[color=LightSlateGray][center][img]http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o620/Vicier/Vicier%20-%20Through%20The%20Pages%20Roleplay/Character%20Page%20Gifs%20-%20Everyone/Yen%20Sid_zpskuexbkq1.gif[/img]
[h1]Yen Sid[/h1]
[h2]Thousand Mile Beach ~ Fairy Tale World[/h2]
[sup]Flashback Collab ~ Camelot ~ Ft. Freya Beauchamp[/sup][/center]

Morning had long ago begun to morph into day; the sun rising higher into the vast blue sky above, basking all and any in this world in its refulgent warmth. It was during this particular time that the forest surrounding the beach really seemed to become most alive- squirrels, birds, insects, and other woodland creatures went scurried about, going on with their daily routines as if nothing in the world was wrong...

Not too far from the forests edge- a quarter mile at the most- was a long and rather pristine beach, stretching on for as far as the eye could see... Dotted with rocks that were large enough to perch on; it was one of the many places of which the inhabitants of this world could come should they ever wish a reprieve from the stresses of everyday life... at least, that was until the dark Queen had taken over...

It was upon one of these aforementioned rocks in which he sat- his boots planted only about a foot away from the waters edge, and his rather stormy-blue eyes focused upon the ocean lain out in front of him; watching on as the waves caused the sea to reach out, trying futilely to lap at his feet, only to then recede back and to have to start all over again.

Having folded his gloved hands neatly within his lap long ago, the man simply known as 'the Sorcerer' simply continued to look out until his gaze was past the waters edge; the seemingly endless sea reflecting with such glorious light, and what very little remained of the dark from the night previous painted the sky's edge with a brilliant purplish-blue husk, ever retreating from the vigil of the day to come.

It was during these moments that he felt he could think the clearest... reflect while surrounded by the serenity and peace, and untouched by the Lady Morgana's foul touch... Thinking of the Queen sent a sharp pang of guilt through his heart, paining his chest- there had been a time... many years ago... when she had been younger; different... little more than a child of who had been forced to grow up far before she was due...

She had always been so friendly... so curious; so full of life-... and had always been willing to speak to him when he went under the guise of Merlin... so where had he gone so wrong..?

[hr]

[i][b]Around Sixteen Years Prior...[/b]

His mind wandering back to long before, he found himself once more back in the lands of Camelot, in the large castle under the rule of the good King Uther- a stern, though well-meaning man whom had brought him in and kept him in his service as the royal physician, and tutor for both his son and ward: the young Prince Arthur, and the Lady Morgana.

Currently hidden away within the tower that functioned as his home- his bedroom, his study, and classroom all in one- Merlin hunched over the rather aged wooden table, scrawling on a blank piece of parchment, though the words her wrote were far from English, instead some ancient language in which he was most likely the only one of whom would be able to translate.

Catching the feeling of the gentle breeze blowing in through the small window, Merlin couldn't help but pause, closing his smoky-blues and leaning back in his chair which then creaked from the sudden shift of weight as he relaxed his body, breathing in the sweet and welcomed breath of nature, until the soft rapping against his chamber door caught his ear, leading to him turning his head so that he could get a look at who had disturbed the peace.

"..Lady Morgana..?"

Sitting up a little straighter within his seat, and causing it to once more groan under the weight of his body, he continued to watch on as she hesitated in the doorway, her soft dark gaze flicking everything in the room before he was once more able to hold it with his own.

"..please; forgive me the intrusion... you said I was to come to you should it ever happen again..."

Turning in his seat so that he was better able to look upon the young woman, he carefully returned his quill once more back to its ink-pot before rising from his chair, taking his time to brush the dust from [url=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/028/9/7/psijic_vadril_by_theminttu-d4nv0xt.jpg]his robes[/url] before he took a step closer, his hands coming together behind his back- it was clear from her stance... the way she hung in the door frame... the girl was quite perturbed...

"..the-... the nightmares..."

Furrowing his brows together ever so slightly, he kept his gaze on the girl, watching on with worry as she brought her hands together in front of her stomach, nervously playing with the front of her gown as she continued to explain why she had come to see him in the first place.

"..t-they have come back- I could not sleep at all last night..."

All he could do was nod his head in understanding, the light streaming in from the window just managing to catch but the smallest glimpse of the face hidden beneath the hood; the square jaw blanketed by a thin and neatly trimmed beard of brown and grey that didn't even reach down past his chin.

"..yes, I see... that is troubling..." Offering the young girl a kind smile, Merlin motioned for her to move further inside, waiting until she was completely out the way before he closed the door behind her, his attention then turning to the elevated teapot that was held hovering over the still-crackling fire in the hearth, "Come; have a seat. I shall prepare you some tea."

