Narrated by Aubrey
Later, Kaylee and I told Merlin our dreams, then Merlin said apprehensively, "Yes, your dreams are indeed prophetic, but the exact events you dreamed are really not going to occur except for battles of course. Those events are only symbolic of what is to come. As I foresaw the future of you two saving Camelot, these prophetic dreams are in no doubt associated. We cannot ignore the inevitable."
Kaylee and I exchanged ominous glances, then I turned back to Merlin and asked, "Do you know how or if your brother's sword could be the key to Zophar's release?"
"That, unfortunately, I cannot answer," Merlin replied, shaking his head. "My knowledge is limited to an extent. My brother's knowledge and power exceeded mine, but he never admitted it because he was such a humble man. I have always looked up to him because he inspired me. Really, he was the greatest wizard that ever existed in Camelot, but he made everyone think I was." Merlin grinned, shaking his head in thought. "What a brother he was; he was very special to me, and I am so proud to call him my brother. Any who, I'm getting off topic. Where was I? Ah, yes, now I remember. About my brother's sword... I do believe like you all that it is possible that Facilier desires the sword for the intent of releasing Zophar with its power. And it is likely he could be a relative to him. But let's not jump to conclusions yet."
"Do you think if we just made sure that Facilier never got the sword, then perhaps we could prevent the grim future from coming?" questioned Hook.
"Like going back to Storybrooke with the sword now," Zelena added.
"I can't really say," Merlin replied with uncertainty.
"Where do you think Zophar is trapped right now?" Neal curiously asked.
"I believe he is trapped in the Dark Realm," replied Merlin, "a prison that is impossible to escape unless if one is able to use an immense amount of power to open a door to the realm. However, none have ever succeeded since it only takes light magic. But Facilier could be the first one to open a door to the realm if he got Nayu's sword," he added apprehensively. Merlin then turned his grim expression onto Kaylee and me and added, "It's time I tell you both what you need to know that I had foreseen. I never told you before because I did not want to burden you then and also because I didn't want to accept that it was true even though deep down, I knew it was." Then his face grew serious, and he began, "You two will face Zophar alone; for this will be your own battle to fight. It is your predetermined fate. In this prophesy I had a long time ago, it was said that two purehearted ones who master the sword of Nayu shall vanquish the dark wizard in the final battle."
Kaylee and I cast each other fearful glances, then Regina said, sounding very upset and worried, "The twins don't die, do they?"
"That is uncertain," said Merlin solemnly. "Foreseeing into the future has its limitations which means I can only see a little bit of it. All that I know is that Zophar will die since it is prophesied that Camelot will have restored peace after the final battle with him." Then he turned back to Kaylee and me. "You two are strong and brave despite your youth and small stature; not only that, but you also possess great potential. You are our only hope for saving Camelot."
"Those two are always being burdened with dangerous prophesies," said Hook. "But I'm not surprised that they were prophesied to defeat Zophar. Afterall, they defeated Peter Pan."
"Who's Peter Pan?" Lancelot asked.
"It's a long story," replied Hook.
"Whatever is to come, all we must do is hold onto hope because hope is one of the most powerful feelings next to love, which makes us strong," said Snow confidently.
Early the next morning, Lancelot wanted to take us all out for breakfast in the local village. Guinevere was coming, and he knew the fresh air would be good for her after her being cooped up in her bedroom for so long. Lancelot ordered a carriage, and we all rode in it to the village. Once we arrived, it was very quiet since people were just beginning to open their shops. Lancelot led us to a quaint shop with a sign that read, Tiana's Palace. Kaylee and I cast one another surprised glances; for we were thinking the same thing, that this name was the name of the restaurant the Disney character, Tiana, owned in the move, The Princess and the Frog. We wondered if we were going to see the actual Tiana, and I convinced myself that it wasn't just coincidental.
"This is Guinevere's favorite breakfast place," said Lancelot, casting a loving gaze onto his wife who returned it with a smile.
"Then what are we waiting for?" said David. "I'm as hungry as a horse."
Once we walked into the little restaurant, the place charmed us. It looked so cozy with a large fireplace in the center of the room, and there were round tables everywhere with pretty, white tablecloths on each. A flower centerpiece and a candle were on top of each. It was the cutest restaurant I've ever seen, and it made me feel at home. The whole environment was just so welcoming, and it made me think of Granny's diner back in Storybrooke. It was nice and warm inside, and we smelled something so delicious which made our mouths water.
"Whatever I'm smelling," said Hook, taking a deep whiff, "I really need to try. It's certainly irresistible."
"Oh yes, those are beignets, my favorite pastry," said Guinevere. "I order them every time I come here for breakfast. They are to die for," she added with a merry laugh.
"I can't wait to try them," said David.
A moment later, a beautiful, dark-skinned woman in her twenties greeted us warmly. "Welcome to my palace," she said, smiling. "I'm glad you stopped by. Take a seat anywhere you like."
