we are all stories in the end

Somehow they get into a situation that requires someone with blood on their hands - figuratively (otherwise it wouldn't be a problem because seeing how often Arthur and Merlin and also Gwaine get wounded by just existing they probably wouldn't even have to injure anyone)

Maybe a god of the Old Religion guards a weapon they need to kill the magic beast of the week or to destroy a cursed item.

In any case: they are really desperate. People are dying and this is their last hope, their last resort.

To their misfortune, this weapon is guarded by a very cunning and wicked god and they will only give their weapon to someone who has the power and the will to use it for evil deeds

There is a test that must be passed by the one who wants to receive the weapon. They must prove that they did enough evil deeds to be worthy of it.

Arthur quickly fails his test because despite some wrongs he's done he is way too just and noble to be wicked

The only knight that seems to get at least a few moments more of consideration is Leon who has done some terrible things - however under Uther's orders which isn't quite powerful enough

"Ahh, Uther Pendragon," the god muses, "Him i would have given the weapon. Such rage and blind hatred and, oh yes, so much blood."

Arthur grits his teeth and sets his jar. he wonders if his father would be disappointed in him for not living up to this legacy of his. he wonders - not for the first time - why he wanted to be like his father once and how he managed to end up being so different.

The knights discuss their strategy. non of them is wicked enough to pass the test. they have wicked people in Camelot's dungeons. But Camelot is three day rides off and their quest is really urgent.

They could separate and seek for wicked folk, but the chances seem slim and the risk of them keeping the weapon as they receive it seems too big

People are dying and they need to do something now.

"there must be another way to destroy it," Lancelot suggests, though they've been over this. His eyes stray to Merlin, but Merlin seems caught up in thought.

If there was an easier way to do this, Merlin and Gaius would have come up with it by now. asking the god had been their idea in the first place.

"What if there isn't?" Gwaine argues heatedly. "We can't have waisted six days for nothing. This is probably our last chance."

"so what do you suggest?" Lancelot interrupts somewhat irritated. They temperaments are heated at this point. And suddenly knowing each other’s worst deeds doesn’t exactly lighten the mood. "All of us failed the test. i wouldn't have thought that I'd ever be angry about being found too good and noble."

Gwaine shrugs with a grimace. He hadn't thought that he'd ever be deemed good and noble in the first place.

"maybe there's a way out of that," Arthur says. He hasn’t spoken in a while and all heads turn towards him.

"what do you mean, Sire?" Leon asks, looking uneasy as if he already knows and doesn't like it.

"If you're not noble enough, you proof your nobility by doing good deeds," Arthur starts matter of fact. "so, logically, if I'm not wicked enough, i prove my wickedness by doing an evil deed."

The god smiles a toothy smile.

"To murder just anyone obviously isn't evil enough" Arthur says, looking at the god with disgust. "so it must be somthing worse. murdering a friend, for example."

"My king, with all due respect, this is madness," Leon say carefully.

"sir Leon, that's the point." Arthur says sourly.

"is that really it?" Gwaine shouts at the god who watches his outburst unimpressed. "You want us to slaughter each other?"

the god laughs, distant and hollow and the earth seems to vibrate with it. "The weapon can only be taken by those of power who are wicked and cunning enough to wield it." the god repeats his earlier words.

"So there's not even a guarantee," Gwaine says, throwing up his arms. "Arthur, let's just leave and see if we can find something else."

"there is nothing else, Gwaine, you said so yourself!" Arthur returns. His expression is incredibly pained but determined in a way that makes them all shudder. Leon, Percival and Lancelot unconsciously get into fighting stance.

Gwaine takes a few steps to put himself between the king and Merlin who is the most vulnerable

Arthur nods to himself, seemingly coming to a decision in his head.  Tehn he draws his sword . "If either of you kills me while i try to kill you, that might be enough too" he muses

They all stare at him in horror, unable to believe that he will go through with this.

"My people are dying," Arthur says, his tone pleading, "if i have to sacrifice my good conscience to help them - well, it is a price i must be willing to pay. I'm sorry. But all of you swore to protect Camelot at all costs too."

Arthur halts for am moment then nods grimly. "Don't try to sacrifice yourself. I'm sure that's not what he's looking for" Arthur nods towards the stony god who smiles.

"you can't be serious" Mordred whispers.