Daring another look at her as he took a couple of teacups and sewn tea bags down from the shelf, he watched her hesitating in front of the door for a moment longer before finally she took her seat, her hands sliding down over the back of her legs to hold her gown against her body as she did so- she was quiet... the nightmare must have been worse than he had first thought.

Placing the cups down upon the surface of the small table, Merlin slipped the tea bags into them before made his way back over to the stove top, taking hold of the kettle and once more returned back to her side, pouring the water the water as he allowed his mind to wander in thought.

"..if you don't mind me asking, my dear..." Placing the kettle down on the wooden surface of the table, he slid himself down into the seat opposite before sliding one of the cups closer, a small though comforting smile playing over his lips, "What was last night's dream about..?"

It was clear that whatever it was that plagued her slumber; it had her hurting fairly deeply, the saddened look that flickered over her delicate features as she stared down into the tea she held within her hands was proof enough of that...

"..m-my mother..."

Her mother..? The answer had him taken aback slightly- there had been the rare few times previous where she had confided in him the relationship she had shared with the woman, but each time it was clear how much if effected the child... she was shaking; her lip quivering in terror as she lifted her hand up, pressing it against her neck as though she were trying to rid herself of something that seemed to be irritating her.

"T-The water... it-... it rushed into my lungs... it burned so much... I-I could not do anything, I-..."

Merlin listened patiently and in silence, his gaze steady as he watched her behavior, his brows furrowing the tiniest amount as he watched her place her untouched cup back down onto he table before her hands dropped below the surface to rest upon her lap.

"..I-I was so scared that I was going to die..."

Allowing himself a few moments to think of what to speak, Merlin allowed a small sigh to fall through his lips before he began to speak, his voice calm and sympathetic as he once more nodded his head in understanding, "Trauma... it is a terrible thing; it can plague people for the rest of their lives, but here is what I wish for you to do. The next time you have this night terror; the very next time you feel the memory crawling into your mind... I wish for you to play it out- the entire scene..."

Though he continued to wear his hood, what little of his face that could be seen wore a small smile, helping to emphasize his kind words, "..accept what has happened to you- do not fear what might have been. You survived; and here you sit... a beautiful, intelligent girl who, I believe has an incredibly bright future a head of her."

She was shaking her head... rejecting his words; though the look upon her face showed him just why it was she was doing so. She was scared- scared to open up and let herself face the horrors of her past that seemed ever intent on creeping up on her.

"I-I do not believe that is something in which I can do... I just-... I just wish to forget it all- please... I grow weary; and I cannot keep going with such things haunting me..."

Lowering his teacup back to the surface of the table, he twisted in his seat, his stormy-gray eyes watching on as she stood from her seat, her arms wrapping almost desperately around herself and in an attempt to keep herself together, her feet moving her across the room until she was stood before the window, her gaze fixated out at Camelot as it spanned out before their very eyes.

"..I-... I fear I cannot do what is needed of me should I not rid myself of this nightmare..."

"..my Lady..." Lifting himself up from his own seat as the words fell softly from his lips, Merlin took a moment to approach the girl, his hand lifting up to gently rest upon her shoulder in a caring manner, "..memories are what define us; they are, after all, what make us unique- answer me this, my dear... can you truly cherish the good memories, were there no bad..?"

"..well, no... But-..." His hand slipped from his shoulders as she turned around in front of him, her gaze lifting to meet with his, "But this is no ordinary bad memory. I do not believe it would affect those that are good should it be gone- taken from my mind... please Merlin; that must be something in which you can do..."

He couldn't help the way his body seemed to stiffen at the request- she wanted him to take away her memory... to make her forget... By all means, it was well within the bounds of his power, yes; however... such a power... and used ever so freely...

"No... no, I cannot..." His tone was heavy, filled with absolute though his eyes betrayed him, holding a sadness to them as he met with her gaze once more, pausing a few moments before he placed his hand upon the small of her back, her free hand gesturing back to the table they had been sat at moments beforehand, "..I am sorry my dear, though please believe me when I say I have my reasons for such an answer..."

Falling once more into silence, he waited, watching her as she turned her attention back to the table before finally, she made her way back towards it, once more taking her place, though her eyes never once left the surface, her hands folding neatly within her lap.

Waiting a few moments longer, Merlin once again took his seat opposite her, the frown upon his lips growing with worry as he once more took a hold of his teacup, his thumb brushing over the side of it for a few moments before he let out a gentle sigh, doing what he could to explain to her just why such a thing wasn't possible.

"..your life, my dear, is a collection of both good and bad memories... times of grand celebration; and times of mourning... of love and hate... of birth and death... life and loss- one cannot live unless they have experienced both hardship, and peace..." He paused for a moment, his brows furrowing together ever slightly as he did what he could to gauge her reaction to what he was saying, "You are strong, Lady Morgana... and you [/i]will[i] get through this... I simply wish to ask you: where would you be were you without the bad memories..?"

