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[personal profile] amelia_petkova
Title: An Abundance of Merlins
Fandom: The Dark is Rising Sequence / Merlin (UK TV series)
Genre: Humor
Summary: Merlin meets himself. It doesn’t go well.

Disclaimer: The show Merlin belongs to the BBC and Merriman Lyon is from The Dark is Rising Sequence, property of Susan Cooper.

Author's Notes: If you happen to be familiar with one of the fandoms involved but not the other: Merlin is a TV series retelling of Arthurian legends. The Dark is Rising has a character named Merriman Lyon, who is also Merlin.

I had a lot of fun writing this.


"An Abundance of Merlins"
by Amelia Petkova


“Hi, I’m Merlin.”

Merriman Lyon eyed the scrawny boy with tidy hair and a non-beaky nose. “I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean?”

I’m Merlin.”

The boy adopted a conciliatory tone. “It’s not a common name but I guess it could belong to more than one person.”

Merriman’s hair bristled. “Young man, I am the Merlin, Old One and confidant of King Arthur.”

“Yeah, me too. Except that he’s Prince Arthur and I’m his servant. And he doesn’t know I’m a sorcerer. At least, I think he doesn’t. Arthur’s not the brightest guy around. What’s an Old One?”

“What’s an…” Merriman broke off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Lady, grant me patience,” he muttered. He looked for inspiration around the hallway where he had materialized in front of his boy. It seemed to be part of a castle that was far too shiny and technologically advanced. He had the sudden, overwhelmingly dreadful hunch that it was supposed to be Camelot.

A blond boy wearing a sword strode into view. “Merlin, when I told you to clean the rust off of my armor, I meant that you should do it now.” He looked Merriman up and down. “Who’s this?”

“Just a visitor,” Merlin babbled. “He just got to Camelot. He was asking me for directions to…to the library!”

“That’s right here, Merlin.” Indeed, shelves of books and scrolls were visible through the nearby doorway.

“I brought him here,” Merlin concluded lamely.

“What’s your name, stranger?” the blond boy asked in what was probably meant to be an intimidating manner.

“Merriman Lyon. I’m a scholar,” Merriman answered. So this must be Prince Arthur, someday to be King of Britain. Looking over the inexperienced and arrogant youth, Merriman inwardly shuddered. He would choose his own Arthur over this one any day.

Arthur eyed him a minute before bluntly asking, “Are you a sorcerer?”

Standing behind Arthur, Merlin began waving his arms violently and mouthing, “No!”

Merriman hid a smile. It seemed that the prince wasn’t a complete dunce. “Indeed, I am.”

Merlin turned gray. Arthur drew his sword. “Sir, by the laws of Camelot, you are charged with high treason. You are under arrest and will come to the throne room to be sentenced.”

Merriman laughed; he couldn’t help it. “I am a sorcerer like none you will ever see. I have lived for millennia and fought against the Dark alongside the true Arthur. Do you really think that toy of a sword can intimidate me?” He held his hand out, fingers spread. Time froze.

Arthur and Merlin stared, unseeing. “Forget,” Merriman told them. He turned and strode away out of their time.

Merlin blinked. “What did you say?”

Arthur looked in confusion at his upheld sword and put it away. “I told you to clean my armor. Honestly, Merlin, could there be a servant worse than you?”

“I’m sure we’ll find out someday,” Merlin said and scurried off down the hallway, out of Arthur’s reach.

Just another day in Camelot.

Date: 2009-11-24 03:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pinguthegreek.livejournal.com
Made me laugh more than the Children in Need skit.

Date: 2009-11-24 03:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
Thanks!

Was the Children in Need skit something on SNL or that I could find on YouTube?

Date: 2009-11-24 03:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] pinguthegreek.livejournal.com
Oh you're in the States ? Ok, right.

In the UK, each November the BBC broadcasts a telethon to fundraise for a charity that hands out grants to projects specifically for disabled, chronically ill or disadvantaged kids in this country.

TV shows produce special short skits. This year the Merlin team did a second one and it just wasn't very good at all. Put in Merlin Children In Need to Youtube and you should see it.

Date: 2009-11-24 04:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] argendriel.livejournal.com
Oh.. HELL
I shouldn't have read this during this seminar the professor was just looking at me very strangely due to that big fat grin on my face LOL

Date: 2009-11-24 04:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
I just watched it. I do admire how they manage to stay in character throughout the whole thing.

Date: 2009-11-24 04:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
Yay! (Professor: "What are you looking so happy about? You're in class, damn it!")

I got the idea for this during the last half-hour of one of my classes. I worked on it throughout the end of the lecture, went home, and then finished the first draft before doing anything else.

Date: 2009-11-24 04:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] argendriel.livejournal.com
(Professor: *disturbed* We're in the middle of talking about how women were cruelly mistreated during the Edo-period in Japan and you're hapy about that??)

Actually, I'm also writing some kinkmeme fill at the same time ^^ ''' classes are fun~

Date: 2009-11-24 05:26 pm (UTC)
ext_14294: A redhead an a couple of cats. (Default)
From: [identity profile] ashkitty.livejournal.com
*giggles* That's great. :)

Date: 2009-11-24 06:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] darthanne.livejournal.com
That was fun. You got them all spot on.

Date: 2009-11-24 09:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dk323.livejournal.com
I loved this! Thanks for writing it. I loved Merriman's reaction to the whole situation. :)

Date: 2009-11-24 10:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
Thanks! This was my first time writing Merlin fic and I wanted to make sure I did it well.

Date: 2009-11-24 10:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
I'm glad that people are laughing at this. The entire time I was writing, I had this huge grin on my face and I wanted to giggle uncontrollably.

Date: 2009-11-24 10:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] londonsophie.livejournal.com
I love the idea of these two mythologies overlapping...I've only seen Merlin once but I am a long time DIR fan.

Date: 2009-11-24 10:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
I have this idea of Merriman watching an episode of Merlin with an, "Oh, Hell no" look on his face

Date: 2009-11-24 10:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
So far I've watched just the first season of Merlin. I think I might have read TDiR for the first time in junior high.

Date: 2009-11-25 02:30 am (UTC)
lotesse: (merlin)
From: [personal profile] lotesse
Oh dear. *big grin*

... is it bad that it made me really happy that Merriman could enchant them? Because it gave Cooper sovereignty? Bad Merlin fangirl, bad! Though it hasn't exactly been any better to me this week - that ep was not happy-making.

Date: 2009-11-25 03:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
Merriman could curb-stomp them. I briefly considered extending the story to have him meet Uther, Uther starts ranting about sorcery, and Merriman to just have a blast.

Date: 2009-11-25 03:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
"and Merriman decides to just have a blast."

Date: 2009-11-25 11:34 pm (UTC)
complicat: (Merlin&Arthur: tyffi)
From: [personal profile] complicat
That was great fun! I think you captured all 3 of them really well

Date: 2009-11-26 01:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
Thanks for the compliment!

Date: 2009-12-15 03:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] taps1223.livejournal.com
Oh my. That was funny. Smiled through the whole thing. Thanks for sharing!

Date: 2009-12-15 04:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amelia-petkova.livejournal.com
I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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