"So, this must be your restaurant, and you must be Tiana," Regina said, turning to the woman.
"Yes, I am," the woman merrily replied. Then she turned to Guinevere and said, "It's so good to see you, Guinevere. Welcome back. How are you?"
"I'm well, thank you, Tiana," Guinevere replied with a grin.
"I knew it; she must be the actual Tiana from the Disney movie!" I excitedly whispered to Kaylee, and she returned a big grin. "And since Dr. Facilier exists, it makes sense that Tiana would as well."
"Your place is adorable," Regina remarked, admiring the restaurant.
"Why, thank you," Tiana replied, looking pleased. "It's been in my family for a long time. I can't imagine my life apart from it."
We all sat at two separate tables conjoined by the fireplace. And once we all ordered drinks, we ordered beignets. "We were told how amazing your famous beignets are," said Hook, turning to Tiana.
Tiana gave a blush and a smile then replied, "Yes, they certainly are my best sellers. The recipe has been in my family even longer than this restaurant."
"What's the secret recipe?" Hook asked. "Just kidding, don't tell me," he quickly added with a chuckle, and Tiana looked amused.
"The beignets will be right up," she said, then she gracefully turned and walked away.
A moment later, from outside, we all heard a man singing while playing music from a ukulele. "What's all the bloody racket?" questioned Hook.
Kaylee and I went over to the window that was nearest to the door where we heard the music. We saw a tall, handsome, young, mulatto man who wore a sandy-colored vest and pants, a white shirt, and an orange-colored ascot. The first thought that came to our minds was that he was Prince Naveen who was also from the movie, The Princess and the Frog. He very much resembled him; he wore the same clothes and played the same instrument. We cast each other amused glances then returned to our seats at the table. I explained who we saw, and Hook replied irritably, "Can't he play somewhere else? I just need quiet time for once."
Tiana returned with a large plate of delicious-looking beignets which were coated with powdered sugar. Immediately, we all dove in, and Hook exclaimed, "Bloody hell! These pastries are delicious! They are one of the best things I've ever tasted!"
Tiana chuckled and replied, looking very pleased, "Thank you, I'm glad you like them. Anyway, can I catch all your names?"
"Most certainly," Hook quickly replied first. "Killian Jones, but you can call me Hook."
Then the rest of us told our names, and Tiana said, "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Are you new to Camelot?"
"It's a long story," said Regina. "But yes, we are new."
"I'm just curious but who is that man playing outside?" Hook asked Tiana.
"Oh, that's Lawrence," replied Tiana. "Well, I mean Prince Naveen."
"Well, well, a prince," said Zelena, sounding enthralled.
"A prince or not, all I care about is the heart," Tiana said, suddenly sounding almost upset.
"So, were you two once together?" Zelena asked. "Did something happen between you both?"
"Well, somebody doesn't know their boundaries," said Regina, casting her sister a glare.
"What?" Zelena returned. "Well, there must be a reason how she could turn down a prince."
"Zelena, I mean it," Regina said sternly.
"It's okay," said Tiana. "Yes, he and I were once together, but it just didn't work out. That's all. Anyway, can I get you all anything else?"
"Oh, these beignets were plenty, thank you," said Lancelot. "But I'm ready to pay."
When we were all about to leave, suddenly, when I stood up, something fell out of my pocket. Very confused, I picked it up and realized it was a piece of paper. Kaylee saw it and curiously glanced at it. Once I unraveled it, to our horror, there was blood-red writing that read, You know what you must give me to escape your penalty.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaylee questioned nervously. "And how did this get into your pocket anyway?"
"I think I know," I replied seriously, "Facilier."
I showed the warning note to everyone, and Hook exclaimed angerly, "Bloody hell! That witch doctor won't stop until he gets your sword. He may threaten us all he wants but that's not going to intimidate me. We just finished overpaying that bloody scammer, enough to have also paid our late penalty!"
"Well, apparently that wasn't enough," Regina responded with vexation. "He did tell us that he would make us pay if you recall. So that means, if we never give him what he wants, the sword, we will pay the consequences."
"Well, that's just bloody brilliant," Hook said sarcastically.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he cursed us if we ignored this warning," said Zelena.
"Aren't you optimistic," Regina said coldly, casting a frown at her sister.
"What? I'm being realistic here," replied Zelena. "He is a witch doctor after all. He could make voodoo dolls of us all and torture us, whatever witch doctors do."
"I don't care about some bloody warning, but that scoundrel is not getting that sword," Hook said boldly. "I reckon he's only bluffing."
"Well, I'm not taking the chances of being cursed," said Zelena, crossing her arms irritably. "No one can stop me from leaving Camelot anyway. Afterall, Merlin did say he could make a portal for me. If I had left Camelot earlier, then I wouldn't be stuck in this predicament with you all right now."
"Fine, you leave for all I care," Regina responded bitterly.
"I will," Zelena retorted.