"I'm afraid i am. Now, it's been an honour. truely. and i hope - i hope I'll still have your respect afterwards. Though, i can understand if you can't trust me again."

"that's enough."

They all turn around. Partly, because they had forgotten about Merlin who has been uncharacteristically quiet the whole time. and partly because they have rarely heard this sort of tone from him. harsh and demanding. a voice more fit for a king than his manservant.

They stare at him and he makes short eye contact with Arthur before he steps forward, in front of the statue that the god is using as a vessel.

"test me." Merlin says. his voice is determined and his shoulders are set.

Arthur let's out a short laugh, because clearly this is absurd, right? Merlin is the best and kindest of all of them. Actually, coming to think of it, if he's really honest, Merlin probably is the reason Arthur is not like his father. Merlin makes him better. Merlin makes him want to be better.

A few of the knights share his sentiments, laughing slightly hysterical with tension but still perplexed over this development.

Only Lancelot steps forward with a frown as if to pull him back, but merlin raises a hand without looking at him and he stops in his tracks.

Arthur who was about to say something stops too.

The god looks more alive than before he seems to stretch himself to his full height as if he has waited for this

"welcome" he starts as he has with all of them. "young warlock, tell me your deeds."

lancelot tenses, casting a worried glance back at the king who stands there, sword still drawn, eyes fixed in Merlin as if he doesn't understand any of this

Lancelot doesn't either. Even if Merlin is a sorcerer - what evil deeds can he possibly have done? Saving Arthur's life over and over without ever seeking credit doesn't have a ring of evil to him.

"I am Merlin, and they call my Emrys." Merlin starts.

Some of the Knights gasp. Emrys is a name they know by now.

Lancelot wonders whether Merlin considers his identity an evil deed in itself. The possibility breaks his heart a bit.

"I was born with magic. I am the most powerful sorcerer there is."

Merlin takes a deep breath.

"i lied to all my friends. I let them think they can trust me, that they know me. But they never will. I could kill them just by looking at them. I am magic and i killed many behind friends backs and before their eyes, but never revealed myself to them"

"I am a slayer of my own people," he continues, his voice hard, "I killed many creatures and men of magic to protect their murderers - the king and his son. I did it out of self-righteousness and out of selfishness because...” for a moment, Merlin halts, but then he continuous with the same hard tone as before, as if something is forced out of him, but he wants to stand for it.

“I loved Arthur more than my own people. i let many of them die even though i could have helped them if i had revealed myself. But i couldn't bear the thought to be separated from him so i stayed quiet and watched them burn."

The god nods Merlin on. They all stand in shock. They know from before that Merlin won't be able to stop telling his deeds before the god thinks he is done.

"I killed the witch Nimueh even though she told me i have to pay with a life to save Arthur's. Instead of giving my life as i promised, i killed her."

"I killed Mary Collins, Afanc, Aulfric, Sophia, Cornelius Sigan, Myror and many more. "

Merlin's voice falters a bit, but he seems to pull himself together visibly, because his voice is clearer again when he keeps speaking.

"My betrayal to my people is so great, my wickedness so deep, i considered to kill a child on the mere possibility that he could threaten what was mine in the future."

Mordred makes a quiet stricken noise.

No one dares take their eyes off Merlin, but Merlin himself turns his head slowly.

There is a gasp of horror when they all see that his eyes are glowing yellow with magic.

Up until now, no one except Mordred and Lancelot had truly believed it.

"I tried to kill Mordred when he was a child and i wish his death even now though he is kind and serves Arthur."

Lancelot looks at Merlin with complete bewilderment as Mordred sobs.

Merlin doesn't answer Lancelot's gaze, he just turns around again.

They can hear him take in another breath and it sounds more halting than before.

"I knew that my friend had magic and i saw her turmoil and her fear of being killed. of being burned by her own kin like all of the others. but instead of helping her, i left her in the dark. I told her to trust me - she trusted my - and then i poisoned her."

Merlin stops for a moment, his voice sounds rough as if speaking becomes quickly more difficult.

"I gave Morgana poison in full intend and watched her as she died and i regretted when she was healed."

"Only i had the power and knowledge to save her, but i turned my head from her suffering, i killed her when she didn't know better than to turn to her sister, it was me that made her what she is today."

