How To Scare A Fangirl

Happy Halloween! In the spirit of the holiday, I have written a guide to scaring a fangirl.

How to scare a Whovian

• Give them a statue (especially of an angel) and/or say, "Don't blink". 
• Stare at something and look scared, then when they ask what's wrong, say, "Dorry, what?" or "I forgot". Bonus points if you also draw tally marks on your arms. 
• Yell "EXTERMINATE" in an angry, machine-like voice. 
• Tell them they have two shadows. 
• Look them in the eye and say, "Your song is ending". 

How to scare a Sherlockian

• Tell them "I owe you."
• Shout "vatican cameos". 
• Say something about Moriarty. 
• In your most evil voice, ask "Did you miss me?"

How to scare a Potterhead

• Say "Voldemort". 
• Casually mention making seven horcruxes. 
• Point a wand (or something that looks like a wand) at them and shout one of the unforgivable curses.
• Tell them they could be killed, or worse, expelled. 

How to scare a Trekkie

• Always wear a red shirt (or force them to always wear red shirts). 
• Speak only in Klingon. 

How to scare a Merlinian

• Say that you saw Morgana heading this way. 
• Claim that you are Emrys, and you are furious with them. 
• Start chanting in the dragon language. 
• Start reciting a harmful spell you've learned from watching Merlin. 
• State that they have been found to be a sorcerer and will be burned at the stake. 

I know that's only a few fandoms, but they're the only ones I could think of. Feel free to add more in the comments. 

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 3

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Merlin was so shocked at first, he wasn't sure what to say. It had been a long time since anyone had watched this channel, so he was surprised to finally have a viewer again. He tried to think of how to explain the situation without scaring the person off. "This is... oh, forget it. I'll just cut to the chase. I'm trapped. Not like cliche plot trapped, actually trapped. I know you're probably thinking this is made up or I'm insane or something, but I promise I'm telling the truth. I've been stuck in this channel for..." he racked his brains for an answer. It felt like forever. There was no way to keep track of time here. For all he knew, it could have been decades. "a long time. A very long time. And I need your help." Merlin looked at the status bar above the camera, showing that the person was still on the channel. Good, he hadn't scared him off yet. Or her. Merlin reminded himself not to make assumptions. He sighed, thinking for a minute. "I wish I could tell you how to fix all of this, how to get me out of here, but honestly? I have no idea. And of course, I have no way to communicate with you." Merlin frowned in thought, wondering what else there was to say. "I suppose while I'm here, I might as well explain how I got here. You probably won't believe me, but I promise it's true. Of course, you have no idea if my promises mean anything, but I guess you'll just have to trust me. Or not. Anyway, this is how it happened:

"I was on my way to work- I'm a computer programmer, in case you were wondering- when I ran into this old lady. Yeah, literally ran into her." Merlin cringed. "She wasn't too happy about that, obviously. I helped her to her feet, apologizing profusely. Then she asked me my name. I introduced myself to her, and she gave me a strange look when I said my name was Merlin Emrys- wait, have I not told you my name yet? How rude of me! I'm Merlin Emrys," he said, extending his hand as if the viewer was there to shake it. "Yeah, anyway, so I introduced myself to her, and she asked if I was a descendant of the original Merlin. I told her yes, and then she got mad. Like, really mad. She started cursing at me in the Ancient Language- that's the language of magic- and she called me the descendant of a liar and traitor. She blamed the original Merlin for her great (great great great... you get the idea) grandfather's death. He was burned at the stake for using magic while Merlin, king Arthur's manservant, stood idly by, hiding the secret of his own magic. I asked her to be reasonable, told her to leave me alone, all that, but she wouldn't stop yelling at me. Then, she cursed me to live in a TV forever.

"My programme comes on at 3:00 every morning. After that hour, I'm stuck in the same room, but nobody is watching me anymore. I wonder what happens to this channel when I'm not here." Merlin thought about this a moment. "Maybe it just goes blank. Or maybe some other random programmes or commercials come on. I don't know. I suppose you'll find out if you keep watching."

Merlin sighed. "I really wish I knew a way for you to help me. Hopefully you're ingenuitive and resourceful enough to figure it out. I also think I should probably do something to keep you entertained so you come back here, but... I don't have any good ideas. No, wait." Merlin smiled. 

"Because of my name and my coding skills, I was often called a computer wizard. Little did my co-workers know, I can do actual magic, too." Merlin conjured a plate of food. "This is how I haven't died of starvation," he said, digging in. He conjured a glass of water, too, for good measure. Then, he went for something more drastic. A giant dragon made out of fire appeared in front of Merlin. Merlin sat on the dragon, and they rode around the small room. The dragon disappeared, and Merlin chuckled. "So you can see, I've got plenty of things to avoid getting bored." Merlin made a computer appear, and he held it up. "I'd been hoping that maybe I could get help online, but I can't seem to get wifi. I guess that's one thing that can't yet be done with magic." Merlin looked at the status bar again. He had half an hour left still. 

"You know what? I'm just going to ramble and hope you find that interesting. I was born in a rural village called Ealdor, but my mother Hunith sent me to London when I was 10. My father Balinor had died and she couldn't take care of me by herself, so she sent me to my uncle Gaius. I went to Dragon elementary school, and there I met my best friend Freya. A few years later, my friend from Ealdor, Will, moved to London. Will and Freya both know about my magic, but they're the only ones. Well, except for Gaius. He's known ever since he took me in. As soon as he realized I had magic, he told me to keep it a secret, for fear I would be taken by scientists for testing or something. That being said, he wanted me to learn how to control my magic, so he got me a tutor. He told me I had to meet the tutor, not vice versa, so he sent me off to this cave really far off in the wilderness. I was expecting to find some old grumpy hermit or something, but no. I saw a dragon! A real live dragon! He looked like..." Merlin conjured up an image of a giant golden dragon. "this. His name's Kilgharrah. He told me that I was the last dragonlord, and I inherited the gift from my father. It means not only can I do magic, I can also command dragons and they have no choice but to obey. He's been teaching me how to use my magic, telling me I am destined to use it for great things. He keeps going on about destiny. It's really annoying. And he seems to think I'm going to accomplish these things with someone else. He told me 'the story of Arthur and Merlin will repeat itself'. So apparently I'm just supposed to find a guy called Arthur Pendragon? I don't know, maybe the name doesn't matter.

