Morgana's soft steps pressed the grass, the plants of the woods moving out of her way so she could walk to who she was looking for. Thick storm clouds began to gather and cover the little afternoon light that leaked through some of the wood's trees.

Her fingers brushed the branch of a tree and she sighed, frustrated. She heard the faint trace of a heartbeat making its way to her ears almost unwillingly. Morgana rolled her eyes, they shone blue when she touched the base of the tree. She heard it move and contort before a figure fell on the floor with a loud yelp. Morgana's eyes focused on him, he had grown a thick beard and his nose was scrunched, his eyes shut tight for a second as he mumbled things about getting too old and time going by far too fast.

"Here you are," Morgana half smiled rolling her eyes "It's very lovely to see you again Emrys, do you know how long it has been?"

"I was hoping the day wouldn't arrive," he muttered under his breath. Morgana saw him stand up shake some leaves and grass off, his eyebrows closely knit together and an unmistakable sadness in his expression. His clothes were worn out, and despite his expression, his eyes turned soft when he looked at her "will you walk with me?" he questioned.

Morgana rose an eyebrow, "Are you planning to throw me in the lake with your girlfriend?" Emrys' cheeks turned red. She had to stifle the laugh that threatened to come out.

"Nimueh is not my girlfriend" Emrys said. Morgana laughed but stepped by his side.

"Of course," Morgana nodded as they began to walk. The silence between them was comfortable. He guided her through the place, gray hairs had begun to grow in his face and beard and she couldn't help but think he hadn't had as many the last time she saw him.

"Did you bring it?" Emrys questioned, Morgana put Excalibur in front of herself so he could see it. Emrys gave a single nod. The line in between his eyebrows more visible than ever.

"Where are we going?" Morgana questioned.

"I need to know," he began, "are you still set on the same idea? To take care of them?" He questioned, and his voice was almost the same as the boy to who she had asked to keep her magic as the biggest secret there could possibly be. The thought of it made her heart ache.

"It's not just taking care of them. I'm just going to make sure they'll be here when their time comes, if it ever does," Morgana answered. The task had been given to her, and with a good reason, she liked to believe, if there was any possibility that any of them could have the same talent for getting in trouble as Arthur had once had, it was better they were not left unsupervised.

"Alone?" Emry's voice filled her ears and made its way to her heart.

"No..."

"What are you planning to do with the sword?" she figured her negative was enough of an answer to him when Emrys decided to shift the topic from her hypothetical solitude to the sword.

"Put it somewhere around here. Arthur found him when you placed it, I don't see why whoever is destined to fight Mordred again wouldn't find it." she shrugged, holding it up as best as she could. It would be the best way to know when the right time truly came, only one of Arthur's line would be able to hold it.

"And then what?"

"I'll keep an eye out for the one that meets the requirements, the flowers that'll bloom and the kid covered in red"

"What will you do when you find him?" Morgana's mouth turned into a line; he was awfully curious, far more than usual.

"I'll tell them the truth and hope for the best," Morgana admitted, This time it was Emrys who tensed, Morgana realized they were in front of a cave, just barely far enough from where she had found Emrys and the lake.

"I want to be where you put the sword," Emrys said, his voice filled with confidence. Morgana's eyes opened wide

"What?" She questioned, trying to make sense out of what he had said. His eyes were focusing into hers, a bright unfading green looking at her.

"I must apologize to you, Morgana, I'm deeply, deeply sorry," he began, "I should have apologized a long time ago, I couldn't deal with the loss and I didn't stop to consider how you had felt. I want to be with you when the time is hard and that evil child wants to wreak havoc again, but I'm not you. I don't know what I can do and how I can do it and keeping me alive might take a toll on you that you shouldn't have to have. I've made far too many mistakes, more than I can count, more that I possibly will ever atone for, so please, let me make things right. I've been thinking about this since the day you came, do you have any idea how much I wanted to go with you that day?"

"Then why didn't you?" Morgana's voice wavered,

"Because I couldn't even look at you in the eye, I couldn't believe that you wouldn't be disgusted by simply just standing near me, I was so filled with my own self-hatred, I was alive when others weren't, and I sure as fuck knew I didn't deserve it. Ana, please. You can put the sword in this cave, and I'll fix it so that we won't look so far apart in age by the moment the time comes. You've been through so much, could you please, give me the opportunity to make things right?"

"I'm not going to fix you, or make things better for you"

"I know, I know, I know. But I want to make things easier for you, maybe it could be in twenty years, maybe it could be in two hundred years. We don't know when everything will unfold, I do know that I want to help you, someone has to be there to help you in the battlefield, and I want to be that person"

"I loved you, did you know that?" Morgana mumbled, Emry's eyes opened wide. He took a deep breath. A part of her felt like if she was lying to herself, if she didn't love him, there would have been no reason for her to meet him.