Tiana approached us and said, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear everything. I'm sorry what has happened. I also had a bad history with Dr. Facilier. Such an evil man he is. But it was Lawrence, well Naveen, who got me into that mess."
"What happened?" Regina asked.
"Some time ago, when Naveen and I were together, Naveen made a deal with Facilier that nearly cost his own life. Such a naïve idiot he was to have bargained with that witch doctor. Anyway, at that time, it was said that a fearsome sea creature inhabited the DunBroch Sea, a creature called the Loch Ness monster. It was said that many sailors went missing in that sea, and many believed it was due to that monster."
"Has anyone actually seen this Loch Ness monster?" Hook questioned.
"Some claim to have, but others say it is just a folklore which I believe it to be," said Tiana.
"Do you know what the monster is described as looking like?" Hook asked.
"It was often described as being very large, long-necked, and with a hump protruding from the water, assumed to be its back," replied Tiana.
"Perhaps this monster could have just been a kraken they saw," said Hook. "I've seen krakens many times in my lifetime. We even recently encountered one when we were sailing in the DunBroch Sea."
"You could be right," said Tiana. "Anyway, it was said that whoever killed this Loch Ness monster and showed it to the people, would get a large reward and gain fame. Naveen, with his pride, foolishness, and overconfidence, took on the challenge of finding this monster. I guess being a prince wasn't enough for him, and he had nothing better to do than waste his time on this foolish pursuit. Once he set out on the hunt, immediately, it grew to be an obsession until he started to ignore me. Encouraging him to give up was useless, for nothing stopped that man, and I say, if it never ended badly, he'd still be at sea searching for it right now. Now to get to the point, Naveen decided to go make a deal with Dr. Facilier for a magical spear that supposedly had the capability of locating the monster and killing it. This object came with a very hefty price that no one in the right mind would ever consider paying. But Naveen did. He thinks that just because he's rich he could squander his money like that!" she added angerly. "Once Naveen set back out to sea with the spear, the spear ended up not leading him to the Loch Ness monster but instead to a shark. He was swindled by that witch doctor! Anyway, then more sharks appeared and attacked his boat, wrecking it, then they began to attack him. If it were not for some sailors who saw Naveen, he would have been killed. They rescued him, and by the time they took him back to Camelot, he was nearly dead due to the amount of blood he had lost. Desperately, I went to Dr. Facilier for help since he's the only doctor in this village, and it cost me everything valuable I owned, everything that once belonged to my mother. The objects were very dear to me. But at least Naveen was saved, and that's all that matters. I would give anything to save him. If only he was not so foolish, then things would be different now between us."
"So that's why you broke up with him?" Zelena asked.
"It was a lot more than that," Tiana replied. "It's complicated. Our relationship just wasn't meant to be."
"I'm so sorry, Tiana," said Regina with sympathy. "Well, you deserve better."
"I reckon singing and playing music must be one of his tactics to try and win you back," Hook concluded.
"It would seem so," Tiana replied with a roll of her eyes. "He sure is the most stubborn man I ever laid eyes on, and he may flatter me all he wants and shower me with many gifts, but none of that is ever going to change my mind. Anyway, I'm sorry for wasting all your time. Well, it was a pleasure meeting you all, and I hope we can meet again soon."
"We will certainly be back," Hook quickly replied. Then he took Tiana's hand into his and pressed his lips against it. "And the pleasure's all mine."
Tiana blushed and smiled. After we all said our goodbyes, she then said as we were heading out of the door, "I wish you all luck!"
Once we all arrived back at the castle, I showed Merlin the warning note from Facilier. "I will make sure to keep Nayu's sword safely hidden," Merlin said, "just in case if it is the key to Zophar's release. But because the prophesy cannot be prevented from coming and since I am going to hide the sword to make sure Facilier will never get it, I'm starting to believe that the sword is not the key, but we shall find out how fate plays out."
"Only if it was possible to prevent this dark prophesy from coming true. Why couldn't we if we already know the future?" Regina questioned.
"Because fate leading to the prophesied future is always unknown; it takes its own course of action," Merlin stated.
"That unfortunate," Regina responded with a sigh. "Anyway, how are the girls going to be able to defeat Zophar if they don't have magic?"
"Hmm...," Merlin responded, pondering for a moment, "that thought had never occurred to me. I know exactly what to do. I will channel some of my own powers into them using the Transfer Spell, the spell Arthur intended to use on me to take my powers for himself." Then he faced Kaylee and me and told us to grab his hands." Merlin, Kaylee, and I held hands, forming a circle, and Merlin began to babble out strange words which was an incantation. Suddenly, I felt this strange energy enter my body, and as soon as he stopped chanting, the strange, intense feeling stopped. I cast a surprised expression at Kaylee, and she returned it with a look of great wonder; for she had felt that same strange feeling too.
I turned my surprised expression to Merlin and said, "So you actually transferred power into us? Is that why I felt energy flowing into my body?"
