Once upon a time there was a lonely elderly auto mechanic named Arturo.
Every day Arturo would walk to work, repair cars in the auto shop, get yelled at by his boss for being old and slow, then walk home again where he would eat the same TV dinner alone before falling asleep in his recliner. Every Tuesday Arturo would save part of his lunch to give to a homeless man on his way home from work.

This went on every day. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Until one day Arturo stumbled upon the sword in the stone in his path on his way home.

Arturo looked around to see if it was a joke. He didn’t see anyone so he slowly reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled. It slide from the stone with as little effort as it takes to pick up a straw. Arturo looked at the sword, bewildered. He swung the sword from side to side as if battling phantoms. He laughed to himself and walked home. He set the sword just inside of his front door and ate his usual dinner and fell asleep in front of the TV.

He was awoken early in the morning to his doorbell. He opened the door and found a young person kneeling in his doorway. He explained that he was drawn to his home and wanted to pledge himself to his service. Arturo was stunned, but invited the young man in. Soon another showed up in homemade cardboard armor, then another and another and many more. One even showed up with a round table in a box.

The doorbell rang a final time and at the door was the old homeless man Arturo gave his lunch to on Tuesdays. He revealed that he was actually Merlin, the wise wizard of myth and that Arturo was the modern incarnation of King Arthur.

Arturo took this responsibility seriously and pledged that his knights would do good for his community. Together they did many great deeds and even went looking for the questing beast.

Unfortunately, Arturo’s boss noted his absence from work and discovered he now thought himself a king and surrounded himself with knights. His anger and jealousy grew and soon he was recruiting knights of his own and even corrupting some of Arturos.

Eventually the two armies met in the field of battle. Knight battled knight and as the hour grew late and darkness filled the sky Arturo met his former employer sword to sword.

The thunderous sound of their swords clashing soon drew down rain and lightning. Their battle raged until finally Arturo’s former employer brought his giant overly sized sword down and shattered Arturos. Arturo fell to his knees surrounded by the shards of his sword and the rain grew heavier.

Puddles began to form as Arturo looked at the broken hilt in his hand and the shards upon the ground.

“Why,” he asked.

Why? Why? You found the sword! you became a king! Why YOU! I wanted what you had, so I took it because I could.

Arturo looked at the puddle before him and saw the vision of a woman holding out a sword.

He reached into the puddle and pulled out Excalibur, the most powerful sword ever!
He rose to his feet with renewed vigor.

You’re jealous? he asked his former employer

Of course! Did you think you were the only one that was lonely he cried as he pressed his attack.

Arturo deflected his blows

Why didn’t you every say anything. We could have been friends. We could have shared the sword and its responsibilities, shouldered them together.

AAAAAAAARRRRGG his former employer cried as he charged at Arturo.

Arturo stepped to the side and brought down excalibur shattering his opponents sword.

His former employer fell to his knees, crying.

Arturo looked at this man he used to fear and felt pity. He realized that he was alone and sad like he was before drawing the sword.

What will you do to me? his former employer asked.

Well, I was thinking of inviting you to dinner Arturo said as he offered his hand to help the man up.

Arturo returned Excalibur to the puddle and together with the help of his former employer, whose name was Ted by the way, he reforged the original sword.

Arturo, Ted and the knights continued adventuring for many years. Their ranks swelled and their community prospered.

Arturo began to feel his age creep up on him and one day led his knights to the stone. There he thanked them all for the adventures and their service and he put the sword back into the stone.

He left them all there, each taking their turn at pulling it from the stone, and he walked back to his apartment.

He had a tv dinner and fell asleep in his recliner.

He woke up to his living room filled with mist. As he stood and walked through it the room continued well past its dimensions.

He was greeted by a great king who had Excalibur hanging by his side. It was the original King Arthur. He thanks Arturo for carrying on his legacy. Behind him were dozens, maybe hundreds of other men and women who had pulled the sword from the stone.

They all fell to their knees before Arturo and welcomed him to eternal life in Avalon.