"And I love you," he mumbled. "Give me a chance to do this, you might need someone to be there to complain to when the kid decides to open the arms to a fate that shouldn't belong to them, because, for a long time, we have carried things that we never should have to"

Morgana smiled softly, thinking about his words. She could use the extra help when the time came, and she held him dearly, despite everything they had been through. And she had already lost far too many people for her to lose another one, one who was pleading to go with her and stand by her side. Her skipped a bit at the idea of having the possibility of someday, making things differently.

"Very well," she sighed, surrendering. His eyes lit up if only for an instant, "Listen to me very carefully, you'll be stuck at the back of the cave, unable to move, unable to do anything until the sword gets pulled out, are you okay with that?"

"I am," he said, "Just a small thing, can I do something?" Morgana nodded. Emrys gave her a quick kiss in the forehead, his eyes glowing green.

"What was that?"

"And age binding spell of sorts?" Emrys explained, "It'll only work once I'm out of the cave. I wouldn't want to come out looking, well, like this while you look like an old woman or a teenager,"

"Fine." Morgana nodded, "now step back, I'll see you soon,"

"I hope so," Emrys said, a soft smile in his hard face and a hopeful tone that almost sounded foreign coming from him.

Morgana's eyes shone bright before she nailed the sword on a rock, a crystal wall growing at the back of the cave with Emrys standing behind it, trapped.

-.-.-.-.-.--.-.-.-

They were running through the school opening every door they could and going through each of them trying to find whoever seemed to be controlling the school; always making sure they were together and that neither of them was behind a door before it closed.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Valerie tried, picking a sketchbook from the floor and putting it in a seat, resisting the curiosity of going through it. Jonathan's eyes shot in her direction, peeking from behind the teacher's desk.

"Yeah"

"Can you sense magic?" she questioned, Jonathan furrowed his eyebrows and tensed his mouth, putting a hand on the table to push himself up. "I remember my aunt and Merlin saying something about how they knew what you were because they sensed it, could it work the other way? Maybe that way we could find it faster, like an enchanted hot and cold game" his eyes moved, he looked up and down.

"It might be possible" Jonathan mumbled, his mouth turning into a line, "but I've never felt anyone's magic before, I don't know if it's supposed to be something I just feel or something I have to look out for"

"It was just an idea." Valerie smiled at him, shrugging it off with a movement of her hand. "We'll keep looking, anyways there's no way they can hide forever" she shrugged. Jonathan nodded his cheeks turning a faint trace of pink that was probably caused by embarrassment.

Jonathan walked to the classroom's door waiting for Valerie to get to him from the other side of the classroom when his phone rang, Jonathan put the phone against putting it down almost as soon as he had answered.

"Who is it?" Valerie questioned reaching his side.

"Gabriel" Jonathan mumbled, "and he sent me a video" he tilted the phone low enough so Valerie could also see what was on the screen with clarity.

It took a couple of seconds for the video to load, once it did, Valerie's eyes opened wide and her heart skipped a beat. The camera was shaking on Gabriel's hands, but they could see a knight standing in the school's basement, sword in hand over his shoulder walking from one side to the other before standing still. Valerie believed she could almost see the detail on the knight's shoulders plates, however, the video stopped before she could figure out what it was.

"The entrance to the basement is at the back of the school" Valerie muttered as soon as the video was done "There must be a way to get there fast despite all these fucking stupid doors"

Jonathan's eyebrows were closely knit together, he tensed his lips. Valerie rose an eyebrow at him recognizing the glint in his eyes. Then, he put his phone in his pocket before he shut his eyes tightly his chest rising and falling.

"Sorry," he blurted out opening his eyes, his voice filled with disappointment "I'm trying to find anything but..."

"It's okay," Valerie mumbled, patting his shoulder "If we managed to find the teacher's room, we should be able to get out of here."

"Audrey and the rest got out; how did they go out?" Jonathan spoke "Did you struggle a lot to find the door that leads to the soccer field?"

"No..."

"That door leads outside," he said, "Why did Gabriel go to the basement? He was supposed to find any missing students. He wouldn't have gone out just to get in, either he was following someone or..."

"Or a door inside led him there," Valerie finished, her eyes looking at Jonathan expectantly.

"Maybe that thing wants to be found, we're in the third floor, right? And we found the art room, the chemistry lab and when I opened the cafeteria's door this is where I showed up"

"The school is upside down" Valerie's eyes opened wide.

"We have to go to the door that leads to the attic," he said.