"Yes," the wizard replied, nodding. "Now you both have powers to use to your own advantage. Use them well. Go ahead and give them a try."
Kaylee and I quickly exchanged excited glances, and once we exclaimed our thanks, we tried out our new powers. I levitated a book, and Kaylee turned a potted plant into a pile of sand. We fooled around, and it felt great having powers back. Everyone was just as surprised and thrilled as us, especially Regina who now was at peace that we didn't have to face our grim future without powers.
"Be careful," Regina said to Kaylee and me as we were still fooling around. "Magic isn't a toy. Don't break anything."
Merlin chuckled and turned to Regina, saying, "Children need a little fun. It's good for them."
"So, just curious but since you gave them some of your own magic, doesn't that make you less powerful now?" Zelena asked Merlin.
"Yes," Merlin responded, "but I still have enough to defend myself. Plus, an old man such as myself does not need that much power, and who cares what happens to me anyway. It's the twins who need it more than I do."
"Thank you, Merlin," Regina said, nodding gratefully.
"It's the least I can do," he replied.
"Oh, Merlin, anyway, would you please make that portal for me now?" said Zelena. "I am ready to leave this place. There's no reason why I should have to stay here."
"If that is what you want," replied Merlin.
"Snow, you should go back to Storybrooke too," said David, taking Snow's hand into his. "You will be safe there."
Snow returned a loving smile and replied, "I'm staying. Family should always stick close together no matter what, and if that means I must fight then gladly I shall."
David grinned and replied, "I knew you would say that. That's the Snow I know."
"Well, Sis, it looks like it's just you leaving then," said Regina.
"At least I'm being sensible unlike you all," she haughtily responded.
"I guess it's a goodbye," Regina replied, disregarding Zelena's last remark.
"It won't be if you decide to come along," Zelena responded.
Merlin returned, holding a wand that sort of resembled Dumbledore's wand from Harry Potter. "This wand which has been in my family for many centuries holds the power to open a portal to any realm," he said. Then he turned to Zelena and added, "Are you sure you desire to leave now?"
"Of course," Zelena quickly replied. "I never wanted to come here in the first place."
"Alright," the wizard replied. "I will open the portal to Storybrooke right away."
We all, following Merlin, went out to the courtyard. After Cora hugged Zelena and we all said our goodbyes to her, Merlin opened a portal that formed in the air, then Zelena jumped through it. She was gone.
(More than a Century Ago)
Fisher King, king of the Kingdom of Corbenic which was just a little more than six hundred miles from the Kingdom of Camelot, reigned justly; for he was a good king loved and respected by all. Fisher King fell in love with a young, beautiful sorceress named Morgana who had a skill for woodcarving, and her skill very much pleased him. Like her, he was also a powerful sorcerer, and with all his power, he kept his kingdom strong. He also held the responsibility of protecting the Grail tablet which was a map to the Holy Grail's location, the location where his ancestors had hidden the Holy Grail. He and his family bloodline were the only ones who knew where it was, and keeping its location secret was one of their most important duties in life.
Camelot, at this time, was allied with Corbenic, so both the kingdoms were at peace with one another. However, this all changed after Merlin's former apprentice, Zophar, was banished from Camelot. It was not long after that Zophar returned to Camelot, and he brought darkness with him to the land. He had brought a dangerous object with him that he had used to usurp Camelot as revenge on Merlin. This object was a golden medallion that could summon the wraiths, and Zophar had summoned hundreds of them at his own control. They killed hundreds of innocent people and all of Camelot's army. As Camelot was being wiped out, Nayu, Merlin's older brother who was the king of Camelot at that time, knew what he had to do to put the madness to an end. He wanted to send Zophar somewhere where he would be imprisoned for eternity. In secret, without Merlin knowing, he sent a messenger to Zophar to tell him that he wished to meet him by the oak tree that stood next to the stone wall which surrounded Camelot's kingdom. At this request, Zophar complied; for he knew this was his opportunity to face Nayu alone to kill him as revenge on Merlin. He met up with Nayu who was waiting by the oak tree. Nayu's true intention for meeting with Zophar at this specific area was to follow out with his plan; for Nayu had already created a magic door to the Dark Realm that could only be opened by the power of a magical ruby which contained pure light magic. This ruby was on the handle of the sword Nayu had with him. All he had to do to open the portal to the Dark Realm was to remove the ruby from the sword and place it into a hollow shaped as the ruby itself, which was at the side of the stone wall. However, before he got the chance to open the portal, he was suddenly stabbed by Zophar when they were sword fighting. Merlin had just arrived at that very moment and saw what had happened. Zophar maliciously laughed with triumph and turned a taunting smirk to him who was so furious and distraught. And when he was about to run over to his brother who lay on the ground, suffering, Zophar got in his way, and the two wizards began to duel. Nayu, at the brink of death, knew this was not the end; for he had foreseen that someone else would trap Zophar into the Dark Realm, but it would not be his own brother. Then he foresaw a future of hope, a future that peace would finally be restored to Camelot, and two purehearted ones would be the destined ones to kill Zophar after he returned. Nayu let out a grin despite his suffering, and with the last of his own strength, he magically teleported his sword to somewhere mysterious, to a designated place where the purehearted ones would find the sword. He had foreseen that this plan would be fate that would make the prophesy come true. Rather than use his magic to heal himself, he chose to die instead since he knew death was his own fate, which needed to happen in order for the prophesy to come true. He died in peace. Merlin did not get the chance to save him, and he was more distraught and angrier than ever.
