Spoilers for season 5, mostly episode 10 and what I predict will happen throughout episodes 12 and 13. So, don't read if you haven't seen season 5 yet. Also, Mordred is 18 in this fic :D

Disclaimer: The characters and the settings belong to the creators of Merlin, but the storyline is original.

Minor errors corrected.

Healing and Understanding!

Merlin sighed, stopping the tears from falling down his face. Gaius was asleep in his room, and he was left awake, all alone with his thoughts of what Fina had given him; a box, containing a note, which said Arthur would face his final battle in Camlann. He rose to his feet and wrapped a deep blue cloak around his shoulders. Finally, he had enough money to get something that would keep him warm whenever he went out to see Kilgharrah, or when he went out hunting overnight or in the winter with Arthur.

He slipped down the stairs from his room silently and exited his guardian's chambers. He pulled his cloak hood up and walked silently down the corridors, first past Arthur and Guinevere's chambers, and then past the knights' chambers. He ignored the slight creek of one of the doors, expecting it to be the wind, but he didn't expect it to be Mordred looking down the corridor after him with curiosity.

Mordred hurriedly went and pulled out a green cloak from the bottom of his wardrobe. He pulled it on, pulling the hood up and raced after Merlin just as quietly.

Merlin managed to get out of the castle and down into the lower town without anyone stopping him, before a drunken Gwaine stumbled out of a tavern right in front of Merlin. He spotted him.

"Merlin, mate. Bit late to be out and about, ri-" he stopped as he stumbled and Merlin had to stop him from falling over.

"I'm just going out for a walk," Mordred heard Merlin mumble to Gwaine, an annoyed look crossing his face. Merlin glanced out to the forest, tears threatening to fall, and he pushed Gwaine away from him. Gwaine stumbled but didn't fall. However, he looked back at Merlin with curiosity in his dark eyes as he watched him look out to the forest beyond the safety of the castle.

"Maybe I should come with you," Gwaine suggested, suddenly sobering up. Mordred saw annoyance flash across Merlin's eyes again, along with a slight, uncontrollable flash of gold, but Gwaine missed it.

"I'll be all right," Merlin sighed. "I won't be longer than an hour," he promised and went to walk off when Gwaine grabbed his wrist, looking very determined.

"Gwaine!" Merlin whispered harshly, eyes flashing a darker gold, but still, Gwaine missed it. Mordred furrowed his brows together. Merlin never lost control. Something must be upsetting him.

"I don't think you should go out there, after all the drama that's been going on!" Gwaine said stubbornly, pushing Merlin towards the castle.

"You don't control me!" Merlin exclaimed as his eyes flashed a vibrant gold, sending Gwaine crashing into the tavern wall. Merlin's eyes lost all anger and instantly replaced with fear and anxiousness. "Gwaine?" he whispered worriedly, going to check on his friend. Still breathing. He decided to leave him there to be found by someone else. He just needed to get away.

Merlin continued on down the street, wrapping his cloak further around his shivering body as he entered the forest. Mordred slipped over to Gwaine after checking which direction Merlin had gone and checked his pulse. He was fine, but he had a slight concussion. Mordred found no serious wounds and decided to carry on after Merlin before he completely lost him.

Some time later, Mordred found that he'd slowly stopped looking for tracks and instead started to follow the quiet sobbing coming from ahead. Mordred feared that something was wrong with Merlin and quickened his pace.

Further up ahead, there was nothing seriously wrong unless you counted a man crying as being dangerous. Merlin stopped when he thought he was far enough away from Camelot but also near enough so that there wasn't any danger nearby. He sank to his knees and let the tears finally fall. He feared that he would lose Arthur very soon. Camlann... The name would haunt him until that day, and past that day until the day he died. And Kilgharrah! What had happened? He was sick and Merlin couldn't help him. He feared Kilgharrah would die, and that was his worst nightmare. He was the only one with all the answers. The only dragon left besides Aithusa.

Mordred found him that way a couple minutes later. He was huddled up against a tree, his blue hood shaking as he cried into his hands hopelessly. Mordred didn't know what to do; should he leave him to mourn over whatever it was that had saddened him so or go over and help him with whatever the problem was? Merlin didn't seem to notice him anyway, so it was either help out or freak out. He'd never seen Merlin so weak and lost before; he never thought that this would happen. He decided to go and help.

He slowly made his way across the tiny clearing they seemed to be in, lowering his hood so he wouldn't scare the life out of him straight away. He knelt beside him, Merlin stiffening as he put a comforting hand on his trembling shoulder.

"Mordred?" Merlin asked confusedly, refusing to look at him, but sensing his weaker magic within the touch.

"What's wrong, Merlin?" he asked worriedly.

"What are you doing out here? Did you follow me?" Merlin asked angrily, turning towards him slightly, eyes flashing uncontrollably with anger.

"Yes," he admitted. "But only to make sure you were all right."

"Go!" Merlin ordered, shoving him away angrily. "I don't need your pity!"

"It's always the same, isn't it?" Mordred retorted angrily. "Why don't you trust me? I'm sick of it!"

Merlin turned towards him, wiping his eyes and looking into Mordred's blue ones with confusion. "I want to trust you," he sighed.

"Then why don't you?" Mordred asked, begging for an answer.

"Because destiny won't allow it," Merlin replied, voice breaking. That was one of the things tearing him apart inside.