There is another short pause. Lancelot is desperate to see Merlin's face. To demand how this all really went. Because though he knows that Merlin is bound to say the truth by the power of the god, he still thinks there must be a mistake or a trick. This is not Merlin. Merlin would never...would he?

"I conspired with and freed the dragon that attacked Camelot which led to the death of many innocent people. I attempted to kill Arthur on multiple occasions."

Lancelot frowns. This one he knows to be untrue. Merlin didn't want to kill Arthur. it was Morgana's doing that he went after him.

"i saved Uther Pendragon's life - more than once. I let him live even though he slaughtered my people. I saved his life even though i didn't have to. I never killed him even though i had many opportunities."

Merlin pauses then, looking up at the god.

"Do i really need to go on?" he asks and it sounds almost indifferent. except they know Merlin and they know how his face looks when he sounds this way.

The god leans their head to one side slowly. the stone his vessel is made of groans.

"You are worthy, young warlock. More than you know. Into your hands i command my sword."

Suddenly, there is noise and light and they cover their eyes, everyone except for Merlin and Mordred.

They can't be sure but they think they can hear Merlin's voice through it all, speaking a foreign tongue. Then, it's over.

When the air clears, Merlin stands alone, the stone vessel of the god has crumbled to pieces, a big sword in his hand. For just a moment, when he turns around to face them, he looks nothing like Merlin at all. His eyes are golden, and his face is grim, lips pressed into a thin line. His posture is straight and majestic and he holds the sword like a warrior. His appearance strikes them with fear. He looks like power incarnate.

The others notice from the corners of their eyes that Mordred kneels before him. and even as they are completely bewildered, they have an urge to do the same.

The next moment though, it's all gone, and Merlin looks like he's never handled a sword before. His eyes are blue and his cheeks messy with dust and tears. He sinks to his knees and the weapon falls from his hands - is pushed from his fingers as if through magic, landing on the ground with a strange sound.

Merlin looks after the sword with disgust clear on his face. Then he looks up and suddenly he looks afraid.

In my dream, you were alive. You had been dead. - Richard McCann, from Ghost Letters

For a few moments Obi-Wan saw decades unfold in front of his mental eye. He saw himself running towards his fallen Master. He was there, he was holding him. And then…the rise of darkness and the fall of the Republic, of the Jedi, of Anakin Skywalker. He trembled. And the vision was gone. Obi-Wan cried out. He killed the Sith.

Featuring: Shmi as the Chosen One who brings balance to the f*cking galaxy, Obi-Wan as the bamf the Jedi order doesn’t deserve. Qui-Gon as dysfunctional and mostly unhelpful force ghost.

Obi-Wan is traumatised after the events on Tatoonine and a strong vision he had seconds before he killed the Sith Lord that showed him the outcome of the canon plot line.

Though Qui-Gon doesn’t die like in his vision, Obi-Wan remains wary. He decides to keep Anakin away from the Order, leaving him in the care of Padme and her administration. 

He becomes a Jedi knight for killing the Sith. Ridden with grief and trauma, he shaves his head completely after the ceremony.

He falls into a depression that starts to dissolve slowly when he starts to have visions of his former master who urges him to take Anakin as his padawan. 

Unbeknownst to Obi-Wan, his vision is the “real” Qui-Gon’s consciousness, trying to reach out to him.

Qui-Gon finds that Obi-Wan is the only one who can sense him, but he is too weak to reach out properly.

After a few months, Obi-Wan temporarily parts from the Order naming his mental health as a reason and retreats to Naboo.

He confides with Padme who finds a way to free Anakin’s mother after Obi-Wan reasons that Anakin needs her.

Shmi comes with them to Naboo where she gains citizenship and finds a job. She raises Anakin with Obi-Wan’s help who offers himself as a teacher to the boy. 

Shmi comforts Obi-Wan and tries to show him his worth, sensing that his self-esteem is low and broken.

Obi-Wan becomes calmer as he stays in Naboo working as a consultant to the queen besides teaching Anakin, but he is permanently accompanied by the faint vision of his master.

Qui-Gon’s ghost can’t communicate with him due to the distance between them, physically as well as mentally. But he also can’t built a connection to any other Jedi not even his former master.