As Merlin was dueling with Zophar, suddenly, he foresaw the same future his brother had foreseen. But Merlin had also foreseen a day earlier of a future in which Camelot would need a strong, true king and that his own Excalibur would designate that king. Yesterday, he had magically transported his Excalibur to the Island of Avalon where the sword would imbed into stone, and only the destined one to be Camelot's king could pull it from the stone. Then he wrote a note about this and kept it hidden safe somewhere where he knew, when the time came, it would be found. Because Merlin now knew he was not destined to kill Zophar, he surrendered. He had even prophesied a few days ago that he was fated to be cursed as a tree and that the finders of his brother's sword, the prophesied ones to defeat Zophar, would free him. That was why he wrote a spell on a scroll a day earlier, a spell that could free him from being a tree, but this spell would take the blood of the purehearted ones who own his brother's sword. It would even take the power of Nayu's sword since the spell would need Nayu's own light magic that he had put into his own sword; and that power would need to be combined with Merlin's own light magic that he had put into the Excalibur. The reason for this was because light magic from those who are blood-related was necessary to break this kind of curse. Merlin would be able to turn back into a human if the potion containing the pure blood of the prophesied ones was poured onto each sword and if the swords were stabbed into the tree at the same time. He knew in the future that someone would find this spell and use it when the purehearted ones were in Camelot because that fate would make the prophesy come true. Merlin had written about his fate being cursed as an oak tree with a deformed trunk so that it would one day be read by someone and become known to people for the prophesy to take place. And this is how it became a legend.
As Zophar was laughing scornfully, he decided that instead of killing Merlin, he would transform him into a tree to be cursed for eternity, to a fate he thought worse than death. He turned Merlin into an oak tree with a deformed trunk just as Merlin had foreseen. Then Zophar transported that tree to the courtyard as a reminder of his victory. He then took over the throne, but the people of Camelot did not dare revolt against him due to fear after what had happened with the wraiths.
Later on, during his dark reign, he formed the Knights of the Golden Circle, a fellowship of his most loyal knights. The golden circle in the name of his fellowship referred to the wraith medallion he used to triumph. It was not long after when he started a bloodline of heirs, and Grinder was his first son.
Zophar had everything he desired, but there was still something more he wanted, and that was immortality; for he wanted to reign forever. After finding out Fisher King's secret of protecting the Holy Grail, he went to the kingdom of Corbenic and threateningly demanded the Grail tablet from him.
But Fisher King, being a powerful sorcerer too, did not let Zophar's threats intimidate him. With his powerful staff which only had half of a ruby on top of it, Fisher King opened a portal to the Dark Realm with the ruby's light magic, and immediately, Zophar was sucked into the portal.
(A Decade Ago)
It was a week before Zophar's return when Nayu had suddenly foreseen the dark wizard's inevitable return. He went to Fisher King for help and asked for something that could rid of Zophar, and what he needed was the ruby on Fisher King's staff since it had the power to open a portal to the Dark Realm, the place he wanted to send Zophar to if it was not possible to kill him. Fisher King agreed to give Nayu only half the ruby since he still needed some of the ruby's power to help protect his own kingdom. There was still enough power in half the ruby to create a portal.
Once Nayu came back to Camelot, he created a magic door on a section of the stone wall that surrounded Camelot, and this door was a portal to the Dark Realm. Because the ruby was less powerful now since he had only half of it, it needed to be in contact with something created from magic for it to work. And that was why Nayu had magically created a door with a hollow on it the ruby half could be placed into; it would act like a key to open the door to the Dark Realm. He had tested this out and it worked. For the meantime, he had the ruby half stuck to the handle of his prized sword to keep it safe, and that sword was the one he was going to bring when he would meet Zophar by the stone wall.
(A Decade Later)
After Zophar disappeared, Grinder became the next king of Camelot at only age twelve. With assistance from Zophar's friends, the kingdom continued in a dark reign. Later on, when Grinder was nineteen, he had finally found out the truth about his father's disappearance. Wanting to avenge his father, he spent his life raging war against Corbenic, but he failed to kill Fisher King, and he finally ended up dying in battle. Later on, Grinder's first son, Odin, was successor to the throne, and Camelot still continued to have a dark reign.
