„Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Mambo No. 5...", he said sang deeply, with a dark voice.
Leon tried to plugg his ears with two fingers. "Will you please, PLEASE, shut up, Kilgarrah?"

"You just taught me this song. I love it.
1 – 2 – 3, 4 , 5 – everybody in the car so come on let's ride ..."
Kilgarrah's long neck was tilting from side to side as he sang this annoying song that Leon did NOT teach him. Thank you very much.
How was it that Leon was always stuck with the idiots?

First he travels with the king of Camelot and the group of the drunken table and one day later he has to eat rats and listen to ridiculous songs of a man sized lizard.
Who was still growing. This was a child dragon! Leon was the baby sitter – of a freaking dragon!

It's tail was tapping the ground in a beat that fitted his stupid song.

"How on earth are you the dragon that will riddle Merlin to death?!", he mumbled to himself.
He had taught Kilgarrah most of what happened in the future and how he got here, as soon as Kilgarrah was hatched.

Admittedly, a dragon birth was a beautiful thing. With how those dragon lords had all gathered around this little thing and watched as Danton had given Kilgarrah his name.
Kilgarrah meant "Kindness". That's what Danton had told Leon. Who had slowly, over the centuries, become close with the dragon lord folk.
Simply, because he had been searching for Kilgarrah, to ask him what all this time traveling meant.

Never had he imagined, he would end up in a time, when Kilgarrah wasn't even born yet. How on earth was this the wise dragon who could explain – literally anything to him.
This was beginning to look like an endless journey.

"Just how long until the once and future king is born again?", Leon muttered to himself, as he and Kilgarrah traveled around with Danton to help protect farmers.
After all, Leon was still a knight through and through. It was kind of a shame he was no dragon lord. Their purpose was literally building and protecting this country from – well – bandits, barbarians, some occasional evil sorcerers.

In the beginning, Leon had been scared of every sorcerer he had crossed. Now it was normal for him to see farmers grow crops with magic. Healers used it to cure illnesses,
The land was flourishing. In a way that Leon had never seen it in his own time. Not under Uther, not yet under Arthur.
The worst part, really, was traveling with a dragon who was obsessed with futuristic music, that shouldn't exist in either of their times.

Well, it was a fact that Kilgarrah kept talking to that crystal cave prophet guy who appeared throughout all times in and out of the crystal cave and taught him weird shit. At random. For no other reason than to annoy Leon. Somehow, the guy didn't like him.
Leon never knew why. He swore to make sure nobody else would ever go into the crystal cave and out on their own terms. NEVER again.

What the hell were memes anyway?

Leon, Danton and Kilgarrah decided to make camp. Near the crystal cave, in the valley of the fallen kings. That – not yet – deserved it's name.

"Danton, I must ask you this question. What do you know about the crystal Cave?", Leon finally asked and used a salve to cream his newest wound. Baby Wyverns. Horrible little creatures. Had a fascination for eyeballs. Tried to gouge it out his skull with it's tiny claws.

Good thing Danton had helped him, or else he might be blind for the rest of his apparently immortal life.
Getting his eye repaired was not an option, unfortunately. Not because magic couldn't heal his eye, but because the magic was bound to Leon's life, rejected any form of outside magic.
He was RADIATING magic now. Other than his youth and life, it wouldn't help his wounds more than a normal immune system would. Maybe it healed faster, but not better. And it definitely didn't replace his eyeballs.

"Not much, to be honest. Magic is /was / will be born in here. And I was told, some of our ancestors got lost in the cave and never returned. Or were seen in different times. Future and past.
Sorcerers who enter, however, they come out – different. I can't say how exactly, only that the cave is dangerous terrain. Do yourself a favor and don't ever go into that cave."

Leon nodded slowly. And rolled his eyes.

----------------

"If all that is true then WHY in god's name did it become a tradition that the court sorcerer goes into that cave?", Arthur asked, exasperated as he threw his goblet at Leon.

None of them noticed the secret eavesdropper.
Gwaine was watching them through a passageway that was reserved for servants, to pass the rooms unnoticed.