Eventually, Obi-Wan goes back to Coruscant to visit Qui-Gon in hopes of getting rid of his vision. At Qui-Gon’s bedside he confesses his visions and doubts to the unconscious Qui-Gon. He also apologizes for failing him, pleading with him to understand his decisions. 

Qui-Gon hears everything from his in-between-state as force ghost and starts to understand that he failed Obi-Wan.

After that, he tries to reach out to Obi-Wan more vehemently, trying to comfort him instead of ordering him to make Anakin a Jedi.

Obi-Wan explains this change by thinking that his subconsciousness is slowly merging Qui-Gon in the version of him that Obi-Wan had hoped to see some day: a caring partner and maybe even lover.

He is convinced that Qui-Gon is a product of his imagination and he starts to come to terms with the fact that he won’t go away, even starts to talk to him occasionally. 

Meanwhile, Shmi, Obi-Wan and Anakin become a family of sorts with Obi-Wan alternating between in his role to Anakin between a big brother and an uncle.

Anakin grows up to be less arrogant than he would have in the temple and with an emotionally safe environment he is much less unstable than the man Obi-Wan knows from his visions that get rarer with the years.

Without the Orders instruction to keep away from attachment, Anakin has several crushes and relationships while he grows up amongst his peers, making him more experienced and less obsessive about Padme.  

Each year, Obi-Wan visits Coruscant, but Qui-Gon remains in coma.

Yoda and Windu try to persuade Obi-Wan to come back, but he declines their offer, saying that he is needed elsewhere. 

This only changes, when one day, eight years after Tatooine, Obi-Wan visits the temple and Qui-Gon’s ghost starts talking to him...

Merlin is a timelord who ends up in Camelot by accident.

Merlin is a pre-time-war time lord and the (or a) former owner of the Doctor’s later TARDIS.

Magic is a sort of energy - not unlike a time lord’s regeneration energy - that floats through the lands of Camelot and has pulled Merlin’s TARDIS out of the vortex during the great magic purge in a call for help.

Merlin soon notices that the magic of the land is channelled inside him and that he can wield it at his will.

At his arrival in Camelot, he witnesses the execution. At first, he is determined not to intervene with history, but his resolution gets weaker when he discovers Uther’s cruelty and injustice.

He discovers the dragon in the caves who tells him that he’s destined to save Arthur and bring magic back to Camelot.

With his TARDIS broken and no way to repair it at the moment, Merlin agrees to stay in Camelot for a while to give Arthur a chance and maybe keep some innocent people from being executed. 

Soon after Merlin’s arrival in Camelot, Gaius examines him after he got wounded and finds out that he’s an alien (two hearts). He assures Merlin that he will keep his secret and helps him to understand the ancient prophecies and the history of magic in Camelot.

Merlin doesn’t become Arthur’s manservant but his teacher, using psychic paper as his reference to impress Uther. After all he is a time lord, not a peasant.

Arthur is maybe around 20 something in this version of events.

Merlin quickly recognises Arthur’s good heart but great ignorance and tries his best to teach him to be more reflective and accepting.

Most threats Arthur faces are actually alien threats caused by alien creatures who are attracted by the magical energy transmitting from Camelot into space. Merlin protects Arthur with occasional help from Gaius, the dragon and later Lancelot and Gwaine.

Eventually, after over two years, Merlin manages to fix his TARDIS so that he could leave (though the chameleon circuit seems permanently broken). But Arthur isn’t king yet and Merlin hesitates.

However, one day, Arthur follows him into the TARDIS. Sword drawn and standing in the control room he demands an explanation and a “magic reveal” ensues during which Merlin reveals that he’s an alien who can travel trough space and time.  

Arthur wants prove so Merlin takes him to the time before his birth when  magic was still permitted in Camelot.

The two of them discover the true reason behind Uther’s hatred of magic.

Back in his own time, Arthur confronts his father.

Uther is furious and raises his sword against Arthur in a moment of scorn about his accusations.

Merlin steps in, disarming Uther with magic in an epic “How dare you” outburst of time lord rage.

The knights of Camelot led by Leon show to be loyal to Arthur (and Merlin) instead of Uther when they deny Uther’s order to execute Merlin.

Arthur becomes new king of Camelot after revealing his family history to the people of Camelot who “elect” him their king for his just decision making and despite his father’s tyranny.