A century later, the kingdom began to fall at the time when Forneus was king. He was the last heir to the throne. Allies formed from many neighboring kingdoms and ambushed Camelot, destroying it, which caused the kingdom to finally become deceased. Forneus, now ousted from kingship, started a new life and went on to become the village witch doctor after he disguised himself and changed his name to Dr. Facilier. He had, ever since he was a young boy, a desire for learning magic, such as using it to heal. He had learned everything he knew from his former mentor who could do magic and from all the books he had read in his lifetime. In his years as a scheming bokor, Facilier desired to find the sword of Nayu. He knew that if he released Zophar from the Dark Realm, then he could take back the kingdom with his help, and they could rule Camelot together. He wanted to seek out the sword of Nayu to use the ruby to open the portal to the Dark Realm to release Zophar. At an early age when he was king, he had learned the story of how Zophar had disappeared, including about the sword of Nayu. He had even discovered the location of the stone wall where the door to the Dark Realm was, figuring out that the ruby on Nayu's sword he had seen in a drawing in Nayu's diary, needed to be placed into the hollow that was shaped exactly like the ruby itself, which he had seen on the stone wall when taking a walk by the wall one day.
In the deceased kingdom of Camelot, bandits and robbers stole from it, and because there was no king to set law and order, Camelot was now known for its high crime rate. What it needed was a good king who could bring Camelot up from the dust and make it strong and secure where the people could live in peace and happiness. The only problem was finding the right king fit to rule.
Arthur and Lancelot, young lads, were fooling around and decided to explore the vacant castle one day. They explored every part of it, and last of all, they headed into the library. It was still filled with thousands of books and scrolls which the lads took a deep interest into, especially Lancelot who came across some old scrolls written by the legendary Merlin. As Lancelot headed to another area of the library, suddenly, he stepped on a lose board in the floor. Very curious, he moved the board out of its place, then he found a small, wooden box underneath. Excited and very eager to see what was inside it, he called Arthur over. With anticipation, the lads opened the dusty box and found an old scroll inside. Arthur was disappointed since it was not anything valuable like treasure, but Lancelot was fascinated since he loved scrolls, and he was curious if there was anything special about this one since it was hidden. Lancelot opened the scroll and began to read it. It read:
Whoever is reading this should be reading it for a good reason. I am writing about a sword that has belonged to me, the Excalibur. I sent it to the Island of Avalon where it is embedded into stone, but only a purehearted one can pull it out. And whoever does, will be the designated king for Camelot. A true king puts his people first and has a pure heart of courage and sacrifice, and if you know in your heart that you are that kind of person, then I advise you to go to Avalon and see if you are the one destined to be king and to restore Camelot. But don't waste your time on this pursuit if you do not have a true heart. Anyhow, make sure to share this information with all the people of Camelot so that anyone has the chance to prove himself worthy of the throne. -Merlin
P.S. If you do not know where the Island of Avalon is, then you will find information on it in the book, The Island of Mystery.
Lancelot and Arthur were very excited, especially Arthur who went crazy over the prospect of becoming a king. He was determined to be the one to pull the Excalibur from the stone. However, Lancelot was more excited about just reading the note Merlin wrote, but he did not desire to be a king. But he wanted to help Arthur out and give him his full support; for he thought he would make a great king. The lads then set out and spread the news to the public; they showed the note and read it to everyone as proof. This news became all the rage, and hundreds of men sailed to the Island of Avalon to try and pull the sword from the stone, but none had succeeded as the reports had informed. Arthur, so certain he would succeed, asked Lancelot to accompany him on the mission to the island, and Lancelot gladly complied. The friends set out the next morning and arrived at the island that night. Once they found the stone with the Excalibur's blade embedded into it, Arthur, with much confidence, approached it and began to pull at the sword. But to his great disappointment and frustration, he could not pull it from the stone, and this made him very upset and driven mad, but he still did not give up. But until he could not try any longer and after his friend entreating him to stop, Arthur did. Then desperately, he asked Lancelot to try to pull the sword for him, so Lancelot, even figuring he would fail, agreed for his friend's sake. But to both of their great surprise, Lancelot easily pulled the sword from the stone. Arthur was very thrilled since Lancelot was going to give him credit for pulling the sword since Lancelot did not desire to be king himself. Even if Lancelot knew he was disregarding what Merlin had written, he ignored it since he knew how much it would mean to his best friend, and he did not think that pulling a sword could determine if one was fit to rule.
Once they returned to Camelot with the Excalibur, it was not long until the news had spread all over. Arthur gained fame and felt so proud and satisfied that he finally got his heart's desire. A big celebration in the village was held in honor of him becoming king, and during the celebration, Arthur announced to the people that Lancelot would be his first and highest knight; for it was Lancelot's dream to become a knight, and he finally got it. Lancelot was prouder and more honored than ever since it was his best friend he would be serving.
