Er, A Little Plot Help with a Merlin Fic?

[kriadydragon]

Okay, so I have this story that if I can actually finish it I might be able to use it in the Bromance Big Bang (otherwise I may have to back out, because the plot bunnies are being incredibly... not cooperative and I've yet to come up with a story that I actually finish).

The story thus far is this - Merlin has been burned at the stake thanks to Uther finding out about his magic. Gaius, heartbroken, gathers what he can of Merlin's remains and puts them in a box. Later Gaius is told that Merlin will be making a come back, so Gaius takes Merlin's remains as far from Camelot as possible. Merlin returns, but all ain't quite right. Merlin has returned as he left - beaten and broken, but now with the addition of being traumatized.

I know this doesn't exactly sound like a bromance story, but bear with me.

What I have planned so far is that Merlin is having difficulty finding himself. He's skittish, silent, fears fire and, basically fears everything. But then Arthur will show up on the scene, and aids Gaius in helping Merlin find his way back to himself, and so much friendship and bromance ensues...

And that's as far as I've been able to get plot-wise. Merlin does return to being how he once was. But then what? Because it's not like Arthur can hang around Gaius and Merlin forever, and Merlin needs to get back to Camelot to protect Arthur but can't with Uther around. So my options are...

1. Merlin does something that convinces Uther to either accept magic or, at the least, accept Merlin. Which is a direction I am exceedingly reluctant to go in because I just don't see Uther ever being lenient toward magic, let alone Merlin.

2. Uther dies, which kind of feels like a cop-out but could work depending on what kind of story I want it to be. I don't like it for an action/adventure story, but were this more a character-study/friendship story I could see Merlin and Gaius being nearby to help Arthur out then Uther passes on and the two are then able to return.

3. Uther is enchanted to forget, which is even more of a cop-out than idea two.

Which direction to you all think I should go? Or, better yet, does anyone have any ideas for more interesting directions I could take it? (I am seriously thinking about killing off Uther just to make my life easier). I have seriously been having the worst luck with fanfic, lately. It's like my ideas only go so far before hitting this brick wall and refusing to go on. I can't even really called it writer's block, because writer's block I can eventually get through. This is more like writer's void.

Comments

[greeneyes-fan.livejournal.com]

Why not pick none of the above? What if Merlin sticks around the fringes of Camelot, going with Arthur when he travels? Or maybe Merlin adopts a semipermanent disguise of some kind, and actually returns to Camelot right under Uther's nose. (Which might not be so good for Merlin's anxiety, but all the more plottiness.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Hmmm *ponders*

[revolocard1.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you can go big. What happened to Merlin makes Arthur realize that persecuting magic users is wrong. He confronts Uther, first talking, but Uther does not see reason. At that point, Uther could take some action against Arthur (he put Morgana in the dungeons for disagreeing with him, I'm sure if confronted with the more real threat Arthur poses as his successor, he could be fairly ruthless). And then, perhaps, we can see a taking of the throne--some people taking Arthur's side, some defending the current king. He doesn't have to kill his father, but he could overtake the throne and reform the laws on magic.

Or Uther could discover that Merlin is alive and that Arthur has been meeting with him and mounts an attack, ending however you'd like.

Or maybe while Merlin's out of commission, a new magical beast/threat hits Camelot, without Merlin there to protect it. Arthur could try to reason with Uther to allow magic users to help defend the city, maybe even admitting he knows someone, but Uther is unable to see reason. There could be a fight scene where Merlin even tries to save Uther while he's up against this magical creature, revealing himself, but Uther will not take his help and/or tries to cut him down, and him turning down Merlin's help (and/or the help of other magic users wanting to defend Camelot) could be his demise (like Merlin's trying to put Uther in a protective bubble in the middle of the battle, but Uther freaks, slices at Merlin and breaks his concentration, leading to Uther being struck down).

I hope that starts the juices flowing! I love the fic idea, and love your fics in general, and would love to see what comes of it!

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Thanks for these :D I decided to go with another story for the Big Bang. However, I do really hope to be able to finish this particular story if I can just figure out an ending, so your suggestions are incredibly helpful. I'm definitely thinking that Uther has to die one way or the other, and I do like the idea of Merlin trying to help him but failing, and Uther' prejudices being his own downfall.

finale

[(Anonymous)]

What I want to suggest is not a happily ever after alternate finale, but one that would give us some closure. What if Merlin would die at Arthur's side (remember, he promised he would, in the episode 1 of 5th season), and both of them are sent to Avalon to await Albion's hour of need. By Kilgharra, perhaps.
When meeting Morgana, it would only be logical for her to attempt to kill Emrys, and not just carelessly kick him aside as shown, as we know how paranoiac she was regarding Emrys being her doom . And her dagger would've also be forged in dragon's breath and cause mortal wound to Merlin. And it would even be better if Merlin goes first, giving Arthur a little time to mourn him. So... What do you think?

Re: finale

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Er... that's more a prompt, not a plot suggestion. What I needed was ideas on where to take the above-mentioned plot. But you can go to gentable and submit your prompt there.

Re: finale

[(Anonymous)]

OOOOps! Sorry! I'm new here, got lost, barged in thru the wrong door! How embarrassing! I really feel stupid now, will have to collect my guts back to post in the gentable. Sorry again.
BTW, If I'm not mistaken, you've written a fic using some of your planned above plot, and I really liked it.

Re: finale

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

That's quite all right :D I had a feeling you were probably looking for Gentable but wandered here by mistake.

BTW, If I'm not mistaken, you've written a fic using some of your planned above plot, and I really liked it.

I probably did. I tend to use story elements more than once in fanfic if it's an element I like, or if it didn't work in one story but worked in another.