"Gaius doesn't know, but I've been using magic to help me with my schoolwork for pretty as much as long as I've been in school. I'm not cheating on tests or anything like that, I just use magic to help me retain information and complete my homework faster. After all, magic lessons take a long time, and I need to get some sleep. I went to Camelot High, where I got teased a lot for my name. But my name wasn't that strange, considering that lots of other people there had names from Arthurian legends. Gwaine was the popular kid at school, going on dates with anyone who'd say yes and making friends with anyone who wouldn't. Gwen was my friend, but we kind of drifted apart after she fell in love with Lancelot and stopped spending time with me and my mates. I still hang out with her brother, Elyan, though. Mordred is a bully. He used to be my friend, but then he started teasing me and picking on my friends. I told him to leave, but he didn't listen. I used my magic to make his life miserable. Nothing too obvious, just a lot of things that could be attributed to bad luck. Tripping, losing stuff, having his clothes ruined, that kind of thing. Don't tell anyone I said that. Gaius and Kilgharrah tell me I'm not supposed to use magic for things like that.

"When I graduated high school, I went straight to work because I didn't have the money to go to a university. I got a computer programming job that didn't require a degree and worked at that for a few years before I got the money to go to Pendragon University. Seems a bit presumptuous, naming a university after a person who hasn't even done anything historically important, but whatever. It's a good university, even if the founder, Uther, is a jerk. I've heard his son isn't too bad, though. So, yeah, I'm studying computer programming at the university, and I've still got that job on the side. I'm pretty busy. Or rather, was." Merlin buried his face in his hands. "That's why I need your help." He looked at the status bar again. "And it looks like my time is just about up. Please come back tomorrow!" The screen went black. 

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 2

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Arthur only really watched television when he was ill. He would make himself a big cup of tea with lemon, pull the rubbish bin up by the side of his bed for used tissues, and flip through channels until something decent caught his attention. If he wasn’t feeling too bad, he would start up his laptop, but mostly he was too paranoid of sudden sneezing or coughing, and didn’t want to risk germing up the keyboard. So boring telly it is.
But that night, for some inexplicable reason, Arthur decided, to hell with it, and reached for the remote resting on the opposite pillow to turn the television back on.

The medicine he took messed up his sleeping habits, so it wasn’t uncommon for him to wake up in the middle of the night, throat sore, breathing through one nostril, and terribly miserable. He always turned the telly off before going to sleep, to save electricity, and kept it off even if he knew there was no hope of falling back into sweet, painless slumber. He would simply lay there with his eyes determinedly shut, willing himself to sleep, sleep dammit, if only for the hope that his symptoms would be less when he woke up the next time.

The light hurt his eyes at first, and he browsed channels looking practically through just his eyelashes. But they eventually adjusted, and he was able to make out what programmes he was passing.

He only gave them about a two second appraisal; cooking, advert, rerun, old film, advert, advert—

Hmm. What was this? Arthur sat up. The screen was white, completely blank except for a dark figure sitting cross-legged in the centre. The length of their hair suggested it was a male, but the clothes were a bit baggy, so it could have just as easily been a female. Arthur couldn’t tell for certain, because their head was hanging down and he couldn’t see their face due to the distance of the camera. But it was odd. What kind of programme was this? It was just some person sitting in an empty white space, doing nothing.

Arthur’s nose started to drip, so he put down the remote and grabbed a tissue to blow it, tossing it in the bin beside him afterwards. When he looked up at the screen again, the person had moved, uncrossed their legs so they stuck straight out, toes to the side, and was staring straight ahead.

Straight at Arthur.

Arthur shook the idea from his mind. The man—because it was a man, Arthur could determine now—was only looking in the camera. This was probably some weird indie film experimenting with angles and a lack of a soundtrack. Arthur pressed the info button on the remote.

???

That was strange. No description? Not even a channel number or name? Not even the duration length? Surely Arthur would have come across this channel before. There were only so many out there.

The man on the screen stood up and walked forward, straight towards the camera. Then, he changed his mind and began to pace the room. The man clearly looked frustrated about something. Finally, he looked at Arthur- no, at the camera- again, and his face lit up. "Finally, a viewer!"

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 1

As I was reading through the extensive collection of Merlin fanfiction on AO3, I found an abandoned story, and I decided to take it up. Chapter 2 is copied word for word with a little added in on the end, and the initial idea isn't mine, but the rest of the story is mine. So now, here is chapter 1. Enjoy!

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Merlin couldn't remember how long it had been like this. An evil witch had enchanted him simply because he was a descendant of the original Merlin, who was a sorcerer in Camelot while sorcery was outlawed and for a long time did nothing to protect the innocent sorcerers. She believed it had been that Merlin's inaction that had caused her great (great great great great great... etc.) grandfather to be burned at the stake. Since the original Merlin was long gone, she punished this Merlin instead. Every day, Merlin was trapped inside a small room. There was nothing in the room; it was completely blank. Merlin got food, water, and other necessities only by using his magic. And every morning at 3 o'clock, Merlin was on the television. It was simply a video of whatever Merlin was doing in the room at the time. Merlin had originally hoped that he would be able to reach out to his viewers and have them rescue him, but this scenario had a few major flaws. First, he had almost no viewers. Most people didn't watch the telly at 3 in the morning. Those who did happen to stumble upon his channel quickly got bored and switched. Merlin tried using magic and doing other things to entertain them, but most of them still didn't stay. On the rare occasion that someone did stay, Merlin would tell them of his predicament and ask for help. Help never came, though whether this was because viewers thought it was just part of the plot or they were actually unable to help, Merlin wasn't sure. It didn't matter anyway. He had just about given up hope, but he was still desperately trying to find some sort of solution, completely lost in thought. And that's why he didn't notice Arthur. 

