There Are Legends

Vid
Title:	There Are Legends
Creator:	Ras Elased
Date:	05 December 2009
Format:	digital vid
Length:	4:41 min
Music:	Glasgow Love Theme by Craig Armstrong, Here With Me by Dido
Genre:	slash vid, story vid
Fandom:	Merlin
Footage:	Merlin up to 2.09, The Real Merlin and Arthur, Dis/Connected, Lewis, the video diaries, and Latter Days
URL:	There Are Legends (LiveJournal)
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There Are Legends is a Merlin/Arthur story vid by Ras Elased (4:41 min). It includes footage up to 2.09, also clips from The Real Merlin and Arthur, Dis/Connected, Lewis, the video diaries, and Latter Days.

Summary: The legends say that Arthur died, and he waits in Avalon to be reborn. The legends say that Merlin is immortal, and he lives on, waiting for his king. But what if the legends are wrong?

There Are Legends was a runner-up in the Merlin Slash Awards in the categories "Best Romance" and "Best Story Vid".

Dialogue

(0.08) Arthur: For the love of Camelot!

(0.10) Knights: For the love of Camelot!

(0.29) Merlin: Arthur!

(0.34) Merlin: Somebody help me!

(0.38) Merlin: You can't die. This isn't your destiny. We haven't done all the things we're meant to do.

(0.50) Merlin: Everything's going to be alright. I will make you better. I will.

(0.57) Merlin: I willingly give my life for Arthur's.

(1.03) Arthur: Merlin, what are you doing?

(1.05) Merlin: What else could I do?

(1.11) Merlin: I'm sorry.

(1.13) Arthur: You'll be coming back...please?

(1.17) Merlin: I'm happy to be your servant, 'til the day I die. But I don't want you to worry about me. I know that the gods will look after me and that one day, I will see you again.

Vidder Notes

Vidder Notes:

So, this took me about 6 months to make. I finished the first version in August, but was never happy with it, so I never posted. Then we had the road trip special, and since I FINALLY had good quality clips of Colin in street clothes, I decided to redo it. Then, just as I finally got it exactly how I wanted it, my vid program ate some of my source files. So what you're getting is the near-final version, which has a few audio hiccups, but it's the best I've got. [...]

I normally hate it when vids are accompanied by a massive plot summary long enough to be a fic, because I believe a vid should be able to stand alone without the need for outside interpretation. But considering this vid started life as a fic, I figure maybe it's fitting? (FYI, the text from the vid is as far as I got into the fic before it turned into a vid.)

Basically, the plot is a way of flipping the common fanon reincarnation trope on its head. Instead of Arthur being taken to Avalon and Merlin being immortal and waiting for Arthur to be reincarnated, Merlin trades in his immortality to save Arthur's life, so now Arthur is immortal and waits for Merlin to return from Avalon. Centuries go by, and he mostly lives in the past, unable to let go, until one day he passes Merlin on the street. He chases after Merlin but when he doesn't find him, he isn't sure if he's seeing things or if Merlin has really returned. This just makes him miss Merlin even more, while meanwhile Merlin is oblivious to his past life and continues going about his daily life (in my head he's an Arthurian scholar, but that's just me *g*). When Arthur sees Merlin again, this time he's convinced that his centuries of waiting are finally over, but they still continue to fail to spot each other until finally Arthur sees him and they meet. Merlin's memories return and they live happily ever after.

Reactions and Reviews

This is like a whole fic in less than 5 minutes. Music: Glasgow Love Theme from Love Actually; Here With Me, by Dido.