Rabbit Heart - Merlin Fanfiction

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Morgause looks out over the lake waiting for Elaine to reappear but she does not. She observes every square inch of it looking for any signs of life, something wasn't right. Elaine's enchantment was not yet finished - which could mean repercussions for Morgause. Then the strangest of sensations fell over Morgause, one that felt like she was drowning. Drowning on dry land.

"What's going on?" Morgana asks, but Morgause doesn't seem to hear her. She's to busy trying to figure out why she has returned to the surface, what purpose she is supposed to fulfil. She only seemed to know when Elaine was there. Now she didn't have an inkling.
She needed Elaine back to put her mind at rest, to work out her path.

"Morgause?" Morgana says again, too afraid to touch her to grab her attention - still reeling in disbelief.

Morgause finally turns around in a daze as she walks out from the lake, bone dry. Her eyes gloss over Morgana, taking in her rugged appearance, a matted mess of black hair that framed her pale face. Her dazzling green eyes that used to greet Morgause with such warmth now held the air of confusion and sternness about them. Morgause felt a pang of guilt, the kind that makes your stomach drop - that she hadn't been there to look after Morgana, to care for her. It was clear hovel life wasn't good for a former Lady of Camelot and yet she still retained some grace about her.

Morgana does the same, inspecting every inch of Morgause without saying a word. Refusing to let her mind wander back to the day where Morgause asked her to sacrifice herself. She didn't want to, not really, she would of happily cared for Morgause for as long as it'd take - not that many remedies actually helped with the pain. She never thought she'd look into those brown eyes again - eyes that were still happy to see her after what she had done. She looked at her, standing in the sun light. Golden hair lightly curled, shining like jewels, her face no longer scared - how she'd never know, but then there were her words. Words that would never come from the Morgause she knew.

It was clear they had both changed that day. Morgana had to bite her tongue, close her eyes and do an unforgivable deed - in the knowledge- in the hope she'd bring her enemies to their knees. Morgause had to let go, of pent up hatred and twisted schemes that only seemed to grow into more elaborate ones once paired with her sister. There was a time where she was just one of the brightest witches in the druid camps she'd move between, and even on the Isle of the Blessed. Each had changed much since then, for one the water was able to wash away the wrongs. For the other it only drowned them in it.

Morgana breaks away from Morgause's eye line, still unconvinced by her story she turns to tackle Elaine, but Elaine is no longer there. She quickly looks back at Morgause.
"Where's Elaine" Morgana asks again quickly. Morgause says nothing, unsure of what to say.
"What happened?"
"I do not know sister" Morgause manages to say, still looking back over the lake.
"What do you mean you do not know - she summoned you back did she not?"
"That she did, but I can no longer tell why she did that. -"
"Then let me help you sister, like you did to me all those years ago. It can be just like old times, you and me. We don't need anyone else, we never did. You taught me that. You taught me that the world doesn't accept us - and so we must stick together. Now we can"

Morgause still looks over the lake. The drowning sensation is sickening - one palm burns but upon inspection she sees no fault. She shakes her head slightly trying to rid herself of what could only be described as sea sickness.

"Is that not what you want?" Morgana asks, "is that not why you returned?"
Morgause turns around to face her.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You returned to the surface, to me - are we not supposed to finish our scheme? To take the revenge we so crave on all those who have done us wrong?"
Morgause closes her eyes briefly. All she can see is murky mustard coloured waters and flickers of a vision - all of which had passed, all except the ever growing blackness and shadows as dark as death itself.
"I don't think revenge is wise -"
"What do you mean? It's what we agreed - it's what kept us going, when you were on deaths door the only thing that kept you doing was your burning desire to take the throne. To restore the balance. To let magic live once again in this rotten wasted land where tyranny and cowards rule"
"A darkness is coming - I can't tell what it is"
"I'll tell you what it is, it'll be the day they come for us and wipe our kind out for good. We are not in the wrong - we are avenging our dying kind sister. You said it yourself, it's our duty."
"I," a wave of sickness and uncertainty washes over her. "I don't know why I'm here, this isn't right" Morgause says and it nearly verges on panic. Morgana can feel her own face flush at the shock of the unexpected turn in character.

"Morgause I don't know where you have been for the last few years but your time away has made you weak. You are not the person I once knew - you left me. You left me in this god forsaken place and I've suffered at the hands of those we swore to take down. Why are you resisting what is right?"
"Morgana - sister - I have not changed I am still the Morgause you knew. I remember everything we did together. I remember how I had to beg you to take my life - to end my suffering, I am sorry I left you here. I saw from the veil how you suffered and I do long to fix it, I'm sorry you were alone. I am here now. I have returned" she says, the last part with uncertainty - a desperate longing to know why.
"Then you know you should come with me, help me"
Morgause shakes her head, "I am here to right the wrongs - I swore that down in the depths, things would be better this time. The waters they cleanse and they heal and I do want to rid the land of the tyranny that grips the land, but we are looking in the wrong places, I fear..." she sighs closing her eyes again, only to be met with the darkness that moves like clouds across her vision. Of twisted and obscured faces of the long since departed flashing through the clouds like lightning. The sound of chains sliding against the floor which starred off faint began to fill here ears. She opens her eyes, frowning. It didn't tell her much but it was something. "I think there is something much worse to come."

Morgana runs a thin hand through her matted hair out of frustration. Her mind could not understand how Morgause wasn't willing to help her.
"Things have changed since you've been gone sister, and I know there is only one true tyrant in this land and he might as well rule in his Fathers name"
"Our fathers name" Morgause mutters as if to correct her, though she wasn't sure where that inner voice came from.
"The castle you wish to reclaim - even if it means by burning it to the ground, is, was and still could be our home. It could be our only sanctuary in the dark days to follow, I do not know much Morgana. I do not know why I am here, but as your sister I want to aid you and care for you. Something about this is very wrong -"
"Morgause would you listen to yourself?!" Morgana spits in disbelief, "are you high on holy water? I don't know what Elaine did to you but you are not the Morgause I knew. You are speaking utter nonsense so much so you may as well not be here at all - I shall waste no more time here. I have a hovel to avenge and an army to gather. I'll see you in the dark days to come - and by then I hope to see you at my side where you belong sister. I've seen the visions and it is the throne we will one day win."

And with that Morgana turns to skulk back into the heart of the forest, though she turns around once more.
"You'll know how to find me - should you truly be who you say you are. And if you think if going to Camelot just know that they'll hang you within the day - you'd be safer at my side" she says disappearing into the woods without giving a second thought, leaving Morgause alone on the shore.