They were standing in the throne room, as Leon tried to explain everything that had happened. How he was thrown into the past and how he replaced his own self, as he went into the cave.
He easily dodged the goblet, as though he was used to Arthur's antics by now. Which he was, to be honest.

Gwaine was paling after Leon's explanation. His – his story about Leon was real? But – he had made the whole thing up, that was ridiculous, wasn't it?

"I suppose because Gwaine had made it so." Gwaine bit his lip at that. He furrowed his eyes, unsure what to make of this conversation.
"But that is contradicting!"
"Yes, he is contradicting himself. I suppose that has caused some kind of rift in the crystal cave. Some change that connects his different attempts at explaining situations. He's – like an author who doesn't know how to end his story yet. Which is why he thinks of different outcomes.
I believe he has created some kind of parallel universes that connect these outcomes through the crystal cave.

I'm positive that Morgana must have been waiting in the cave and her evil self was switched with a nicer version who had entered the crystal cave at the same time as she had. Just in a different world.
Which is why we must treat this Morgana with care, not caution."

"What about Merlin, then?", Arthur looked at his first knight helplessly. He didn't understand a thing, but that was his fate now. Not understanding anything. He would have to get used to that.

"Merlin can enter and leave the crystal as he pleases, my lord. Because he is magic itself and the only constant in Gwaine's prophesies. He can't leave this world or time, however.
This Merlin is our Merlin. I know this, because I have studied this whole affair for centuries. And I have been paying attention to Gwaine's tales."

"Why Gwaine though? What is so special about him?!"
Leon sighed. "I think you know the answer to that, Sire. Gwaine is the son of the triple goddess. His will is connected to destiny. The more he drinks, the more dangerous he becomes. Because what he believes becomes real.
And you believe more, when you're drunk. And Gwaine is drunk all the time. Which is why our life has been tumbling so much lately. Now that he's alive and part of nobility, his influences have risen. His confidence has grown. He has people he trusts now. He doubts less and just accepts what he's been told."

"You're meaning to say – Gwaine is the most dangerous threat we have right now? Then what are we to do – what -"

"Sire, there is nothing we CAN do. Gwaine has the power of a goddess. We can only wait and see what happens next."

Gwaine pulled his ear from the door. This was ridiculous. None of this could be true. He shook his head. No. He wasn't the son of a goddess. Leon just made that up. Why would he make that up? Connecting the dots was supposed to be FUN.
Now it was getting out of control. No. Leon must be lying. If any of this was true then -
Gwaine ran to his room, searching for the gospel that lay around somewhere. He would test this theory.
He had to prove to Leon, that this wasn't his fault.
"Theories, theories, come to mind –
show me what's going on the other side.
Make Morgana, friend and foe, switch back to the realms they belong to go.", he whispered and then, then he began to write.

-----------------------------

Morgana was too busy. Being court sorcerer was harder than she had imagined. Harder than ruling a kingdom as a tyrant monarch, at the very least.
She was asked to sit with Merlin and rewrite the law, so that sorcerers could be living in peace and prosperity.
The sole presence of Emrys, her demise, however, frightened her. Because he had magic. And he was powerful, she could sense it.
How had she never noticed that before? His aura was literally everywhere. It surrounded the castle like a protective shield and he didn't even notice it existed.

The only advantage she had, was that Merlin seemed to not suspect her of evil – at all.
He did not remember poisoning her, that she had figured out. And Morgouse had succeeded in taking the castle and killed Uther, before she disappeared to who knows where.

Since then, Arthur had been furious about magic, but with the sudden peace in the five kingdoms, he was forced to accept that his father's rage had been more evil than magic ever was.

The fury turned to understanding. And the understanding to kindness.
And all the kindness, suddenly directed at Morgana – somehow – cooled her down after a while.
At first, it had fueled her rage. Now it became – less.
She was accepted here. She was valued. Respected, not feared. Mordred was her friend. Gwen and Merlin too. Arthur asked her for her opinion, her help on everything that went on between the five kingdoms.