"What do you mean?" Mordred said, kneeling back down beside him. Merlin looked up into his eyes and tried to seek out the darkness within him, but could not find any.

"You're going to kill Arthur," Merlin whispered.

"What?" Mordred asked, shocked. "But... Arthur's right, he's fair; I would never kill him!"

"Destiny has decided that."

"Then I will do all I can to stop it!" Mordred countered truthfully. "Is that what was troubling you?"

"That, and Kilgharrah."

"Who?"

"A dragon."

Mordred's eyes widened fearfully, and he looked into Merlin's eyes but saw nothing but sadness. "What? Why?"

"He's sick."

"How do you know a dragon?" Mordred asked.

"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that he's sick and I fear he's going to die, Mordred. What do I do?"

"You're asking me? How do I know?" he asked worriedly, but squeezed his shoulder. "How was he when you last saw him?"

"I'll show you," Merlin said, smiling slightly and grabbing his arm. He pulled his hood back up, Mordred doing the same, and he followed Merlin all the way to a huge clearing, where Camelot's castle could be seen over the tall trees in the distance.

Merlin threw his head back and roared to the skies, startling Mordred into falling over backwards and looking up at the sky. Merlin turned towards the startled knight and held his hand out with a knowing smile on his face. Kilgharrah appeared a few minutes later, and Mordred hesitantly stepped towards the golden creature. Merlin looked sadly into Kilgharrah's now-yellow eyes with sadness. He was growing sick, and losing a lot of his power.

"Merlin, why have you brought this traitor with you?" Kilgharrah asked frustratedly. Mordred started from his thoughts and looked over at Merlin with confusion and fear in his eyes.

"I wanted to see you. You wouldn't tell me if I'd ever see you again. I fear for your health, Kilgharrah," Merlin admitted.

"The druid boy... cannot help," he said hesitantly.

"I wasn't going to ask if he could," Merlin replied, but he'd caught the hesitation and questioned it with his eyes. Kilgharrah avoided his gaze and looked into the younger druid's eyes.

" I sense something different about him. Merlin?" Kilgharrah suddenly asked as the man in question collapsed onto the floor unconscious. Mordred rushed over to him and looked him over. No arrow had shot him from the trees, no axe, no sword, no weapon at all had caused any wound; something magical or something... emotional had gotten to him and he'd collapsed at the impact.

Merlin blinked open his eyes wearily and looked into Mordred's eyes with his own glazed-over ones.

"He's all right!" Mordred called up to Kilgharrah happily.

"What happened?" Merlin mumbled, only loud enough for Mordred to hear.

"You collapsed. The dragon said-"

"I have a name!" Kilgharrah interrupted, still not trusting the knight.

"Kilgharrah said that you had had a vision, perhaps, or something... that only you could see-"

"Vision?" Merlin mumbled, and then he remembered what he'd seen. "Mordred!" Merlin yelped, and bolted upright. Mordred grabbed onto his hands and stopped him from moving any more.

"What is it?" Mordred asked hurriedly.

"I saw you. You helped me. You saved Arthur's life!"

"Young Warlock, what do you speak of?" Kilgharrah asked.

Merlin stood up and walked over to the dragon, resting a hand upon the dragon's side and sending his vision to his kin's mind.

"It seems your friend still plays a big part in your destiny," Kilgharrah sighed. Merlin turned to Mordred who was staring at them both nervously.

"I know. I'm going to... kill Arthur," Mordred sighed.

"No," Merlin whispered, and Mordred looked up at him curiously. "Destiny just changed!" Merlin said, eyes widening.

"Huh?"

"Young Warlock-" Kilgharrah said, grabbing Merlin's attention again. "If there is nothing you seriously need, I will go now."

"Stay!" Merlin ordered, making sure Kilgharrah wouldn't fly off again.

"We can heal him," Merlin said, turning to Mordred.

"We?" he asked confusedly. "My magic is too weak to heal a dragon."

"No. You can't heal a dragon, I can't heal a dragon, but we can!" Merlin said determinedly and turned to Kilgharrah, eyes shining.

Kilgharrah got the message and knelt down, letting Merlin and Mordred examine the injured wing. "Be careful," Kilgharrah sighed, as he guessed what Merlin was about to do.

Merlin stroked his wing before turning to Mordred and beckoning him over. Mordred came over quietly and looked at Merlin, waiting for instructions.

"Will you let me transfer my magic into you?"

"What? No!" Mordred said, backing away. "You can't!"

"Not fully. You are better at healing magic than I am. If I push my magic through you and into Kilgharrah-"

"-then it will heal him," Mordred finished. "Okay!" he said determinedly.

Mordred stepped forward and placed a hand on the dragon's wing, Merlin placing his on Mordred's gently. Mordred gulped nervously, but Merlin's unwavering expression calmed him slightly, and he followed Merlin's example; he concentrated, closing his now-golden eyes. He flinched at the power curling through his body and pushed it back out and into the dragon. After the dragon was fully healed, they both collapsed onto the ground and sighed.

"You know... I should've believed you," Merlin said.

"I know your reasons now," Mordred said, smiling in understanding. "But destiny's changed." Mordred smiled happily.

And Merlin then fully knew, destiny had changed. For the better. Mordred was free!

Wow! That was fun to write. I spent only 2 hours writing that non-stop. I hope I get some reviews. I need to improve my writing and I hope it's better than what I usually do. Please review, thanks x