Fandom School (7th period): Discussing Your Fandom Online

Last time we had this class at Fandom School, I talked about how to connect other fans. Now, I'd like to go more in depth about how to talk with others in your fandom online. There are a few ways to do so.

1. Social media- I think it's safe to say that most of you reading this have some form of social media, whether it be facebook, google+, tumblr, twitter, etc. This is a great way to find other people who like the same things as you to follow/friend/[insert appropriate verb here]. Also, some forms of social media (e.g., google+) have groups/communities, and you can often find one for your fandom. If there isn't one, you can create it. Find other fans by editing your profile to include your fandoms, following people in your fandoms, and joining communities for your fandoms.

2. Discussion boards/forums- I haven't really participated in any of these, but they are a great place to, well, have discussions. You can't interact with others as much as you can on social work, but there's still lots of room for great discussions about your fandoms.

3. Start reading fanfiction- yeah, you probably do that already. So, I'll be more specific: get an account on a fanfiction website (fanfiction.net and AO3 (aka archiveofourown.org) are both great). Even if you don't want to write your own fanfiction (if you need some posts to refer to, see this post about what fanfiction is, this post about types of fanfiction, and/or this post on another great blog about how to write fanfiction), you can still read, review favorite, and follow other people's stories (trust me, we fanfiction authors love it when you do that). This is a good way to see other fans' works and interact with the authors. Also, on fanfiction.net, you can private message people, so you can interact with them directly.

4. Join a fanart website- like discussion boards, I haven't joined any fanart websites, but there are websites dedicated to fanart where you can meet other fans. A quick google search reveals deviantART and Fanart Central, but I'm sure there are lots of other websites. Similar to fanfiction websites, fanart websites allow you to appreciate other fans' works and interact with the artists.

5. Youtube- like 3 and 4, youtube allows you to share your own fandom content and see others' fandom content. 

6. Start blogging- if you blog about your fandom(s), people will notice eventually. And maybe some of those people who read your blog, comment on it, etc. will become your friends. (Right, guys?)

A Change Of Heart

You know how sometimes you see a character (or if you're reading a book, read about a character), and at first you hate them, but then they grow on you until you absolutely adore them? Yeah, that's happened to me too, and it's what I'd like to discuss today.

First impressions can be misleading. In many cases, you think a character is awful, but then you see that they are good. The question is, did the character develop, did the writing get better, or did you simply come to view the character in a different light? I'd like to share with you a few examples of characters that I disliked at first, but now appreciate. 

Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman)

Fandom: Doctor Who

Reason for initial dislike: she was hopelessly in love with the Doctor. And unlike Rose, her feelings weren't reciprocated, so instead of "look at this cute couple", it was more like "look at this poor lovesick puppy". 

Type of change: character development, change of heart

Why I changed my mind: I didn't really like Martha until the last few episodes of series 3, when she proved herself to be independent, intelligent, and highly competent.

The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)

Fandom: Doctor Who

Reason for initial dislike: he wasn't the Tenth Doctor. Also, I got mad at him for leaving Amelia Pond - twice!

What type of change: character development and a change of heart. The writing stayed about the same. 

Why I changed my mind: As the season progressed, I began to see that though Eleven was different, he was his own unique person to be celebrated. I saw his kindness and compassion, his playfulness, and all his other great attributes. At some point, I decided he was almost as good as Ten. And now I miss him.

Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson)

Fandom: Doctor Who

Reason for initial dislike: I don't approve of random love interests thrown into a story, and that's how I saw Danny at first. I was mad at Moffat for bringing him in; one companion is enough, and Clara was too preoccupied with the Doctor to take on a boyfriend. 

Type of change: character development, better writing, change of heart

Why I changed my mind: I was really worried Danny was going to be a poorly written character, but it turned out that Moffat actually did a good job with Danny (unlike some other characters... *cough cough* Clara *cough cough* Twelve). He reminds me a little of Mickey and a little of Rory, but he's different from both of them. He's really accepting and supportive of Clara, even to the point that he allows her to continue traveling with the Doctor. And he has a fierce loyalty towards Clara, doing everything he can to help her. 

Arthur Pendragon (Bradley James)

Fandom: Merlin

Reason for initial dislike: I agree with Merlin in episode 1 that Arthur is a royal prat. And an arrogant one, too. He's rude and disrespectful, and he expects everyone to do his will. He barely seems to care about others. 

Type of change: lots and lots of character development. Maybe a change of heart, too. 

Why I changed my mind: As the show progressed, I saw how Merlin began to change Arthur into a better person. I saw that Arthur really cares about his people, and that he will risk his life for that of a servant. He may still be a prat sometimes, but he has a heart of gold. 

Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head)

Fandom: Merlin

Reason for initial dislike: he outlaws magic and executes sorcerers without a second thought, believing that all magic is evil. Even in things not related to magic, he is ruthless. He rules the kingdom with an iron fist. 

Type of change: change of heart

Why I changed my mind: as Emily Ecrivaine at Emily Ecrivaine Reviews pointed out in this post, he's only doing what he thinks is best for the kingdom. Though he is a cruel, disillusioned man, his intentions are pure; he truly has Camelot's best interests at heart. I can't say I like him, but I can at least respect him.

Philip Anderson (Jonathan Aris)

Fandom: Sherlock
Reason for initial dislike: the way Anderson's written, we're supposed to dislike him. He apparently lowers the IQ of the whole street just by talking. He's really annoying and not that bright.
Type of change: change of heart, possibly character development
Why I changed my mind: again, to go too much in depth would be to give away spoilers. Let it suffice to say that Anderson is smarter, kinder, and better than we give him credit for. (For this change of heart, I have Emily Ecrivaine to thank again - this is the post that made me rethink my perspective on him.)

