Prologue
“WHY?”
Was the statement Merlin had been asking the three Fates, and Death weirdly enough, for the past half-hour they had been standing on his porch.
“It’s not that bad-”
“YOU ALMOST KILLED HARRY POTTER!” Merlin pointed at the four deities, Death stared unblinkingly with the Fates looking not a bit sheepish.
“We almost did kill him,” Lachesis said, ”But… At least these kids are fine?” A crooked smile.
“I- what.” Merlin stuttered, “WHY?”
“Too many deaths.” Death grumbled out not looking against the idea of the original timeline at all.
“Look. Merlin.” Atropos said, clearly done with Merlin’s shock, “This happened, so we roll with it, as the muggles say.” She took another deep breath, keeping everyone's attention on her stern face.
“These four came from another timeline, but are now anchored to ours due to their…” Atropos paused and squinted at the four, not sure how to address the timeline hoppers, who somehow made the dead bodies they ended up in come back to life. What was the Triple goddess thinking?
Atropos felt a shiver before continuing on, “Revival. That is probably the best way to describe whatever occurred to allow you four access to bodies that should have been decomposed and whose souls had passed on.”
All the deities were having quite a bit of trouble… accepting? What they were. If they were souls who merged with the original or entirely taken over that was one thing. But these souls came from another timeline, possessed dead bodies and reanimated them, and resonated with the deities almost as vessels.
Merlin knew the Triple Goddess was certainly behind this. When she got involved things always were sudden and had some sort of consequence on the world, or its future. Merlin missed Arthur.
Clotho was silent and had no comments to give, merely staring at one of the children, who was staring back. Dalia, she had introduced herself, who stared back curiously.
“...Can we keep them?” Clotho said after a moment of silence.
“WE, can’t do anything,” Did Death sound a bit disappointed at that? “He, on the other hand.” Now they were all looking at him very pointedly, reminding Merlin of the conversation they had minutes ago.
“You want me to watch them?” Merlin said disbelievingly, and no, why were the children’s eyes shining? Except for the one standing next to Death. They looked amused at the turn of events. It was pretty obvious, even without their pale skin and black hair with white sprouting from the roots, that they weren’t related to the triplets. Just in demeanor, from the way they didn’t move in a unit like the triplets who all seemed to know exactly how to communicate with the others.
Quite like another group of triplets he knew, looking critically at the Fates.
“It makes the most sense,” Atropos nodded to Merlin’s discontent, “You are the only one of us without any obligations outside of the eventual coming of Arthur. As well as the only one who can stay on the Material plane for indefinite amounts of time.”
“I’ve never raised kids before!” Merlin’s tone was slightly panicked, he was the only one of them who was mortal at one point, but he spent all that time protecting Arthur from basically any creature that came to mind.
“Well you better get learning!” Lachesis cackled before the deities all snapped away in a flicker of raw power.
“Um.” Merlin mumbled, “I’m Merlin, and I guess I'm your guardian now?”
Four Chesire grins were all lined up. When did they form a semi-circle around him?!
Merlin suddenly remembered why he never taught at Hogwarts during the time of the Founders.
Children are terrifying.