"You fucking genius!" Valerie blurted out, hugging him tight and quick, Jonathan's cheeks flushed. "Come on, I know exactly where it is"

Valerie took the head, leading Jonathan to the attic's door. Instead of being locked, like it usually was with a grid in front of it, the lock was falling next to it and he door was two inches open. Valerie furrowed her eyebrows turning Excalibur back into a sword and holding it tight as if it was a baseball bat.

The door creaked when it opened, and Valerie could smell the dust. The clear scent of things that had been stored for a long time filled her nose making wrinkles form at its bridge.

Valerie and Jonathan walked into the room as quietly as possible with him trailing behind her. Valerie glanced back, the little light that leaked through the only window made it slightly easier to see him and what was ahead of them. Out of the corner of her eye she was able to see Gabriel hiding behind a closet that looked so old that a door would stay in her hand if she were to try to open it.

She tried to breath as quietly as possible turning her eyes to Jonathan. A quick movement of her eyes made it clear to him to go after Gabriel who was still seemingly unaware of their arrival. She would find the knight amidst the old furniture and get rid of the trouble as soon as possible.

Valerie heard wood creak, she narrowed her eyes looking around, ears alert in case she heard it again. She tightened the grip in her sword. The creak of the wood resonated behind her, and she turned, swiftly putting her sword on the side to block the sword that had aimed at her neck.

"Jonathan, take Gabriel out" Valerie commanded, the knight took a step back when she pressed, using the opportunity to try to swing at her a second time before a shield blocked him. There was something different about the way this knight moved compared to the others. He was slower, and it was as if planned his next movements better. It reminded her a little of when a newcomer arrives to her fencing class.

"But what about..." Jonathan's voice rang in her ears, Valerie moved to the side, dodging the upcoming sword.

"I'll be fine!" she rose her voice "I have a sword. It's more important to keep him safe first," Valerie furrowed her eyebrows taking a deep breath.

Under the light of a window she could see the detail on the shoulder plates, over the dark silver was a drawing of two griffins joined by a blue bow. She kept fighting against the knight, doing her best to watch her steps so she wouldn't be cornered against anything in the crowded room. Her back collided against a bookshelf, she knelt before hearing the bookshelf break above her. The shield that rose above her was enough to help her get up and go against the knight again. She could hear the voices of Jonathan and Gabriel in the background, but she found herself unable to fully understand what they were saying, her ears filled with the sound of her sword crashing against the knight's.

Valerie took advantage of the shield blocking the knight to look behind her, trying to find a way to make the most out of her reduced space. Or at least, look if there was a path where the risk of getting cornered was as minimal as possible. She furrowed her eyebrows, turning instead to the knight whose heavy boots resonated.

The knight took a step forward, his sword moving fast enough to disarm Valerie who gasped when she heard the sword rattle on the floor. The knight's sword collided against a shield, but instead of relentlessly attack it like the others had done before, he kicked Valerie, who had knelt try and look for her sword. Valerie's breath caught in her throat, hissing when she felt a stinging pain in the side of her ribs

"Do something!" Gabriel's voice resonated with urgency.

"What the fuck do you think I'm trying" Jonathan snapped, Valerie was able to notice the falter and the brief hint of anger in his voice. She wanted to stand up and assure them she was fine, until she saw a silver glint under a window light, she furrowed her eyes, noticing the faint trace of a golden compass.

A second metallic rattle resonated in the floor. She turned her eyes from Excalibur, noticing the shield was barely holding up but the knight's sword was now in the floor, covered in vines and leaves. Valerie crawled towards Excalibur that was underneath an old bookshelf, she reached for it, standing up as fast as she could with her sword in her hand, shaking herself in attempt to ignore the pain in her side that was particularly noticeable every time she tried to breath.

All it took was a second, a second when Valerie didn't have all her senses in the fight, a second when she shut her eyes tight. The knight moved his hand. She thought she saw a faint glow under the helmet and Valerie's body hit the wall. She felt pain course through her back until she felt it in her entire body. As the tips of her feet touched the floor, the knight approached her. One hand holding the hand that held the sword and the other held Valerie's neck, pressing it lightly. She could feel the little air that remained in her lungs fade as her eyes opened wide in panic. The pain in her side grew, and she tried to put pressure on the knight's hand to push it away from her neck or attempt to lift her legs to use them to push him enough so she would breath.

"Jonathan!" Gabriel screamed. She felt her eyes began to get filled with tears.

"I'm fucking trying everything, it's not working" Jonathan's voice broke, Valerie could almost hear it fading, "Nothing is holding long enough! You think I'm not trying here? For fuck's sake I...!" Valerie let go of the knight's hand and moved her free hand to grab the steel of the sword. She felt the burning pain of her fingers being cut.