I'd also like to point out that this principle applies to ships as well. The more I see of a ship, the more logical it seems. So now, a few ships that I've come to like.

Johnlock (Sherlock Holmes and John Watson)

Fandom: Sherlock
Reason for initial dislike: I'm not homosexual, and I'm a little hesitant to go along with a gay ship as a result. (Update: I used to be like that. Now, I ship same-sex couples without a second thought.) Also, it's not canon.
How much I ship them now: they're not my OTP or anything, but I definitely read Johnlock fanfiction and I think about Johnlock sometimes.
Why I changed my mind: it's clear they care about each other a lot, and it seems like they are attracted to each other. It's as if they like each other, but don't dare admit it.

Merthur (Merlin (Emrys) and Arthur Pendragon)

Fandom: Merlin
Reason for initial dislike: same reason as for Johnlock. Also, I initially shipped Merlin with Gwen. And then when Gwen got together with Arthur, I shipped Merlin with Morgana - until she went bad.
How much I ship them now: OTP!
Why I changed my mind: they're just so perfect for each other! They complete each other. And each of them would die for the other. They share a close bond (or, as the dragon might call it, destiny).

The Doctor and Rose (both Nine/Rose and Ten/Rose)

Fandom: Doctor Who
Reason for initial dislike: I didn't like Rose that much at first (yeah, I know she's not in my list of characters above. That's because I still don't like her that much. It's more like I went from dislike to neutrality.) I didn't think the Doctor should have any romantic attachments.
How much I ship them now: Meh. I kind of ship them. I'll read fanfiction with this ship, but I don't seek it out like I would for some of my other ships (including Johnlock and Merthur).
Why I changed my mind: Idk, I think they're kind of cute together. Also, Rose makes the Doctor a better person.

The Once And Future Time Lord (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 10

And now, the epilogue.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

A few weeks later, Arthur changed the law on magic, allowing it to be used for anything except things that were prohibited by another law (for example, killing another person, except in the case of Camelot's enemies when fighting in battle). Merlin used magic to complete his duties much more quickly, and he spent the extra time with Arthur. They were fast becoming friends, even more than that. Arthur spoke to Gwen about it, realizing that he loved both of them. Merlin admitted that he loved Gwen also, and they agreed to a threesome, though officially Merlin was not married to either of them. The kingdom of Camelot flourished as magic reigned freely, and Camelot even began to host a magic tournament. Merlin won every year, of course, but it was always interesting to see who showed up and what they could do. Camelot came to be known as a place of tolerance, and it soon began to have a diverse range of people and cultures. Camelot prospered, and everyone agreed that Arthur was a great king, Gwen a great queen, and Merlin a great servant. Arthur made it clear that servants were to be respected just as much as nobles, and that nobody was to look down on anybody else. All in all, life was good. 

The Once And Future Time Lord (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 9

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Nobody knew how it had happened. Arthur was a Time Lord, so he was supposedly safe from human diseases. There was the possibility that it was an alien disease, but there remained the problem of how it could have reached Arthur. Or maybe it was poison. All the people knew was that one day, Arthur was found to be very ill. 

"Good morning!" Merlin said, flinging open the curtains. Instead of being met by the usual insult that had become customary, though, Merlin heard a groan. That was when he knew something was wrong. "Arthur?" There was no response. Merlin put a hand on Arthur's forehead, and jerked it back almost instantly. Arthur was burning up. He debated whether to stay with Arthur or go fetch Gaius, when Arthur began to get up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Arthur said, though he clearly was not. Arthur stood up shakily. "Well? Aren't you going to dress me?"

"I think perhaps you should stay in bed today."

"I didn't ask your opinion, Merlin."

"Well I don't encourage death wishes, Arthur."

"I'm not dying!"

"How do you know?" Arthur glared. 

"Just dress me." Merlin sighed and did so. Arthur took a few steps forward, then collapsed into Merlin's arms. 

Gaius's face paled as he saw Merlin carrying Arthur. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure, but he's very ill. I was hoping you knew what to do." Gaius frowned. 

"Well it certainly doesn't help that he's not human. But I'll see what I can do." Gaius began flipping though pages. Finally, he found a spell that looked promising. Gaius began chanting, and within a few minutes, Arthur awoke. 

"How do you feel?" Gaius asked. 

"Throat... hurts... So hot..." Gaius felt Arthur's forehead and noticed that he still had a high fever. "Everything hurts..." Arthur looked around and saw Merlin. "Get him out of here."

"No, he's my assistant and I'm not getting rid of him just because you don't like him. Do you want to live or not?" Arthur sighed. 

"Fine. Do you know how to heal me?"

"I'm not sure," Gaius admitted. He looked through a book, until he finally found something. "Your condition is severe. The only cure is a specific spell shown here, but it requires a powerful sorcerer to cast it. It also requires genuine love and concern on the part of the sorcerer, and complete trust on the part of the patient."

"Search everywhere. I need someone to restore me to health." Gaius nodded. 

"You don't have much time, your highness. If not treated, you will die within a few hours."

"Then hurry up!" Gaius looked at Merlin. 

"Merlin can do it."

"Merlin? A powerful sorcerer? I think not. And besides, I need someone I can trust." Merlin looked hurt. 

"Arthur?"

"Don't talk to me."

"There aren't many sorcerers, especially not in Camelot where they were hunted down, and powerful sorcerers are very rare. If you refuse my help, you will likely die." Gaius nodded. 

"If you want to live, you'll have to swallow your pride." Arthur sighed. 

"Fine. But you said the sorcerer had to love me and have concern for me."

"And?" Merlin asked. 

"Oh. Well, didn't the spell need trust on my part?" Gaius nodded. "How can you expect me to trust Merlin? How could I trust anyone who kept a secret from me for years? A secret that would have gotten him killed. And then he had the gall to convince me to change the law. He could try to kill me, for all I know!"