Weeks later, when the kingdom was up and running again, King Arthur formed a fellowship called the Knights of the Round Table since he was inspired by a book that he had read by an anonymous author called, The Knights of the Golden Circle. He had even found many swords hung high up on the walls in the room of the giant round table, swords which he guessed had belonged to the Knights of the Golden Circle, and he gave each knight of his own fellowship one of those swords.
After Arthur got everything he ever wanted, he still wanted more, Guinevere's hand in marriage, even if he knew Lancelot and Guinevere were in love and planned to get married. Arthur still lusted after her because of her beauty, and he was jealous of his friend. That jealousy made Arthur do something unforgiveable. He went to Dr. Facilier and bargained with him for a potion that could make Guinevere love him. Then one day when he, Lancelot, and Guinevere were having tea together, he poured the potion into Guinevere's teacup once Lancelot left the room to quickly attend to some business. Immediately, Guinevere was spelled once she took a sip of tea, and the first man she saw, Arthur, was the man she immediately fell in love with. They started to passionately kiss, and Lancelot, to his great shock, saw this when he returned. Very confused and angry, he got into a big fight with Arthur, thinking that he was forcing himself on Guinevere, but when Guinevere confessed her deep love for Arthur, Lancelot, very taken back and feeling as if a sword had pierced his heart and shattered it to a million pieces, broke down with grief. He never felt so upset in his life; for his heart was broken, never to mend itself again. Unable to say anything else, being too distraught, he left to get away for some time, but as hard as he tried to forget, he couldn't. It was too hard to cope with, and even if it was Guinevere who confessed her love for Arthur, Lancelot couldn't help but still feel anger toward him, and he felt angry that Guinevere had led him on for so long, making him think they had something special together, that she truly loved him; for she was going to marry him, and he couldn't understand why it had all suddenly changed. Because he was so upset with Guinevere too, he decided that he wouldn't ever see her again, only if she requested to see him for a reason or an order. Lancelot started to convince himself that she was a gold digger, that she only wanted to marry Arthur since he was king and so she could become queen, not because she loved him. For she never showed her feelings toward Arthur before, and this was what made it suspicious to Lancelot. This meant that Guinevere was not the person he had thought she was. But despite this, deep down in his heart, he knew he would never stop loving her.
Arthur and Guinevere got married shortly after, but as the years went by, Arthur was still not satisfied. He did make Camelot strong, but his hunger for power kept growing. One day when he was in the library, he found a book about an object called the Holy Grail which could grant immortality and great power to anyone who drank from it. Very interested in this object, he became obsessed with the prospect of becoming powerful, being immortal, and staying young. Immediately, his goal was to search for this object. He dedicated his days in the library, searching for a map to the Grail, but he was never successful. Then one day he came across a scroll that Merlin wrote, and this scroll was about Merlin being cursed as an oak tree with a deformed trunk. And in that scroll, there were the ingredients for how to free the wizard. There was even a drawing of the Excalibur and the sword of Nayu with the names of who each sword belonged to. Arthur, now glowing with excitement, immediately knew that the giant, old, oak tree with a deformed trunk right in the middle of his courtyard was Merlin. One of the ingredients he needed to free him was the blood of two purehearted ones who owned the sword of Nayu. Because Arthur was not successful at finding a map to the Holy Grail, he knew his alternative plan would be to free Merlin so he could take his power using a Transfer Spell then become the most powerful and greatest king in all the realm, which was his greatest ambition. This was his new goal, and for all the days to come, he swore to find the two purehearted ones. He told all his knights what he had discovered and ordered them to search everyday for two people who own Nayu's sword, the image of the sword in the scroll he had shown to his knights.
Narrated by Kaylee (continued)
Merlin wanted to explore the changes in the village since he was absent for more than a century. We accompanied him. Suddenly, Dr. Facilier stopped us in our tracks. Shoot, I thought to myself. I hoped we would never have to see the sinister witch doctor again. Aubrey and I turned to each other grimly.
"Fancy running into you," the witch doctor said with a sinister-looking grin. "Such a small village, isn't it?"
"We have no time to talk now, so leave us alone," Regina replied stridently. "You're holding us up."
"Leave us be, Snake, for we are no longer in business with you," David said indignantly as he pointed his sword at the witch doctor.
Dr. Facilier chuckled menacingly, grabbing the tip of David's sword between his finger tips and pointing it away. "Oh, I think we are still in business; it's not over yet." He smiled evilly, revealing his rotten, yellow teeth.
"So, this is the witch doctor you spoke of," Merlin said, staring at Facilier coldly.
"If it's not the great and powerful wizard, Merlin," Facilier said, smirking scornfully. "I believe I've heard tales that you were once cursed as a tree. Looks like you are human again. Congratulations, the Great Wizard returns."
"If you'd excuse us, we don't feel like talking, especially not to witch doctors who swindle," Merlin said sternly.
"Oh, but I feel like talking," the witch doctor replied, turning a sinister gaze onto all of us.
"What do you want? Speak at once," Merlin demanded.
