And we're close to the end!
Picture is Merlin fighting.
Summary: Merlin goes home to confront his evil uncle.

       "You think you can just show up and tell me how to live my life?! You don't know what I've been through!"
      "I would if you'd just tell me!"
      "Forget it!"
      "Fine!"
      The first few days had gone well. Rose and Merlin were happy together. But then she tried to get him to come back to Paradise. And that's when everything went wrong.
       Merlin didn't want to go home. He didn't want to face his past. Or his demons.
      She just wouldn't accept that.
                          * * * * *
      Later that night, Merlin had a strange dream. He saw his home, so beautiful and perfect as it always was. He was running and playing with Rose, just like when they were kids, except that they were both grown in this dream.
      But then....the world around him suddenly vanished. He saw his father dying right in front of his eyes all over again. And then Paradise began to crumble. The once lush lands turned to ash and dust.
      Darkness took over the land and he saw his uncle at the head of it, joined by those members of the Old Religion- Nimueh, Morgana, Morgause, and the others.
       He watched as his family was tortured and the place he once loved was destroyed right in front of him. And he was powerless to stop it.
                         * * * * *
      He jolted awake.
      Rubbing his face, he sighed softly when he heard a voice next to him. "Bad dream?"
       He turned to see Rose sitting next to him. "What are you doing here?"
      "I was worried about you."
      "Rose, is Paradise as bad as I dreamt it was?"
      "What did you see?"
      "The land was desolute, turned to ash. The members of the Old Religion.
...they took over and were hurting you, my mother, my family."
       "It is. That's why I've been so adamant about you returning. We need your help. Paradise needs you. Your mother needs you. I need you."
       "Come here." Rose moved closer to Merlin. He kissed her, holding her in his arms. "I've had my reasons for not returning. Just promise me that no matter what happens, you won't look at me any differently."
      Rose smiled at him. "Merlin, you've been my friend since birth. I've always believed in you and I've always cared about you. Why do you think I followed you even when doing so put me in danger? I love you. And I promise you nothing in this world will change that."
      Merlin nodded. "Alright. Then let's go."
       Suddenly, Gwaine and Lancelot appeared next to them. "We're coming too."
      "No. I'm not putting anyone else in danger. This is my fight, not yours."
      "You're our friend. Merlin, if this is important to you, we're with you til the end."
      Merlin finally consented.
                            * * * * *
       After a few days of travel, they arrived in Paradise and it was worse than Merlin feared.
       "Ok. I know I've been denying my right to rule for a long time but it's my turn to lead."
       "We're with you." Gwaine and Lancelot said.
       "Always and forever." Rose added.
       "Ok then. Gwaine, Lancelot, I need the two of you to distract the members of the Old Religion long enough for me and Rose to sneak in."
       "Gotcha. Time to break out the charm." Gwaine said, winking.
       Lancelot rolled his eyes. "He thinks he's such a lady's man."
        The pair ran off.
        That left just Merlin and Rose. "Alright, Rose, I need you to find my mother, your mother, and all the noble ladies and hide them. We need to prepare for a fight."
       "We will fight if necessary, Merlin."
        "Then prepare them and everyone else for a fight. I'm gonna look for Karayan."
        The pair split up to do what they had to.
                             * * * * *
       Merlin snuck in the palace through one entrance while Rose had snuck through another. After wandering the halls for awhile, he found Karayan.
       In the throne room, Karayan sat on the throne, getting comfortable. Nimueh was leaning on the throne on one side while the twins were kneeling at Karayan's side. As Merlin was preparing to confront his uncle, Karayan boomed, "REGINA!"
        Merlin watched from the sidelines as his mother entered the throne room. She still looked so regal in a long red dress, not as fancy as she usually wore but enough so that she still looked like a queen.

        "Yes, milord?"
        "I have been fair, have I not? I could have banished you from this place if I wanted to. You were my brother's wife. By all intents and purposes, I could banish you all in the name of questioning your loyalty. But I didn't do that. I married you, I took you under my wing, I cared for you. Your loyalty rests with me. Does it not?"
        "Of course, milord. I would never go against my husband."
       "And the kingdom? I know you have power. And I know the people love and respect you for helping to rule by my brother's side for over 20 years. I need you to convince them. Convince them to follow my rule."
       "There is nothing I can do. The people will listen but they will inevitably do as they believe."
      "No! You're just not trying hard enough!"
      "It's over, Karayan! Our rule has come to a bitter end. The kingdom is in ruins. There is no food, no water, no order, and no hope. We have nothing left. We have only one choice. We must leave. Start over from scratch and hope that the people will learn to forgive us."
       "We're not going anywhere! This kingdom is mine!"
       "Then you have sentenced us all to a slow and painful death!"
       "Then so be it!"
       "You can't do that! There are rules even we must follow!"
       "I am the king! The rules are below me, as are the people!"
       "This is not the way, Karayan!"
       "My dear, this is the only way!"
       "If you were half the king Nicholas was-"
      "I am 10 times the king Nicholas was!" Karayan interrupted, yelling as he smacked Regina so hard that she fell to the floor. He looked at the three other ladies in the room. "You all saw it. She tripped."
       At that moment, Merlin came running in, his blue eyes starting to glow gold with the power and anger surging through him. He rushed to his mother's side.