"When have I ever hurt you, Arthur? I've spent my whole life saving you. Please, let me save you again. Trust me, I can help you. I'm sorry I lied, and I'm sorry I betrayed your trust. But please, trust me again. I need you." Merlin blushed. "I... I mean... Camelot needs you. If you die now, everything you worked so hard for will be lost. Please, Arthur, just trust me. Let me help you. I just want to help you. I want to serve you. I'll do whatever you want, just please, don't die. Don't refuse life just because of me. Please, Arthur!" Merlin looked completely broken. Tears were streaming down his face, and for a moment, Arthur forgot about everything; he forgot about the lies, forgot about the pain, and just saw a broken man who was desperate to help. For a moment. Then it came back, but Arthur pushed it away. 

"Alright. I don't know if I like you, and I'm not sure I've forgiven you, but I see that I have to trust you. Now then, get to it!" Merlin dried his eyes and read the spell carefully. He began to chant words that Arthur couldn't understand. Arthur was full of anger and pain, but he remembered that for the spell to work, he needed to trust Merlin. So he shifted his focus. He remembered all his times with Merlin. Merlin saving his life. Merlin watching over him. Merlin saving his life. Merlin staying close to him. It seemed to be a common theme. He realized that maybe Merlin was trustworthy after all.

Meanwhile, Merlin poured all his thoughts and feelings into the spell. He loved Arthur. As a friend. No, as more than that. He wanted to be with Arthur forever. He wanted Arthur's life to be wonderful, and when things went wrong, he wanted to be the one Arthur came to for comfort. He wanted to be Arthur's friend, his adviser, his... lover? Merlin had so many feelings for Arthur, it was hard to sort through them all. Was this what love was like? He wasn't sure, but he knew he cared about Arthur. And he cared for his well-being. Merlin couldn't imagine a world without Arthur. He didn't want to. Arthur was his life, his destiny. If anything were to happen to Arthur, Merlin would never forgive himself. That was why he had to get this right. He had to save Arthur. Maybe then he would truly have Arthur's trust. Even if not, it would be worth it just to see his Arthur alive. His Arthur? He was getting possessive now? Maybe he was in love. Merlin smiled a little and finished the spell. 

"Merlin?"

"Arthur!" Merlin rushed up to Arthur and hugged him tightly. A few seconds later, he realized what he was doing and stepped back, embarrassed. "Um... hi. You're alive!"

"Thanks to you."

"Are you actually thanking me? Are you sure you're alright?" Merlin joked. 

"Don't expect it to happen again any time soon."

"So... do you trust me yet?"

"You saved my life with a skill you've hidden from me for years. I'm still a little mad at you about that, but I think I can trust you now. And... there was that bit required for the spell. What does that mean?"

"Well, it means I love you. But I don't know exactly what that means. I'm still sorting out my feelings."

"So am I."

"But if it is... then what about Gwen?"

"I'm not sure. We'll have to talk to her about it. But I wouldn't worry about that just yet. For now, let's focus on becoming friends again." Merlin nodded. 

"It's a good start," he said with a smile.

The Once And Future Time Lord (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 8

Sorry about the delay. On Friday, I was uploading my stories from fanfiction.net to my new AO3 account. On Saturday, I was at a marching band assessment and then a competition (we got a superior rating at the assessment, and we won at the competition because we were the only ones in our class, but we also got the highest score of any of the bands, which was 88.50.) So to make up for it, I'll make several posts today. Enjoy!

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The king read the law aloud as the people gathered round to hear it. Merlin stood overjoyed with Gaius. "Did you tell him?" Gaius whispered. 

"Only about his identity. I didn't tell him my secret."

"And he changed the law for that?"

"Well, I persuaded him. I convinced him that he'd need to change the law to be supported as a Time Lord."

"Fair enough. So will you tell him now?"

"He should find out when I change him back." Merlin started walking away as the crowds began to disperse. 

"Where are you going?"

"To Arthur, of course."

Merlin found Arthur in his room. 

"I was beginning to wonder where you'd got off to," Arthur said. 

"Sorry, the crowds were pretty thick. Are you ready?"

"For what?" Merlin pulled out the locket. "Oh. Yes, I'm ready."

"Now I should probably warn you," Merlin began, "some of the things you're about to discover might be quite... surprising. And I don't know what it will feel like for you to change back... And I don't know if it will be successful..."

"Shut up, Merlin." Merlin sighed. 

"Here goes," he said, opening the locket. A golden glow flowed from the locket into Arthur. Arthur stood there, bathed in light, and Merlin couldn't help but admire him. Arthur took a deep breath, then stood for a few moments in shock. 

"Hearts. I've got two hearts. That feels strange. I like it. I feel stronger. There's something else. I can sense... time. I can feel all of it, past, present, and future. I'm not quite human anymore, but I feel more like... me. That probably makes no sense to you."

"No, it makes perfect sense," Merlin replied, thinking of how much more he felt like himself when using magic. Arthur looked at Merlin quizzically. 

"And now my memories are coming back. You and I... we were friends. Close friends." Then Arthur gasped. "You... you... you have magic." Merlin simply nodded. "And you kept it from me all this time." Merlin nodded, this time with a look of guilt in his eyes. "You lied to me!" Merlin nodded again, tears streaming down his face. He hadn't wanted it to go like this. Though of course, it wasn't surprising. He had known there would be a risk involved. "Why did you lie to me‽ You used to be my friend!"

"I... I... to protect you. I only ever used magic to protect you, Arthur, and I kept it hidden for the same reason."

"Protect me‽ More like protect yourself! How dare you claim that you were protecting me!"

"Arthur..."

"No! I'm having none of it! You lied to me, and I cannot ever forgive you!" Arthur stormed out. 

Arthur literally ran into Gwen on the way. 

"Slow down, Arthur," she said. 

"I'm sorry, Gwen, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"There's no need to apologize. What is it, Arthur? You look troubled."

"It's... complicated."

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me?" Arthur sighed. 

"How would you feel if you found out that one of your servants had been lying to you for years?"

