Prologue: Camelot

Merlin knelt at the side of the lake of Avalon, watching the now peaceful waters that hid such powerful magic. He had lost everything. His friends, gone; his destiny, lost; and Arthur- gone. Merlin allowed himself to weep for the life he had lost. For Gwen, his oldest friend who he could not bear to face and tell her he'd failed. For Gwaine, always ready with a joke or an affectionate smile, who he'd never see again. For Lancelot, the loyal friend who'd kept his secret to the grave. Leon, Elyan- his friends for years. For Gaius, who had been the father he never got to have. Even for the Mordred that was, before everything went so terribly, terribly wrong, the steely, eager and clever young knight who was... but it didn't matter now. And Arthur- his king, best friend, and partner in destiny. He hoped one day they'd meet again, but some part of him whispered how unlikely that seemed. Not even bothering to wipe away his tears anymore, Merlin felt his overwhelming grief flooding every cell of his body, a powerful feeling stronger than any magic he'd ever known.

Stronger than any magic...

Merlin stood up, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, focused with sudden purpose. He didn't know if what he had in mind had ever been done before, or if it was even possible, but damned if he wasn't going to try. He was supposedly the most powerful sorcerer ever to exist; if anyone could do this, he thought grimly, it would have to be him. As he reached for the magic, a sudden gust of wind alerted him that he was not alone. A white dragon landed suddenly beside him.

"Aithusa?" She dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement. Merlin turned away, not wanting to see the dragon whose flame had led to Arthur's downfall. "Why are you here?" he asked, not meeting her eyes nor expecting any reply. She struggled for a moment, then spoke one word. "Help."

Merlin's head jerked up. "Help? You need my help? And, I don't know, you thought this would be a good time to ask?" he shouted, his anger growing. She shook her head. Then, extending her nose very slowly, she reached out to make contact with the dragonlord's hand.

No. I do not need help, Dragonlord. I offer it. A raspy but distinctively female voice echoed inside Merlin's head. It took all he had not to jerk away from the contact, but he managed to keep his hand on her nose to maintain the connection.

"What do you mean? Help with..." Merlin trailed off as he realized what she was saying. Somehow, someway, she knew. And she was offering the magic she possessed to assist him with the massive undertaking he was about to attempt.

I may not possess the wisdom of your great friend Kilgarrah, but I am a dragon. I have the knowledge and senses of my kind. What you desire, great warlock, is too much for any one being. Even you. But with two, perhaps it is possible.

"Why would you offer this? I thought you were with her?" Merlin asked, still not trusting the dragon before him. Aithusa dipped her head in shame.

It is my fault. If I had not done as the witch asked, this land might still be thriving. Magic, and my kind, might have a chance once more. This is my penance, Dragonlord. I will meld my magic with yours, but you must guide it. Guide it with all the love and grief in your heart. And perhaps we will succeed.

Merlin considered only for a moment. There was nothing he wanted more. Emotion overruling his doubts, he nodded. With one hand extended towards the magical waters and the other on Aithusa's nose, Merlin reached for the magic. As he began to speak in the ancient words of magic, he felt waves of his own grief and the love he had for his friends flooding and combining with the intense magic emanating from the dragon at his side. Weaving threads of magic, he reached out for the faces of those he'd lost, tying them together with his spell and pouring his own life force into the bonds. Finally, exhausted, Merlin released the magic, leaning instinctively against the dragon's side, feeling her exhaustion through their still-intact connection.

It is done, Dragonlord. The King will rise again someday. And when he does, so will those tied to him in destiny. It is your task, Merlin, to find him, and to wake him to his true self again. When he does, so will they.

"Aithusa? What about the others? Morgause, Morgana...Mordred? They are part of his destiny too. I don't know...I don't know if they might have slipped into the bonds I wove." The warlock looked up at her worriedly.

As to that, I cannot say. But it will be a new age. A new chance. Perhaps, even, a new destiny. With a rustle of wings, Aithusa moved to take off. Goodbye, Dragonlord. I doubt we will meet again.

"Goodbye, Aithusa. And- thank you."

So, what do you think? How do you feel about this take on the reincarnation setup? I have a feeling this is going to be the longest fic I've ever written, so some feedback on this initial prologue would be nice. The rest will take place in modern day. Also, I'm going to need alternate names for the modern-day incarnations of the knights, especially Gwaine and Mordred, since their names aren't easily altered to unobtrusive modern names. Suggestions are welcome. Also, updates will probably be sporadic since I have classes most days, but I'll do my best to keep this going.

~C