Slowly, but sternly, her fears were replaced with acceptance. Her hatred was countered by the love people provided her with. And after two months of seeing how willing Arthur was to change and be better than their father – her heart softened. And she found, she didn't want vengeance anymore.
Not on a kingdom that was actually treating her the way she deserved.

She felt her heart bleeding warmth against the abuse and trauma. She felt it grow and pump with – magic. Beautiful, innocent, pure magic.
She learned to smile again, she learned to love again.

In years, since her father (Gorlois) died, she had never felt this – free.
And her decision to take over Camelot was pushed to the back of her mind as she feasted and drank with her new found family. Who accepted her as she was.
And played crystal cave and dragons (CCND) with her. And she was allowed to be the main villain. And have her own pet dragon.

Later, as Merlin had heard of this, he actually introduced her to Aithusa. Who he had hatched a couple of month's ago.
And Aithusa, despite Arthur's fears, was allowed to live in the castle with them.
Morgana was happy.

Especially when Merlin and her pranked Arthur with magic. When the Dragon took Arthur by the shoulders and yote her out the window into a carriage full of straw (he wasn't hurt, he laughed it off, actually). When Mordred insisted she was the purest sorceress to ever be born.
When Gwaine made sure to point out, that Balinor, Arthur's new advisor and Merlin's father, liked her so much, he was about to adopt her -
Morgana decided she didn't want to leave. She felt save here. She felt at home. She felt loved. She belonged here.

-----------------------------

"You poisoned me?", Morgana asked Merlin. Guards were watching the door, as Arthur had taken Merlin by his scarf and pushed them and the knights into one room to talk out all that was going on. The only person missing, because he couldn't know of his heritage, was Gwaine.
Arthur hadn't known Gwaine had eavesdropped on him and Leon earlier and had gone to correct his "mistakes."

Merlin was in the middle of explaining all he had ever done for Camelot, for Arthur and how and why he had secretly fought against Morgana.

"I'm going to bloody kill that dragon!", Leon muttered and grabbed for a battle ax that was now his favorite new weapon. It had carvings in it's blade that would remind you of Arthur's sword Excalibur. That is, because it also was forged in a dragon's breath. But he was the only one who knew that.

The other knights send him weird looks, but Arthur and Merlin paid him no mind.

"I HAD to. It was the only way to stop Morgouse from killing Uther!"
Morgana looked at him in disbelief.
"And you didn't even think of asking me if I would drink it on my own free will?
Because frankly speaking, You could have used a sleeping draft and Morgouse would not have seen the difference.
You, the you I know at least, You and I talked about this for month's! How we went wrong! How I made the mistake of trusting Morgouse, how you tried to get Arthur and me out the castle and failed.
How Morgouse invaded the Castle and took Uther's life!"

"I HAD NO CHOICE!", Merlin shouted angrily. "Arthur was too young to become king!
He was too young to loose his father!
He couldn't have all that responsibility on his shoulders at such a young age!"

"YOU are younger than him! And YOU have carried the responsibility for YEARS! And Arthur WOULD NOT have to rule alone! WE could have been there for him. WE WERE! And it turned out PERFECTLY."
Morgana was mad, and sad, and desperate as she tried to explain what her life had been like. It was hard to imagine. All the people she trusted so much – all of them feeling betrayed by things she never did.
Causing her to feel betrayed by them. It hurt.

Merlin froze at that. He blinked. He had never considered that – at all.
He glanced at Arthur – who in return – looked shocked beyond believe. Scared and fascinated and worried and – there were too many emotions to count them all. After all – all of this was new. Well- admittedly not quite. Gwaine had taught him a lot.
He didn't look mad though. And he was listening at least.

"Why are you even so OBSESSED with the prophesy? YOU told me, that relying on it and believing in it would most likely doom us to make it happen in the first place.
You told me not to believe I would go mad, and to trust in the person I always was. Not what an old captured dragon said. And that we'd go through all of this together. And look! The other you was RIGHT. Look at what happened here!
I – I just –Let me go home, please.", Morgana looked at Arthur now.