"Oh. What are you going to do about it?"

"I've half a mind to execute him, though lying isn't a good enough reason to do so."

"You need to calm down, Arthur, you're in no state to make such a decision now."

"You're right, of course." Arthur sighed. "I need something to take my mind off the issue."

"What about training with your knights?" Perfect, except that Merlin would be there. "No, I'm really not in the mood. I think I'll go to the tavern. I need to dull my mind for a while." Gwen sighed. 

"Just... be careful."

"Of course."

Gwen walked away, when she happened to hear crying. It wasn't very loud, but she still heard it. She followed the sound until she reached Gaius' chambers. Tentatively, she walked in. 

"What is it you require?" Gaius asked. 

"Nothing, I just heard crying and was worried something was happening."

"Nothing to worry about, it's just Merlin sulking."

"Oh. What's wrong? May I talk to him?"

"I suppose."

Merlin's eyes were red and puffy. His face was buried in his hands, and he didn't notice Gwen until she tapped him gently on the shoulder. Startled, Merlin jerked up, then relaxed when he saw who it was. "Gwen?"

"What's wrong, Merlin?"

"It's Arthur." 

"What happened?"

"Well, I told him I..."

"You what?"

"Please promise me you won't hate me or storm off or never trust me again. One lost friend is bad enough." Gwen nodded. Merlin took a deep breath. "I have magic," he said quickly. Gwen's eyes widened. 

"And that's what you told Arthur?" Merlin nodded. 

"And now he hates me."

"Give it some time, I'm sure he'll come round." Merlin sighed. 

"I sure hope you're right."

But Arthur didn't come round. He made the announcement to the people of his identity, and they were surprised, but they accepted him. Gaius confessed that he had magic, and Arthur was upset for a while, but quickly changed his mind when he saw how much more effective Gaius was as a physician when he could use magic openly. And still, Arthur couldn't forgive Merlin. The knights saw how distant the two were, and how much it hurt Merlin. They all tried to talk to Arthur in their own way, but nothing convinced him. Merlin thought he would be hated forever. But that all changed the day Arthur became sick. 

The Once And Future Time Lord (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 7

You get a bonus today: two posts! Except that I forgot to post yesterday... anyway, here's the next chapter.
Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

"Gwen?"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"Suppose a... um... ruler discovered a secret that he really wants to share with everyone, but to do so and be accepted, he'd have to... well... abolish an established, respected law. What do you think that ruler should do?"

"Oh Arthur, what have you gotten in yourself into now?" Arthur sighed. He should have known Gwen wouldn't fall for his trick. She'd have to be an idiot, and he had definitely not married an idiot. If he'd wanted that, he could have married Merlin (well, except for the fact that gay marriage was illegal in Camelot). 

"It's... complicated. I'd rather not say just yet. What's your advice?"

"Well, what's the law?" Arthur hesitated, but then he decided he could trust Gwen. If he couldn't trust his Queen, who could he trust?

"It's... the law against magic."

"You're not..."

"No. I don't know anyone, either. Like I said, it's complicated. What do you think?"

"Well, I would say change the law, though that's mostly on account of my father." Arthur nodded. They never spoke of her father often, as it was a rather delicate subject. 

"It would certainly be good for Camelot to avoid persecution. Perhaps I could change the ban on magic to laws governing its use." Gwen nodded. "I'm going to go talk to my knights."

"Good luck!" Gwen said, kissing Arthur on the cheek as he left. 

•••••••

"So, you're probably wondering why I've gathered all of you here together."

"It's because you love seeing our handsome faces," Gwaine suggested, earning some laughs from the knights. 

"Very funny, Gwaine, but I have a better reason than that. I'm thinking about changing one of Camelot's laws, and I'd like to ask your advice." The knights stared at Arthur in shock. Though the king had power to make or abolish laws, no laws had been made in decades, and no king had done so a week into their reign. It was Sir Leon who spoke first. 

"Which law would you change, your highness?"

"The law banning magic." The knights' eyes widened further, and their jaws dropped. This was an impossibly radical proposal. 

"What would you change?" Sir Elyan asked. 

"I would lift the ban, and replace it with a strict set of rules governing the use of magic. Perhaps it would be best to start by allowing magic to be used for healing only." The knights considered this for a moment. "I don't need anyone's approval to change a law, but I'd like to know if I have your support. Do I?"

Percival was the first to answer. "You have my support." Sir Leon raised his hand. 

"And mine."

"And mine," Sir Kay said. Slowly, all the nights of Camelot raised their hands and expressed their support. 

"Well then, gentlemen, I believe I have some law-writing to do." Arthur walked back to his room and set to work. 

•••••••

"Merlin?"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"Can you bring Gwen in to read this?"

"I can read, you know."

"Yes, Merlin, I'm aware of that. I want my Queen's support in the law I'm about to pass. I suppose you can read it, too, but don't think that you'll get any input." Merlin sighed and brought in Gwen. To save Merlin the time, she read the document aloud. 

"It came to pass during the reign of Uther Pendragon that magic was banished in Camelot on penalty of death. Now, times have changed, and by decree of King Arthur Pendragon, the ban on magic is lifted. However, because magic is dangerous, it is not as yet allowed to be practiced freely. Set forth in these documents are the conditions in which magic may be used:

1) To avoid death, illness, injury, property damage, etc. 

2) To heal someone who is already ill or injured. Only healing methods that can be reasonably expected to be effective may be used, unless the patient is dying, in which case any magic that might heal the patient may be used. 

3) To defeat enemies of Camelot who are fighting citizens of Camelot with magic. 

4) Any other situations in which a person wishes to use magic must be discussed with the king and approved beforehand. 

In changing the laws about magic, the king also makes it clear that magic should not be practiced in secret any more. All sorcerers in Camelot, whether residing in the kingdom permanently or merely visiting, must declare that they are sorcerers to the king. If they have previously practiced magic in Camelot, they will not be punished; however, if they do not abide by the new laws, they will face punishment (nothing as severe as death. Cases will be decided on an individual basis.) Seems fine to me. I'm glad to see you're taking a step towards equality and toleration, whatever the reason may be." Arthur nodded. 