"..I-... I do not know... However; I can say for certain that I would not be here before you had such events not come to pass..."

Contemplation... finally, it seemed, she was taking his words to heart as she shifted lightly within her seat, her fingers thumbing at the material of her dress as she nodded her head softly as though she were somewhere deep in thought.

"..I understand now why you wish me to keep such memories- how you with not to tamper with the past my mind holds dear, however... is there nothing you can do..?" Her head lifted forcing him to once more meet her rather pleading gaze from under his hood, "Nothing at all that shall grant me peace throughout the night..? I should very much hate to disappoint through lack of sleep... and my duties, of course, are of great importance..."

"Yes... yes, I believe I have [/i]just[i] the thing..." Smiling softly, Merlin nodded his head lightly up and down in answer to her question, taking another moment of pause to think of what he had done with it before he stood himself up once again, attending to one of the long shelves that had been nailed into the stone walls; the shelf itself groaning slightly under the weight of numerous potions, salves, poultices and alchemical ingredients, some of which were identifiable, though few looking as though they were completely and utterly unnatural.

"..ah... here we are." Mumbling softly to himself as he caught sight of what he had been looking for, Merlin reached up, procuring a small bottle filled with a bright purple liquid from the stores of potions lining the shelf, returning to the table, he crouched down at her side, meeting with her gaze from under the hood as he placed the vial gently down in front of her.

"..here... this is a mixed extract, containing the petals of a very rare flower known to only bloom during the light of a full moon... Pour this extract in a cup of tea, or water before you retire each night; it should help to calm you down and give you a restful nights sleep." He couldn't help the small smile that played across his lips as he continued to explain, the young girl- so curious; so thirsty for knowledge- seeming to hang on his every word, "Do not drink it straight from the bottle, nor are you to use anymore than a few drops at a time... I do hope, my Lady, that this helps you with your plight."

His heart swelled lightly as he watched her reach out and take the vial, her head nodding lightly in understanding as she rose from her chair, causing for him to follow suit and to stand up tall once more.

"..do not drink from the bottle, nor use more than but a few drops... take with either water, or a cup of tea before I retire for the night... I understand..."

"Good... and should you have anymore nightmares, Lady Morgana..." Lifting his hand up from his side, he once more placed it softly upon her shoulder, "..know that there is always time should you wish to speak- my door is, as it always has been, open for you, sweet child."

His hand slid from her shoulder as she turned her back to him, forcing him to watch on as she crossed over the room, her hand hesitating upon the hand a moment before she turned her gaze back over her shoulder so that she was able to look at him once more.

"..thank you... [/i]Emrys[i]..."

And then, as quickly as she had come, she was gone. Watching her as she left the room, Merlin shifted his gaze back to the window as he heard the gentle sound of her footsteps echoing through the corridor, the corner of his mouth twitching just slightly causing the door she had left open to close itself almost magically, the Sorcerer's fingers then twitching as he made sure to lock it for good measure.

Returning once more to his desk, he couldn't help but allow his mind to wander; pondering upon her last words... She had used his name... one of his true names... The only way in which she could have known such a thing was if one of the druid people had somehow happened to enter Camelot; and should that be the case, he knew he would have to figure out a quick solution before King Uther's wrath had time to fall upon him.

No longer able to focus upon writing his manuscripts, Merlin once more rose to his feet and crossed over to the window, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he looked out, his gaze unfocused as he seemed to take in what was the sprawling city lain out below him.[/i]

[hr]

[i][b]Present Day...[/b][/i]

Returning himself once more back to reality, and the present situation he was in, the Sorcerer couldn't help but to remember the meeting between both himself and Morgana as though it had happened only a mere five minutes prior, rather than the many years it had actually been... How close, truly, had she been to her fall then..? Her descent into the darkness that seemed to consume her..?

Before he could contemplate any further upon the thought however, another, more slightly terrifying one struck him in his core... She had used his name... his [i]true[/i] name... The name in which only the druids, and a select few others knew him by. [i]Emrys[/i].

Back then, all he could think about were the druids wandering about Camelot, running the danger of being killed due to their birthright; but never before had he stopped and pondered just [i]how[/i] she had known his name specifically...

It could, truly, only mean one thing... she had known who he was from the very start...

Suddenly exceedingly uncomfortable, and especially perturbed by the sudden revelation he had come by, he couldn't help but shift awkwardly upon the rock in which he sat, his stormy-gray eyes flicking out over the crashing waves in paranoia; the fear that he was now suddenly being watched washing over him, forcing him to once more get to his feet, his head turning back and forth as he looked around his person for signs that he wasn't alone... that something- [i]someone[/i]- was watching him... stalking him...

Slowly though surely relaxing as he managed to once again tether his mind back to what was real, he turned on his heel, making his way back to his cave. He needed to see how things were transpiring upon Earth... and he needed to make special arrangements...
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