Title: Where Nightmares Come True

Fandom: Merlin

Rating: T

Pairings/Characters: Merlin/Dragoon (not a pairing, just in case you wondered), Arthur, and Morgana, mostly. Also some OCs.

Spoilers: Set a little bit after Series Four, so . . .

Warnings: Mild violence in later chapters, and maybe some disturbing descriptions.

Disclaimer: Here's looking at you, BBC.

Beta: DeleaMarie

AN: Hi there! I hope you enjoy my newest story, it's been eating my brain for the last while. Have fun reading it! ;)

Chapter One: Morning

She saw fire and ash, and Merlin smiling like he was having the best day ever. She saw Arthur, sword in hand and face horrified, Merlin's name on his lips. She saw a young boy with guilty eyes and heard two voices, one her own, saying: "Destroying the vessel would have destroyed the spell, too." And a voice she knew well and hated: "How did you know my name was Merlin?". She saw Arthur's knights, and a path that she knew was in the Valley of the Fallen Kings. Scenes of terror, blood, and destruction.

And worst of all-a monster. She tried to reel away from it, but there was no escaping its jaws.

A woman watched her with mad eyes. "Help us, Morgana. Arthur doesn't know what he has unleashed."

She awoke.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, softly lighting Camelot, softening its edges and making it seem even more majestic than normal. Birds were chirping, people were laughing, wagons were trundling on down the roads, and Gaius was puttering in the main room.

Merlin didn't really want to get up, tucked up as snugly as he was. But he had to rise sometime, and he didn't really feel like falling asleep again either.

Taking a deep breath, he sat up and stretchedstretchedstretched his arms high into the air, feeling the muscles tighten and relax, straightening his back to the utmost. He rolled his head every which way.

Merlin smiled. "Today," he announced to nobody in particular, "is going to be a lovely day."

Oh, how that confident declaration would haunt him, how he would struggle to explain why he had felt with such passion that the day would be lovely, when many would strongly disagree.

But not knowing nor suspecting the events to come, Merlin hopped-literally hopped-out of his bed and set about preparing for the day.

As he set out for Arthur's chambers, piece of bread in hand, he tossed a "See you at lunch, Gaius!" over his shoulder.

Gwen wasn't in when Merlin entered the royal chambers, but that was hardly surprising: she often spent the early mornings making sure the household was running smoothly. That of course meant that there was no buffer between Merlin and his usually irate master, but he didn't mind. He'd been dealing with that for five years.

Arthur was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed with a serious expression. His right hand lay on his left elbow.

"Your arm hurting you again, Sire?" Merlin asked as he set the breakfast tray on the table.

A few days before, Arthur and the knights had followed rumors of a mad sorceress living in the woods, rumors that had turned out to be true. No one had been killed, but as she escaped, the sorceress had clipped Arthur's arm with a spell that had pained him intermittently ever since.

"What?" Arthur said, blinking. "No, no, it's fine."

But as he stood up, Merlin noticed he didn't use the injured arm to lever himself.

"Then what," Merlin said, "may I ask, is the trouble with you this fine morning? That sorceress is going to have to lick her wounds for a few days, and-"

"No, it's not that," the king sighed, plopping down in his seat. "Sir Leon came in early this morning with urgent news."

Merlin hmmed in lieu of the obvious question as he placed the king's breakfast on the table.

"Some sort of creature has been stealing livestock from the outlying villages. A petition for knightly intervention came this morning."

Merlin nodded in sympathy; he understood the desperation of the villagers. To lose their animals would be to lose their livelihoods-and their food source. "What kind of creature?"

Arthur shrugged. "A horrible monster, if the reports are to be believed. It hasn't attacked any humans yet, but I suppose it's only a matter of time." He sighed and rested his forehead in his hand for a moment. "Besides that, there's that sorceress roaming the forest at will. Really, the last thing we need is a mutant chicken-thief."

Merlin examined his king's face. "Come and have your breakfast, Sire," he said, allowing his good mood to color his voice. "You'll feel better."

Arthur, hearing the tone, looked up in disgust but obeyed with a roll of his eyes. "Someone got up on the right side of the bed this morning," he muttered. "Do I need to bury you under some chores so you can't annoy everyone in the castle?"

Merlin grinned impishly. "Sorry," he said, utterly unrepentant. "Nothing you do or say can spoil my mood today."

Arthur grunted. "We'll see about that," and proceeded to give Merlin his work-list for the day. Even that could not dampen Merlin's mood.

Finally, Arthur gave up and stood. "Sir Leon's putting together a party of knights to take against the creature."
"Are you going, Sire?"

"No, I have other duties here." If Arthur's face was anything to go by, he wasn't very happy about that.

He picked up some papers that lay on his desk and moved towards the door. "Laundry, Merlin," he said as he opened it. "Oh, and I tore a hole in my best red shirt; fix it, would you?"

And then he was gone. Merlin, still grinning, shook his head fondly.

"He says that like he's not married to the best seamstress in all of Camelot . . ."

Merlin went over to the wardrobe and grabbed the laundry basket. As he bent over, he felt a funny feeling, like he was being watched. And something else, as if . . . as if . . . but he dismissed that thought as ridiculous as he turned around.

There was someone standing behind him, someone who hadn't been there a few seconds earlier. At the sight of the figure, Merlin dropped the basket in shock. A cry of horror rose from him, and his only thought as he took an involuntary step backwards into the wardrobe was It's finally happened.

DUNDUNDUN! We're off to a good start: a cliffy already! Any guesses as to who the surprise visitor is? And what's finally happened?

And for those of you preparing to point out what I've forgotten, don't worry: I'm putting the quote at the end of the story. Because who knows how many quotes I'd have to pick if I tried to do one for each chapter.

All the chapters will be on the short side, so hopefully that means I can update quicker. *crosses fingers* Let me know what you thought in a review!