"What do you think, Merlin?"

"It's a good start."

"What, you think I should have written more?"

"No, no, I understand you can't let magic be freely practiced just yet."

"Why are you so eager for magic to be allowed, Merlin?" Merlin said nothing. "Never mind. Forget I said that. Anyway, I'll see you later. I have a law to pass!"

Fandom School (6th period): Roleplaying Example

I totally meant to post this yesterday, but then I forgot. Sorry, guys. I guess the teacher is tardy to her own Fandom School class. Did you enjoy throwing paper airplanes at eachother or whatever it is you do when the teacher isn't there? Anyway, today's (or rather, yesterday's) topic is roleplaying. In an earlier post, I explained what roleplaying is. So now, I'll provide you with an example of roleplaying. This is a roleplay I did on the Google+ community Doctor Who Roleplay Center. (Note: when we were doing this, the person named "Vladimír Mlečenkov" was called "Lord President Rassilon", so that's why he is tagged as that. Also, when we used asterisks, the text changed to bold, so instead of *action*, it's action)

The Once And Future Time Lord (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 5

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Merlin walked into the training grounds and saw Arthur. They hadn't spoken since the change. Arthur had no reason to speak to Merlin, and Merlin couldn't muster the courage to try to rekindle their friendship. 

Merlin watched as Arthur threw daggers at the unfortunate boy walking with the target. Arthur, his Arthur, the real Arthur, wouldn't have been like that. From what Merlin had learned in books, Time Lords were incredibly arrogant. But somehow, by removing his Time Lord essence, Gaius had removed all the elements that made Arthur kind, caring, human. This Arthur was much too mean. The boy dropped the target, and it rolled to Merlin's feet. Merlin put a foot on it so the boy couldn't pick it up. 

"Hey, come on, that's enough," he said.

"What?" Arthur asked incredulously. 

"You've had your fun, my friend."

"Do I know you?"

"Er, I'm Merlin." Merlin held out his hand, cringing inwardly as he remembered that Merlin was a stranger to Arthur now. Their friendship had been erased, all because Uther would not allow magic. 

"So I don't know you." Merlin wanted to tell Arthur all about their past, but he knew he couldn't. 

"No."

"Yet you called me 'friend.'"

"That was my mistake."

"Yes, I think so."

"Yeah. I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass."

"Or I one who could be so stupid." Had this happened a few years ago, it would have been a friendly exchange. Arthur and Merlin were often insulting each other. But now, it  was just an exchange of insults. No friendly intent behind it. The sadness weighed down Merlin's heart more than he cared to think. 

•••

"Gaius?"

"Yes, Merlin?"

"Will I ever be able to bring him back?" Gaius gave a long, heavy sigh. 

"Not until magic is practiced freely in Camelot."

"But..."

"I suppose, when Arthur becomes king, you may tell him. And then, if opportunity arises, you can bring him back."

"If only I could tell him now. I miss him!"

"I know, Merlin. I'm sorry."

•••

A while later, Merlin saw that Arthur's life was in danger, and he used magic to save him. Uther (who Merlin had begun to hate for outlawing magic and forcing Arthur to hide his identity) was full of gratitude, and insisted that he was indebted to Merlin. 

"You saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid."

"Oh, well..."

"Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded."

"No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Highness." Merlin wanted nothing to do with Uther, though he would never dare say it. 

"No, absolutely. This merits something quite special."

"Well..."

"You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant."

Arthur looked equally shocked, disgusted, and horrified. This filled Merlin's heart with anger and sadness. But he was happy, because at least he would once again be close to Arthur. And maybe one day, he would be able to reveal Arthur's true nature, and, for that matter, his own. 

The Once And Future Time Lord (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 6

I'm trying to decide if I want to bring the Doctor into this story or not, what do you think? Anyway, here's the next chapter.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Finally, the day came for Arthur to be crowned king. Merlin wanted to tell him then and there, but he saw that Arthur was too busy. Merlin quickly realized that as king, Arthur would always be busy, so a week after the coronation, Merlin got up the courage to speak to him. 

"Arthur?"

"Yes, Merlin?" How should he approach the subject. Merlin couldn't just say it directly. 

"How do you feel about magic?"

"It's dangerous."

"And?"

"It can't be allowed in Camelot."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you have something to tell me, Merlin?" Arthur asked jokingly. Fear spread over Merlin's face. 

"Um... I... uh... well..."

"Sorry, I didn't mean... I mean if you have something to tell me, just say it. You can tell me anything."

"Anything?" Arthur nodded. "Promise?"

"I promise. Just tell me, Merlin, I can see something's bothering you." What should Merlin reveal first, Arthur's identity or his own? He realized that if he revealed Arthur's identity and brought him back, Merlin's identity would automatically be revealed. 

"Arthur, tell me about your childhood." Merlin dared not approached the subject directly. 

"Sorry, what?"

"Your childhood. When you were a child, you played sick to get out of a council meeting, did you not?"

"Yes..."

"And when Gaius saw that you weren't sick, where did you go?"

"To the woods."

"Alone?"

"I don't see what you're getting at, Merlin."

"Did you go alone?"

"No."

"Then who did you go with?"

"I... I don't know."

"And what about when you were 10 and had a physical examination? What happened then?"

"I fell asleep in the middle of it."

"And before that?"

"I don't know. Why don't I know? Stop scaring me, Merlin!" Merlin said nothing. "Why don't I know?"

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"You know something, don't you?" Merlin nodded. "Well come on then, out with it." Merlin sighed. "What?"

"It's just... I'm not sure you'll believe me. You'll probably think I've gone mad or something."

"What do you mean 'gone mad'? You've always been mad!" Merlin glared. "Sorry. What I meant to say was, I promise I'll try to believe you. Okay?" Merlin took a deep breath. 