"They have not yet paid their full price for being overdue in their payment to me," he replied.
"Is that so?" Merlin returned. "They don't owe you anything more."
"We will not pay you anymore, for your bloody price has been paid full, you bloody swindler!" Hook shouted with rage. "Now get out of our way before I bury my hook in your chest!"
"Threats won't drive me away, for I only come harmlessly in wait that my side of the deal is paid full," returned the witch doctor. "Our business has yet to be fulfilled, and I'm not leaving until it is."
"If it is still the sword that you want, it is out of the question," said David. "We will pay anything except the sword."
"You will only get that sword over my dead body, for it only belongs to the purehearted ones," Merlin said.
"Oh, I'm afraid that sword is the only thing that I have in mind that will satisfy our deal, for I have enough gold as it is," Faclilier replied with a sinister grin.
"Never will we ever let you have it, Snake," Regina replied firmly. "You have to go through all of us first, including the most powerful wizard in the realm."
"Leave, Facilier," Merlin demanded. "I do not want to see your face again."
Facilier then turned back to Aubrey and me. He replied, "It's all up to you, not them. Isn't it your sword after all? Think about it, our deal could finally be complete, and I won't ever have to bother any of you again."
"I think you know the answer to that," I retorted. "Now leave us alone!"
"Suit yourself," returned Facilier with an icy stare. "I guess your stubbornness and foolishness will pay you a great price." Suddenly, to my greatest horror, Facilier took out a sack of magic dust and sprinkled it onto our friends, turning them all into frogs.
"NO!" we cried out. "TURN THEM BACK!" It was hard to believe that all our friends were frogs. It was just like in the Disney movie, The Princess, and the Frog. I felt distressed, and I couldn't believe that this happened. I felt great despair and dearly wished that I had the power to turn them back.
"Sorry, Girl, I will turn them back only if I get what I desire first," Facilier said, scooping up the hopping frogs. Then he dropped them into a cage he had magically appeared. "Just look what your selfishness has caused you; your friends are now a bunch of helpless fly eaters," he added with a laugh, "including the most powerful wizard as you all claim of this realm. Now, have you made your mind up?"
"Fine, we'll give you the sword if you turn all of our friends back first," I made clear.
"I could very well easily be tricked, so in order for that to happen, I will have to see the sword first before I turn them back," Facilier returned.
"Fine, it's a deal then," I replied.
"Finally, some sense," he said. "You know where to find me."
"Don't you dare hurt them," I said, fixing him a cold stare.
"Relax, Girl, they will be safe in this snug, little cage," he replied tauntingly. "You need not fear. As long as I am promised my side of the deal, your friends will not be harmed."
I stared at him a moment longer then replied, "Okay, we will be back with the sword."
"I'm counting on it," Facilier said, leaning in so close to my face that I could smell his horrible breath. I quickly backed up.
We turned around, borrowed some horses, and galloped to the castle. Upon reaching it, we informed Lancelot about the occurrence, and he promptly gave us the sword.
We soon arrived back at Facilier's tent, dismounted our horses, then entered. "Okay, we brought the sword," I said. "Now first turn them back, then we'll give it to you."
Facilier turned around, looking much pleased. "Very well," he replied. He opened the cage that contained all the frogs and dumped them all out. With another kind of sand, he turned them back into humans. They stood up in momentary confusion then turned to Aubrey and me. "Now the sword," Facilier said, holding out his hand.
"What are you doing, Mates?" Hook questioned. "Don't give the sword to that bloody scoundrel!"
"We have no choice," I replied solemnly. "It was a deal so it must be carried out." I felt resistant but had to give the sword up, for he could very easily do something worse to our friends, so I handed the sword to him, and he received it with pleasure.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Facilier said with a malicious smile, holding his hand out to shake my hand, but I refused to take it. "You can leave now," he added, putting his hand down.
"Great not doing business with you," I muttered under my breath.
"Let me just tell you, Facilier, you don't have a good fate ahead of you," Merlin said crossly. "And next time you try to turn us into a bunch of frogs, I will be the first to turn you into a cockroach."
Facilier smirked as we all gazed at him angerly.
"Come on, guys, let's go," I urged. "You probably know why we had to give up the sword," I said as we left, "so we could get you all back."
"I would have done the same thing, for friends are more important," Regina said. "Thank you both."
David then said to Aubrey and me, "Facilier may have that sword, but whatever comes our way, we will face it together."
"You know what this means," Hook said grimly, turning to Aubrey and me, "your dream of the sword being the reason for the dark wizard's release might be true."
"We know that we have hope, for darkness will be defeated and peace will reign once again," Snow said, taking David's hands into hers.
"Exactly," Merlin said in agreement. "Even in the darkest times, we know that goodness always triumphs over evil in the end."
"Anyway, I don't plan on ever being a bloody frog again," Hook said.
"I have to admit that I was much happier being an old oak tree than a frog," Merlin added with an amused grin.