One year later, magic has returned to Camelot and, once again, Arthur enters the TARDIS, finding Merlin brooding in the control room. He asks whether Merlin intends to leave now.

Merlin says that he should leave, seeing that he doesn’t belong here and that there isn’t a real reason to stay.

Arthur disagrees saying that Camelot owes him a great debt and that it still needs him.

Merlin counters that Camelot has a just and capable king to lead it.

When Merlin is still set on leaving, Arthur asks him more quietly to stay for him, because he needs Merlin. 

Merlin argues that Arthur’s lessons are over and that he doesn’t need him as a teacher any more.

Arthur clarifies that that’s not what he meant and that he knows Merlin knows that.

Merlin reminds him that he’s an alien who doesn’t age the way humans age and also quite a few years older than Arthur

Arthur insists that he doesn’t care and rolls his eyes at Merlin’s reluctance to give them both what they clearly want.

Determined to convince Merlin, Arthur eventually kisses him which unlocks three years of sexual and romantic tension between the two of them.

This is basically a soulmate AU.

Newt is travelling Egypt when he comes across an ancient sphinx locked up in an underground facility run by creature smugglers. Freeing the sphinx is more difficult than anticipated because they insist on posing riddles. Newt manages to answer them alright and tricks the sphinx into coming with him by posing a riddle that they can’t solve. Though this leads to the sphinx being finally free, they curse Newt for playing unfairly.

“By the ink on your skin you shall know your kin, your one true love and mate. Ere all thirteen farewells are said they must know or it’s to late.”

Later that day, Newt notices a red 13 that has appeared on the inside of his wrist.

More curious than worried, Newt does some research in Egyptian libraries. Since he didn’t gain much other information on the sphinx he thinks it might be a good addition to his book.

The research leads him to several scriptures that describe the curse as quite common in ancient days. The red number on the cursed person’s wrist is known as mark of the curse that can take different forms depending on the victims perception of numbers. With each time the curse carrier parts from their soulmate, the mark changes to the next lower number. When eventually the countdown has terminated, the soulmates will never see each other again. In almost all cases this is ensured by the curse carrier’s sudden death. The only ways to end the curse is for the curse carrier to confess their love and get a love confession in turn or to kill their soulmate. 

True to his philosophy, Newt takes the information but doesn’t really worry about it at all. Part of him is convinced that he doesn’t even have a soulmate (an occurrence that is referred to for two cases in one of the scriptures he has studied). Even if he does, it seems like there are harder things than confessing your love for someone - even if he isn’t quite as sure about the fact that someone is also supposed to love him.

Of course there is someone he loves already. But that is something else entirely. 

In accordance with his first evaluation, nothing happens for months. Nothing happens, in fact, until he leaves New York.

After saying goodbye to Tina at the docks, Newt finds that the number on his wrist has changed from thirteen to twelve. He is confused because, though he likes Tina well enough, he isn’t in love with her or even feels that way about her. They are friends, he supposes. And they survived an attempted execution together - that sort of thing that makes you bond for life. So maybe she can be his soulmate. Maybe he just isn’t in love with her yet.

A part of him that he very much ignores is relieved and disappointed at once - it’s not who he thought it could (not!) be after all.

Newt’s confusion rises when the countdown continues as he moves back to London.

At first, he doesn’t notice. The first weeks back in England are stressful as expected. With Newt being banned from travelling, and about to publish a book and his brother announcing his engagement to Newt’s former best friend Leta Lestrange.

There is an awkward and partly unpleasant (for Newt) family dinner and a few truly unpleasant ministry meetings that deal with what Newt knows about Grindlewald and Newt’s - hopefully - soon to be revoked travel ban.

The next time Newt looks at his wrist quite by accident while tickling some of his savings out of a pregnant niffler, he is startled to find that the count is down to nine.

Going through the people he met in his head, he suspects that it might be Leta after all. Which - to be honest - makes more sense to him personally than it being Tina. He has been in love with Leta once. And though he isn't sure he would call her a friend now, they seem connected on some level. They both love Theseus, for instance. Though they hold his love in quite different ways. It makes no real sense, however, because Leta wasn’t in New York when the countdown started.