"You were conceived by magic. Your mother was barren and Uther needed an heir, so he consulted a sorcerer. Somehow, whether it was because of that or some other reason entirely, you were born as a Time Lord, not a human. Time Lords are an incredibly powerful alien race. Gaius has a book on them if you want to learn more. Anyway, Gaius thought that being a Time Lord was too close to being a sorcerer, so he made you a human temporarily, until the time came for your true nature to be revealed."

"Well, you're right about one thing."

"What's that?"

"Your story is hard to believe." Merlin sighed. "But supposing it was true, how would I go back to being a Time Lord?" 

Merlin took off the locket he always wore underneath his shirt. 

"This holds your Time Lord essence. All I have to do is open it. I've been keeping it safe all these years."

"Why would I give such a valuable thing to you, a servant?" The condescending disbelief was painfully clear in Arthur's tone. 

"Because once, you trusted me. Once, a very long time ago, we were friends, and you trusted me with your life and all the secrets and intimate details of it. Once." Merlin tried in vain to hold back tears. 

"And what happened?"

"When you were changed, your memory was wiped. I was too close to you, too close to your secret. You lost all memories of me."

"I'm sorry," Arthur said, and it looked like he meant it. "So does that mean I can go back to being a Time Lord now?"

"Maybe, but what will the people say? You must tell Camelot, and they will hardly be receptive if you refuse to allow magic in the kingdom."

"Are you suggesting..."

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting." And you have no idea how much it means to me, Merlin thought. 

"I suppose you're probably right, but I'll need to talk it over with Guinevere and my knights first."

"Just... be careful." Arthur nodded. 

"If all goes well, I'll soon be seeing you in a very different light. See you later, Merlin," Arthur said with a smile. 

The Once And Future Time Lord (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 4

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Gaius pulled out a large book and began flipping through the pages. "Ah, here it is." Gaius began to read aloud. "To change a Time Lord into a human, one must use a chameleon arch."

"What's a chameleon arch?" Arthur asked. 

"It's a complicated type of machinery that normally runs on advanced science, but we don't have the technology for it. Thankfully, the same effect can be achieved with magic."

"How?" Arthur asked. 

"First, you're going to need some object to hold your Time Lord essence, in case circumstances change and you can go back to being yourself."

"How about this?" Merlin held up a golden locket with the image of a clock on it. 

"That will do just fine," Gaius said, taking the locket. 

"Now, I have to warn you," he informed them, "this will alter your memory". 

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked. 

"You'll think you're a human and always have been. You'll forget that you are really a Time Lord. And..."

"And?"

"You'll forget about Merlin. Your adventures with him are to closely tied to your identity."

"You mean," Merlin asked, "he'll forget about me? About all the times we had together?" Gaius nodded. "Is there no other way?" He shook his head. 

"I'm sorry, Merlin. There is no other way." Merlin and Arthur began to cry, knowing their friendship would be lost. On a sudden impulse, Arthur hugged Merlin. They shared a sad smile. "Now, when this is over, you must give the locket to someone you trust," Gaius said. "Someone you trust with your life and all your secrets." Arthur didn't hesitate. 

"It goes to Merlin."

"Alright, now comes the part you'll both hate. But first, if you don't mind, Athur, I'd like to put a spell on you so you won't feel the pain." Arthur nodded. 

"Sounds like a good idea." Gaius performed the spell, and Arthur fell asleep. Merlin began to cry. "I'll need that locket," Gaius interrupted. Merlin handed it over, and Gaius performed another spell. Merlin watched as a golden glow flowed out of Arthur and into the locket. 

"That's it?" Merlin asked. Gaius nodded. Merlin sat solemnly for a minute, and then Arthur woke up. 

"What am I doing here?" he asked. 

"I just finished giving you your physical, sire."

"And how am I?"

"Just fine, sire, but you need some rest. You fell asleep as I was examining you."

"Oh. Well, I'll be going then. Thank you, Gaius," Arthur said, walking away without so much as a glance at Merlin. Merlin would never say anything about it, but that moment broke his heart, especially as Merlin realized that all his interactions with Arthur would be like this from now on. 

The Once And Future Time Lord (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 3

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The story continues! Sorry this chapter is kind of short.

A year later, something happened that would change their lives forever. Arthur was 10 now, and it was time for a physical (he had had one at the age of 5, but it had been completely uneventful). He had been to Gaius' chambers often, but this was the first time he would be seriously examined by the physician. Apart from a few faked illnesses, he had never been sick in his life. 

Everything was fine, and Arthur was in prime physical condition. At least, until Gaius got to checking the heartbeat. Gaius checked again. 

"Have you forgotten how to check the heartbeat?" Merlin joked, showing a sarcastic side that had been getting worse recently, possibly because of Arthur's influence. "Oh wait, maybe it's because Arthur doesn't have a heart!"

"Merlin!" Arthur glared. 

"Actually, Merlin, that's the opposite of the problem," Gaius said. "It seems to be the case that Arthur has two hearts."

"Two? How is that even possible?"

"He was born out of sorcery; anything is possible."

"What does it mean?"

"It means," Gaius pulled out an old book to confirm his suspicion, "that Arthur is a Time Lord."

"What's a Time Lord?" Arthur asked. 

"An alien. The Time Lords could travel through time (with the help of a special machine), see all of time, and regenerate (change into a different body) instead of dying. They have a different biology, which explains why Arthur's never been sick."

"That's... amazing! It's like magic!"

"Unfortunately, yes," Gaius replied. "If Uther found out, you would be disowned at best, killed at worst."

"So what do we do?" Merlin asked. 

"Well, I have a solution, but you're not going to like it, either of you."

Fandom School (5th period): Hello, Hiatus

Welcome back to Fandom School! If you haven't already, I recommend you read my earlier post, How To Survive Hiatus. Today, I'd like to show you some humorous examples of the insanity that occurs as a result of hiatus.