," they finally said as they pulled down some plums as well. "And these—plums will help with the fog in your mind."

When Martha had done as she was told and Lin satisfied with the healing their fruit had given the woman, they continued speaking. "The candle is real, and it is made of wax. Depending on the time, when it is lit it could very well be Merlin who returns. But that has yet to be seen."

Night had long since fallen and the sounds of tunnelling grew closer to the hut in the oasis. Martha was asleep, the pomegranates Lin had given her providing a quick way into the realm of dreams. Lin stood outside, watching and waiting for the others to arrive. It seemed they were going via the underground passages that had long since been blocked.

Lin walked over to the pool of water and into the centre, letting it drag them down and through the sandy bottom all the way to the cavern where a wax candle stood. It was unlit still. Knowing that if they looked up at the night sky, they would see a full moon, Lin sighed softly. Merlin.

A crack formed in the wall to Lin's left and they watched as it widened to reveal two men and a woman. All three of them stepped through warily, weapons ready to attack should Lin make any move towards them.

"So you have arrived," Lin said. "Your companion made better time."

"Let us pass, doll, and we won't hurt you," the leader said.

Lin was unimpressed. "You may pass once you have answered a question to my satisfaction."

"Oh yeah, and what question is that?"

"Why you wish to have Merlin's Candle, of course."

The man sneered at them. "That's no business of yours." He jerked his head to the man on his right, "Kill her."

Lin sighed. While they may have the long hair and softer features that signified many females, they were not currently one gender or another. As the man tried to shoot his inexplicably-jammed weapon, Lin said, "I must object to the use of such a gendered term. For now, I am neither male or female. Of course, that will likely change soon but nevertheless, it is never nice to use a term that does not currently fit."

"Just let us through to the candle," the female said. "We need Morgana to return and take care of some business for us."

Lin looked to the sandy roof and the sky beyond. "You're a bit late for that."

"Oh shut up, we don't care if we have your permission or not. Fran, light this place up."

Fran grinned at the order and pulled out several explosives from her jacket. "Might be a bit overboard," she said as she started lighting the fuses, "but with all this fire around, we're bound to hit one little wick and start the most important fire."

"You will not get what you wish for," Lin warned. They were not worried about the candle being lit; if the lighters came at the wrong time, they would hold no sway over who they summoned.

The first explosion went off and the three humans huddled together under the metal tent that had expanded from a small button. Lin stood still and watched the cavern collapse around them. The wick lit and the magic whirled around, settling into Lin and bringing about the change. With the moon shining bright and full above, the magic pulled the essence of Merlin into Lin and they transformed.

When instead of a tall, genderless figure in white robes there was a short man with dark hair dressed in a blue shirt, brown pants and jacket with a red neckerchief stood in the centre of the cavern, the magic vanished. The man's eyes glowed golden and the fires went out, the explosives vanished, and the damage to the cave was fixed.

"They did warn you," Merlin told the stunned three still in their tent. "Shoo, Morgana is not here. You chose the wrong night."

Golden eyes sent the three back to their homes and resealed the tunnels they had drilled through. The candle was placed back on its pedestal and the wick replaced. Well, Merlin thought as he looked around the oasis above, looks like this will be an interesting lifetime. But for now, there was an exhausted woman sleeping in his home carrying a child and he would look after both of them.