“It’s a curse, isn’t it?” Leta asks, out of nowhere as they wait for Theseus after a press-meeting for the newly published Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Newt raises his brows, not quite looking at her. They aren’t exactly on friendly terms with what happened between them and Leta’s engagement to Theseus. There are many unspoken things between them. Newt suspects that that’s just the way things are between him and people he is or used to be close to. “The mark on your wrist,” she adds after a while though they both know that Newt knows what she’s talking about. Newt automatically rubs his thumb over the red number six that is hidden underneath his coat sleeves. He nods shortly. “What does it count down to?”

“It counts the times I part from my soulmate,” Newt offers, half annoyed and anxious, half glad to tell someone. He doesn’t exactly like Leta right now - part of him feels guilty about his reasons -, but he trusts her to keep his secrets as he keeps hers. Leta nods. Newt wonders whether she knows something about the curse. She is very well read in such things. “Who is it then?” Direct as ever, if she choses to speak. Newt isn’t bothered by it at all. It feels familiar and he realises that, despite his philosophy, he has started to worry. “Tina Goldstein,” he says trying to sound as convinced as he wishes he were. “The countdown started after our first farewell in New York.”

Leta looks at him strangely then, for a long moment. Newt wonders whether she, too, thinks that it would make more sense if it was her. “Do you love her?” She asks and makes Newt sure that she has come across this curse before. They are silent for too long after that and Theseus approaches from where he’s been talking to the press. “I could,” Newt says and is paranoid that Leta knows him well enough to know what else he’s saying. That he could if he wasn’t in love with someone else.

When he returns home that day, his six has melted into a five.

Newt stops writing to Tina and, curiously, Tina stops writing to him too.

Newt has good reasons to avoid his brother and his fiance. After all, their wedding is approaching. Then, Grindelwald escapes and Theseus is busy with the auror department. And though Bounty is a reliable and much needed help with his creatures, Newt himself has all hands full of work with his little menagerie. There is no other reason.

Newt misses Jakob. They haven’t known each other for long, but Newt can count his friends with one hand and with Jakob talking had been easy. He feels, maybe for the first time ever, that he would really like to talk to a friend.

Finally, Newt has to meet Leta and Theseus again as he tries to get his travelling ban revoked at the ministry. Leta uses the time she walks him through the ministry halls to inquire why he didn’t answer their dinner invitations. Newt deflects, but Leta holds out her hand, quietly asking him to show his wrist. He looks away, hand clasps over the mark.

“I don’t love Theseus,” Leta then says quietly. Newt blinks completely taken aback. He realises that Leta has cast a spell around them so no one listens in to their conversation. “I care for him, but I don’t love him.” Newt shakes his head quietly, a bitter smile playing on his lips. This is what she said about him too. “Why are you telling me this?”

“He is not in love with me either. He thinks he is, but he really loves the idea of what we could be.” “He adores you,” Newt manages to say through gritted teeth, “He would die for you.” Leta smiles and it makes it easier for Newt to become really angry at her. “Theseus is a hero. There are many people he would die for without hesitation. I’m not-”

“Why are you telling me this?” Newt interrupts, barely able to keep the irritation from his usually so calm voice. Is she taunting him? Telling him that she doesn’t love Theseus either but he is the better match? Newt doesn’t love Leta any more except for the way in which you love a childhood friend - no matter how estranged. But it hurts him that she gets to have Theseus though she doesn’t even love him.

“I’m telling you so that you know I’m not doing this out of pity,” she says and Newt is taken aback again. “We like each other well enough and we would have been good together, but to tell you the truth: I’m relieved.” “I don’t understand.” “We broke up.” Newt stares at her then, brows furrowed. He still doesn’t understand. “It’s not official yet. We wanted to wait until after my job here is more secure.” Newt looks at her blankly. He is overcharged with the situation and completely unsure about her reasons.

She looks at him intently as if there is something she wants him to understand and then nods, shortly, as if their conversation ended in an agreeable way. Just like that, the spell is broken and they are on their way to the conference room again. Before she leaves him there, she leans in and whispers goodbye into his ear. He frowns after her as she leaves.

During the commission, he looks at his wrist. There is a red five there - unchanged. He declines working under his brother.

When Theseus hugs him goodbye to disguise a whispered warning about the ministry monitoring Newt, just for a moment, Newt wants to hold on to him and never let go. When he leaves the building, there’s a four on his wrist. He doesn’t need to look to know.