Arthur flinched a little at the pleading tone in her voice.
She didn't like it here. She was scared. And he could very well understand why. Arthur's view on magic was – extremely biased, he realized.
She must feel like she was under Uther's reign once more.

"I don't know how to get you back.", Arthur admitted slowly. Her mouth closed shut, as she hugged herself on the bed she was currently sitting on. Tears dangerously glinting in her eyes.
It knocked on the door.

Arthur turned around, confused. All his knights were here. The guards were ordered not to let anyone else in. Who was that?
The question was answered as Gwaine entered through the door. He held his gospel under his arm. His look was stern, as though he was on a mission.
Not that Gwaine ever looked serious on a mission.
Leon stepped forward to tell him to leave, but Gwaine just raised his hand to shush him easily.

If Leon's mouth snapped shut because of his own will or because Gwaine had ordered it to. Hard to tell by the immortal's expression.
"You can go back.", Gwaine said, as though he had heard them through the door.
Then he slammed the gospel onto the bed, so that Morgana crouched back against the bed frame behind her.
The gospel bounced on the bed, but pretty much stood where it was.

"How?", Arthur asked, eyebrows raised.
"She just needs to go through the Crystal cave.", Gwaine said, matter of factly.

"How can you be sure? She could end up who knows where, if she did – she -"

Gwaine shook his head at Arthur's doubts.
"I have written a new paragraph into the gospel. If what Leon says is true, and I am a half god -"
Arthur's and Leon's eyes widened, as the rest of the group suddenly all turned to Leon with equally shocked expressions.
"Then it means I decide where she goes. And I have written that you will enter the cave and go back to your time or place or whatever that is."

Morgana looked at him, mouth agape. "But – but your Morgana. The evil witch, what if she has taken over my home?", she asked.
Suddenly it dawned on Arthur – it wasn't just this world that was facing this problem. What THEY were doing to Morgana wasn't the only thing on her mind. The only thing scaring her.
There was a concealed evil Morgana on the other side.
Terrifying and fighting an undefended and unprepared Castle. Possibly killing this Morgana's brother.

"I made sure the castle is safe from her. And that she will be too.", Gwaine said hesitantly.
"What do you mean, she will be save?", Arthur asked, confused and still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that one of his knights was actually part god. She will be safe? She should be killed. Erased from this world! Any world, really.

"Our Morgana deserves better than what I've made her go through. I've made sure, you will both be accepted to stay in the other world.", Gwaine said with certainty. Like this was all his fault. Because he was an author and author's tended to be cruel to their characters.
And in a way, he was right about that.

"And what about the other Gwaine? What if he does something that counters your decisions?", Leon asked, slightly terrified.

Gwaine huffed a breath. "Open the gospel, Morgana. Write something in it."

Morgana looked up at Gwaine, slightly confused. "What? Why?"

Gwaine shook his head. "I have tried something earlier. Because I have realized that some of those ideas that are written in there, were written by me. But I can't remember writing them. I've always put it aside, wondering if maybe I just wrote it, when I was drunk.
Well – you will see that I was wrong."

Morgana still looked at him with suspicion. Then she took the book.
"Do you have a feather and ink?"

"Wait, I got you.", Merlin said, heading over to a small cupboard and took out the asked for tools.
He hurried back to her side and handed them to her.
Morgana took the feather, almost spilled the ink on the blanket and then – she drew a small duck.

She waited a moment, then suddenly, she shot up in a standing position on the very bed she had sat on. The ink finally spilled on the sheets and grounds. Only the gospel was mysteriously clean and safe from the sudden action.

She covered her mouth, as Arthur grabbed for the book. Where something was writing itself onto the page.
"What the feudal system -", was written as a comment under Morgana's small scribbling.

"You can – talk to the other - him?", Leon whispered, hissing in a breath as all eyes were back on Gwaine again.
"Yes. I can. Which is probably the only reason why I believe what you say about me, Sir Leon, the immortal.

Honestly, you should have told me sooner.