       "Nicholas?" Regina asked, confused.
      "No, mother, it's me."
      "Merlin! You're alive? How can that be?"
      "It doesn't matter because I'm home now and I'm gonna set things right at last."
      He helped his mother to her feet. Then he shielded her as he turned to his uncle.
      "Merlin? Well, I'm surprised to see you...alive." He glared at Nimueh and the twins who shrunk away.
       "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart!"
       "Merlin...it's just...you don't understand....the pressure of ruling a kingdom....it's more than even I can sometimes deal with.....and this is all a misunderstanding. It is the members of the Old Religion who are the real enemy. It was all their fault and their idea."
      At hearing this, the three ladies disappeared from the room in a fit of anger. Merlin gestured for his mother to leave as well.
      "Do not think you can lie to me again, Karayan! I am not that naive kid you once knew. I am older now, stronger, wiser, and willing to fight for what is rightfully mine.
      "I returned for the protection of my home and family. I have seen the future, uncle, just as my grandfather, Balthazar the Great saw it. Your rule would destroy this kingdom. He gave it to my father to ensure that Paradise remained the paradise for all, just as it was meant to be, and to ensure the kingdom remained great as he had made it during his rule.
       "That is why he chose my father to lead and not you. He knew my father would continue to make this place a paradise for all those in need. And I intend to do that very thing as king after him.
      "And I will not let anything stand in the way of that again. Never again will I be tricked or blinded from my mission. I am the rightful king and this is my kingdom!"
      "What are you going to do?" Karayan shrunk back, away from his nephew and his burning golden gaze. "You wouldn't kill your only uncle."
       "No, Karayan. I'm not like you."
      "Oh thank you. You are indeed gracious. And I do believe you will make a fine king. Except...." Here he pulled a sword on Merlin. "THIS IS MY KINGDOM!"
      Luckily Merlin sa it coming and pulled out his own sword. "Uncle, why fight me? Let it go."
      "This kingdom is my birthright!" Karayan growled, menacingly. "And I will not let some boy take it from me!"
       "Must we fight like this, uncle, like animals?"
       "Alas, we must."
       With that, the fight began.
                             * * * * *
       They had transported outside where the all the noblemen and ladies were rushing to see what all the fuss was about, led by Rose and Regina. From behind Karayan, Nimueh, the twins, and all the other members of the Old Religion appeared.
      "It seems we are at an impasse." Karayan said. "We should stop this fighting. Let me rule. I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member. Wouldn't you agree, Merlin?"
       "That's not gonna work, Karayan. I've put it behind me."
       Karayan stared down Merlin's band of renegades: Rose, at the front, still donned in her travel gear, Merlin's mother, Regina, Rose's mother, Anastasia, all the other noblemen and ladies, Gwaine and Lancelot, with swords in their hands, and Nyx and Gaius off to the side.
       Off to his own side, the members of the Old Religion, along with the guards, were waiting, their own weapons in their hands.
       "What about your loyal subjects? Have they put it behind them?"
      "Merlin, what is he talking about?" Rose asked.
      "Ah! So you haven't told him your little secret? Well now it's your chance to tell them. Tell them who's responsible for Nicholas' death!"
      "I am." Merlin said.
      For a moment, everything was quiet. Then Rose and Regina approached Merlin. "It's not true." Regina said. "Tell me it's not true."
      "It's true." Merlin said, sadly.
      "You see? He admits it! Murderer!"
      Rose jumped to Merlin's aid. "It doesn't matter what he did in the past. I believe in you, Merlin." Merlin looked at Rose, confused. "I promised you that nothing would come between us. I meant what I said."
      With that, Regina, Anastasia, and all the others spoke up, agreeing with Rose's words.
      "You still take his side after finding out the truth?! Why do you not understand after everything?!" Karayan said. He growled. "Fine! Then I guess I should reveal my own little secret since you refuse to love me!"
       "What secret?" Merlin asked.
       "I KILLED YOUR FATHER!"
      At that, both sides rushed at each other. Rose and Regina leapt at Karayan but Nimueh blocked their path. Then.... everything descended into madness.
     Everyone was fighting. Merlin chased after Karayan, fighting with swords and magic, amidst Karayan's running. Rose, her mother, and Merlin's mother stood before the three leaders of the Old Religion.
       Rose went for Nimueh while Morgause fought Anastasia and Morgana fought Regina. Meanwhile, Gwaine and Lancelot fought, back to back, fighting the guards while elsewhere, the townsfolk ran forward to fight the guards as well.
      Nyx transformed into a dragon and began cutting down the enemy. Even Gaius joined in the fighting, knocking out enemies with his staff.
       In the midst of the fight, Morgana and Morgause ran off, seemingly for no apparent reason at all. Nimueh saw that they had vanished and followed after.
       When she tracked them down, she angrily asked why they had abandoned her.
       "Because we were wrong. I had a vision."
       "And the spirit's talked to me. And they told me the same thing."
       "What's that?"
       The twins looked at her and responded at the same time. "That Karayan betrayed us."
       Nimueh just stared in horror.
To be continued....
I had planned on this being the last chapter but the fight scene kinda took over and there's still a few loose ends needed to be tied up. Onward we go to the end!