Title: Mab
Character(s): Queen Mab/Titania/Oberon
Further Reference(s): Merlin
Fandom(s)/Crossover Alert(s): Merlin/"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Pantheon(s): Faerie
Folklore From: British Isles
Rating: G
Summary: Mab tries to get Titania and Oberon's consent for the creation of Merlin.



"I am sorry, Mab," Titania said, as she looked down from her throne, "I simply cannot give my consent on such an endeavor."

"But," Mab said, from where she stood in the middle of the faerie court's throne room, more than just the eyes of the king and queen looking towards her, "if I were to create such a person as I have purposed, he could bring the people back to the old ways ... back to us. Too many of them have left us already, for others ... for newer gods."

"It is as you have said," Titania said, "too many of them have left us for newer gods. Because of this, our resources have become more and more limited, and it is becoming worse every year."

"What better reason to create someone to guide them back to us? If we move quickly, we might be able to regain much of our lost power. Probably not all of it, but enough."

"But," interjected Oberon, "if we do what you suggest, that may diminish us to the point of no return, before your remedy is able to accomplish anything. And then, your plan will have been for nothing."

"Some," Mab said, "must be sacrificed, to save the whole. This is perfectly acceptable."

"It is not," Titania said. "Not for us."

"So," Mab said, "you would rather that we all die slowly, and not try to save ourselves?"

"I would rather we not take chances on unproven methods."

"Unproven!" Mab exclaimed. "The only reason it is unproven is because we have had no reason to do it before, but we have reason to do it now."

"Yes," Titania said, "we have reason to try a little harder to save ourselves, but what you would ask us to do would not only diminish our power past the point from which we may never recover, but we have no guarantee that your plan will succeed. There are far too many unknown variables involved in this for me, far too many for me to give my approval."

"I will train the child in our ways, so he may prove to the people that we are real, and that we are to be both respected and feared."

"And what if," Oberon said, "the child decides that he doesn't want to be trained in our ways? Or that he doesn’t want to fight for our cause?"

"Then," Mab said, "he will be ... persuaded."

"Persuaded?" Titania asked, dubiously. "And how do you imagine that you would do this?"

"By any means necessary."

"Any means ... ?" Titania said, obviously appalled. "You would force another being, a sentient, thinking creature into your servitude?"

"If it meant accomplishing my goals ... yes."

"Then," Oberon said, "I think that I can certainly speak for everyone in the court, when I say that we will have no part in this."

Mab looked around the room, looked at all of the others who were standing there, none of them truly friends (and some of them only allies of convenience in other endeavors), and she knew that she would get help from none of them. Rage filled her, as she knew that if she was going to do this, if she was going to save her kind (but more importantly, save herself), she would have to go off the grid and do it all herself.

"Very well," Mab said. "I will abide by the court's decision."

Titania and Oberon be smiled and nodded towards her, and she knew that she had been dismissed. Turning, she used her magic to transport herself to another part of the island that they all inhabited. This would not be the end of it, not by a long shot. One day she would save them, and they would be thanking her for it.

****

Mab stood, looking at Merlin, disbelief filling her. She had created him! He should be thanking her, doing whatever he could to help her, but instead ... he was doing this.

A crowd of people, in a small, stone room. All of them with their backs to her, and slowly making their way outside. Merlin in their midst, saying that they no longer believed in her ... that she had no power over them any longer.

This wasn't supposed to be how it happened. They were all supposed to believe in faerie again. She was supposed to become more powerful, not this shell of a creature that she had felt herself starting to become. They were supposed to believe in her! Make her more powerful, make her the one that they came to when they wanted something.

But that hope was dying now. Fading, just like her body.

****

"Did he do it?" Titania asked.

"Yes," Oberon replied. "He did just as we suggested. I think that he was a little bit more than happy to do it, after all of the torment that she had caused him over the years."

"I am sure that you are right. I still feel that it's a pity we had to go to such measures."

"She left us no choice, dear. She was causing more harm than she was fixing. And I have the sinking feeling that she was just trying to get herself more power, rather than help us all."

"Of course, she was only trying to help herself. I doubt she ever had a thought for any other, in her entire life."

There was a loud crash from somewhere behind them, and they both suppressed sighs.

"What is Puck doing?" Oberon said, as he turned his attention to the troublemaker.