Anyway, I discussed all of this with – my other self. And we've come to the conclusion to send both Morgana's to the other side.
Morgana hasn't attacked anyone yet. And we wrote down why. She is reverting to her old self. She will be safe and sound and happy there.", Gwaine concluded, still in a state of disbelieve what he was capable of doing.

Arthur and the knights and Merlin looked at him in disbelieve.
Who knew Gwaine could be so – authoritative? Up until now he had made a joke out of everything.
Him being serious and earnest in his actions -

"So – I can just go home? I don't have to – stay?"

Gwaine smiled. "It's your choice. You can leave anytime you want. And I – we – made sure the connection between the crystal caves stays with two realities. So you won't end up in one, where Arthur kills you."

"Hey, I'm right here."

"Yes, and you keep thinking about killing Morgana."

"I AM THE KING!"

"And literally the weakest person in this room right now.
Merlin is the most powerful sorcerer and dragon lord of all times, Morgana is a powerful sorceress, We have three people in this room who are immortal and one half god who shaped the entire story of this land before he was even born.", Gwaine dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Arthur visibly paled. "That – is – kinda -"
Merlin stood beside him. "If it makes you feel any better, when you die, you will be reborn one day. You're the once and future king."

Arthur frowned at that.
"Wait wait, wait a second. Gwaine, are you immortal too, now? I mean – if you are a half god?"

Gwaine laughed. "Nah, I don't think so."
"So, no.", Leon said. "Why not?"
"I don't want to.", Gwaine simply shrugged. And that is probably the reason why he is still mortal. Because he said so, it was so.

"Okay, good.", Merlin bridged his nose with his hand. "So, if we send Morgana back and both of them stay there – will – will the other Camelot really accept both of them?"

"My other self will make sure of that.", Gwaine confirmed. Then he clapped his hands together.
"So, my friends. This was enough serious tatter. Now that I know how my power works -"

"How can you know how it works all of a sudden?", Leon asked incredulous.
The answer was actually very simple, but nobody answered Leon. It would simply be, that when Gwaine accepted that he was a half god, he decided he knew how it works. Which is why he knows how it works now. That's it. It's as simple as that. Gwaine could do that. He was a god. Okay, he was close.

"We will have a feast now. Merlin just finally got his promotion to be court sorcerer and the town wants to see a celebration.
AAAAAnd -", Gwaine turned in a circle and suddenly everyone was dressed in ridiculous festival outfits that belonged more on a carnival festival, then formal festivities.

"There are a few Dragon eggs on their way from Caerlon, who want the last Dragon lord to hatch them. Because, clearly, this land has too little dragons."

With that, he turned on his heels once more and the doors magically opened to them.
His shoes turned into heelies so he could randomly slide through the door in an elegant movement, sunglasses appearing before his eyes and some kind of metal music supporting his dramatic departure.

The knights were left to stare at him, irritated and terrified by the sudden changes in their fellow knight. "What have we done?", Leon mumbled, but was ignored again.

"Why do I feel like Camelot is doomed?", Arthur asked, shaking his head, but he laughed his worries away.

And for the night, at least for the celebration, Morgana stayed with them. And helped Arthur organize a few laws. In the morning she would leave. But her and her alternate self would visit again soon.
The Dragon's as well were about to return. In both worlds.
And the golden age had finally begun.

The biggest problem was just – well – all the Shenanigans the country had to fear from Gwaine, as you can probably imagine.
But Arthur could deal with a bunch of Fairies who tried to paint the Castle pink.
Or prophesies about four wizards who would turn Camelot into a wizard school in a couple hundred years.

He could live with Gwaine's attempts to get his "ships" past his notice and Leon playing chess with the great Dragon who was once supposed to be dead.
He could deal with Merlin being magic and using every opportunity to almost die for him and Lancelot actually dying at least twice a week. Literally. With blood and all.

And if they sat down together, once a week, to play connecting the dots – guessing which of the newest events were Gwaine's fault or not,
or to play CCND with said half god – then that was a nice new tradition.
All in all – finally – there was peace.
And that was all that mattered.

THE END