Once the hand was in her hand, the knight's grip on her neck faltered ever so slightly. Valerie rose the sword with her left hand rising it until it was at the same level as the knight's neck. When it was barely a couple of centimeters away from his neck, he let go of her and Valerie dropped to the ground. Coughing, trying to win the air back, breathing as deeply as humanly possible while holding the side of her ribcage. Gabriel and Jonathan rushed to her side, as she tried to lift herself from the floor, her legs slightly trembling. Jonathan helped to regain her balance when it seemed like she would fall again. His hazel eyes entirely focused on her while Gabriel stood by his side, his eyes looking at Valerie up and down trying to make sure she wouldn't fall at any second.

"I'm fine," she muttered, her voice hoarse. She let go of Jonathan and supporting herself on Gabriel's shoulder when her legs faltered, taking a deep breath and trying to force the air back into her lungs.

She let go of Gabriel and managed to put one leg forward and one leg back trying to regain her balance. she shifted Excalibur to her right hand and held it tight feeling her blood in it. Jonathan stared at her, his eyes filled with panic and curiosity as he stood frozen in place right behind her, she tried to give him half as smile and a quick mumbled thank you to both of them. She was fine. Her eyes felt full of tears, but at least now she was breathing. She stood up from the floor making her way to the knight who was trying to rip the vines.

Before he could grab it, Valerie tried to swing her sword at him, one blow, and it would be over. With the same movement of his hand, she was almost sent off against one of the windows, her eyes opened wide with panic as she tried to look for something she could hold onto to not fly to the crystal. Jonathan's eyes glowed golden and her body stopped midair before she slowly went down until she graciously touched the floor with her tiptoes.

Jonathan stepped in front of her and Gabriel who had rushed to her side asking her if she was alright.

Jonathan took one step closer to the knight who moved his hand in the same motion that had sent Valerie in the air. Jonathan didn't seem to falter, his eyes bright and golden. A soft movement of his finger was enough to send the knight against the wall and back at him in a split second. Valerie held the sword standing up watching Jonathan with interest, trying to subdue the pain just enough to get the job done.

"Jon," she tried when she saw the golden glow of his eyes hadn't gone away as quickly as it usually did. He didn't seem to acknowledge the fact that she had called his name. Valerie turned to Gabriel who looked at her with bewilderment.

Just as the knight stepped forward seemingly ready to attack, Jonathan's fist closed in front of him, and with that, the knight's armor began to shrink. She believed she heard the faint cut gasp of a person. Her eyebrows furrowed, she tried to make sense of what she had heard. She rose her sword, ready to strike the final blow, although unsure of how to do so when the basement slowly began to fill with water, yet, none of it was touching her, Jonathan or Gabriel. It formed a circle around her, moving aside wherever she stepped.

"Mate," Gabriel tried, doubtful looking around the room. as soon as he did, Jonathan lifted a finger and Gabriel's mouth was missing. Panic rose in his eyes, moving his hands and eyes frantically. Valerie stared at him with eyes wide, she took a step back and turned to her friend.

"Jon," she tried calling him, approaching him until she was in front of him, taking a deep breath before she put both hands in his shoulders, her hand barely skipping a beat, a part of her hoping nothing would go anywhere worse. "Jonathan!" she screamed, shaking him. He blinked a couple times, his eyes returning to its natural hazel, with the curiosity and the haze of someone who had been abruptly woken up. His eyes focused on hers with eyebrows furrowed but soft gaze. When he noticed the knight and the water that surrounded them, they opened wide. He took a step back, forcing Valerie to let go of him if she didn't want to fall forward.

In a matter of seconds, the knight was on the ground, armor once again on its original size, the room was dry as it was before, now filled with green plants that disappeared as soon as they had appeared. She heard Gabriel gasp for air, and she turned to him to ask him if he was okay, he gave her a single nod moving his mouth wide open, passing one hand over it.

Jonathan stared at the knight and then at his own hands, his eyes purposefully avoiding Valerie, who took the chance to finally hit the knight, pushing the sword through the right side of his chest. The knight vanished, but there were fallen drops of blood where it had been standing. Valerie looked at the blade and the length to which it was now tinted in red.

When she turned back,Gabriel was still there, Jonathan stared at her, eyes wide and filled withterror, his breath uneven for a second. Valerie took a wavering step towardshim, the pain in her body more intense than before. His eyebrows felt and hislips quivered as he left the basement as fast as his feet would allow it. Sheand Gabriel looked at each other before trying to follow him.

A.N.

Here's the new chapter, a lot happened here so let me know what you think. If you liked it, please consider leaving a vote or a comment, it would really make my day! Have a lovely time!