"Another world saved," the Doctor said as he spinned around the TARDIS console room excitedly. "I'm a genius."
Clara raised her eyebrow and smirked in amusement at the Doctor's lack of modesty. "Well I'm glad to see that your ego hasn't been affected by this victory."
The Doctor smirked at Clara before he kissed her on the cheek and winked, "Oh you know me Clara no one else is going to compliment my genius at saving another world from extinction so I might as well congratulate myself."
"Well I'll leave you to your devices Doctor. In the mean time I'm exhausted so I'm going to get some rest."
"All right Clara go on I'll be okay I'm just going to do some modifications on the old girl. She seems a little stiff so I'll just make a quick orbit around the moon to ease her a bit."
Clara yawned as her exhaustion could not be ignored any longer. "Sounds good Doctor, well see you in a few hours I'm going to head to bed."
The Doctor hummed to himself lightly as he worked on the TARDIS's undercarriage trying to figure out why the TARDIS was acting so cranky. The Doctor stroked the time machine lightly as he tried to soothe her. "The last adventure took a lot out of you didn't it old girl? Don't worry I promise we'll go somewhere nice this time so that you can get some rest." A light whistle resounded through the TARDIS as she responded to her Doctor.
The Doctor smiled, "Oh old girl you and I both, you and I both. We are getting old. Now let's see if I can just give you some comfort so you won't be so cranky."
Buzzing filled the air as the Doctor flashed his sonic screwdriver over the many wires in front of him. Finding the wires he needed he connected them. All of a sudden an explosion emitted from the wires as the Doctor connected them causing the TARDIS to suddenly spin out of control. Another explosion this time in the TARDIS console room caused the TARDIS to jerk back and forth sporadically causing it to downward spiral. Holding on to the wall with all of his strength the Doctor fought his way up the stairs to the console room as he was being thrown this way and that by the out of control time machine.
"Okay, I'm sorry I called you cranky Sexy don't be mad at me. I didn't mean it." The Doctor gasped as he felt a vibration against his left heart. The Doctor smiled as he reached into his inside jacket pocket pulling out his psychic paper. "So what do you have for me now?" The Doctor's face brightened with excitement as he read the message on the psychic paper. "Well this is exciting. I've never been there before," the Doctor said as he put the psychic paper back in his pocket.
A disheveled and slightly disoriented Clara emerged from the hallway holding a steaming cup of tea over her head as she tried to protect it from the out of control time machine. "What in the stars is going on?"
"Urgent distress call the TARDIS is pulling us out of the vortex so that we can get there as soon as possible."
"All right but why all of the trashing and crashing around I was trying to get some sleep."
"I guess its just old girl's way of saying get the hell up."
"Well I never asked the big cow to wake me up," Clara whispered under her breath. All of a sudden a fierce jerk went though the TARDIS throwing Clara so hard that she landed on the floor of the TARDIS with a broken mug beside her.
Clara cried out in exasperation at her lost mug and tea, "This is your entire fault Chin," she practically screamed at the Doctor.
A painful groan filled the air as the Doctor used the controls of the console to pull himself up from his position on the floor which hilariously looked like a failed attempt at a split. Despite her frustration and anger Clara burst out laughing as she watched the Doctor struggle to a less compromising position.
"Oi don't laugh at me big nose," the Doctor said as he finally regained his composure. "Maybe a little easier next time Sexy," he said softly as he stroked her lovingly.
"Where are we by the way?"
The Doctor smiled as he took out his psychic paper and handed it to Clara. Clara's eyes widened as she read the message. Now if she wasn't on a space ship with a bow tie wearing alien she would've thought for sure that she had lost her mind. "Doctor is this real?"
"Of course it's real Clara."
"So are we you know going to meet him?"
"Of course Clara he asked for our help and that's exactly what we are going to give him."
Clara shook her head as she looked again at the message written on the psychic paper in a hurried cursive I could really use your assistance Doctor with an urgent matter regarding Arthur. M. "So we are actually going to see him? We're going to see Merlin?"
"Why don't you take a look outside and tell me," the Doctor said as he grabbed the psychic paper from her hand and put it back in his jacket pocket.
Clara found herself breathless as she opened the doors of the TARDIS and looked upon a magnificent medieval castle with beautiful turrets and flags hanging from all of them. These flags were bright red and bore a gold dragon upon them. This was unmistakably the flag of the House of Pendragon rulers of the great kingdom of Camelot.
"Oh my stars," Clara gasped as she looked up at the majestic beauty of Camelot. "I can't believe that I'm actually in Arthurian England the time of legend."
"All right lets go find our pal Merlin he'll be able to tell us what's going on."
"Wait," Clara cried as the Doctor excitedly hopped out of the TARDIS. "What about the Battle of Camlann when everything goes to hell? What if Merlin called us to help him with that?"
The Doctor looked at Clara with sadness in his old eyes. He wished that he could save everyone, but unfortunately that wasn't possible. "Then we must leave immediately. Since the Battle of Camlann is a fixed point in time there is nothing I can do to prevent it. I'm sorry but there is nothing we can do in that case."
Clara looked at Camelot sadly somewhere within its walls a young King Arthur was unaware of the cruel fate that awaited him and his kingdom. "I just hoped that we could at least help."
The Doctor put a comforting hand on Clara's back as he tried to soothe her. "It's going to be alright Clara. Hey! Maybe we can explore some more! Maybe we'll run into the Lady of the Lake!"
Clara couldn't help but smile at the Doctor's childishness. Even though he was well over a thousand years old he did have a childish nature about him. "Alright Chin lets go meet your pal Merlin maybe he can teach me some tricks."
The Doctor shook his head. "He doesn't really take pupils right now."
"What do you mean? I thought that that's what sorcerers did to keep the gift going. Doctor not so fast," Clara yelled as she ran to keep up with the Doctor who clearly was not listening to a word she was saying because he was already walking towards Camelot waving his sonic screwdriver back and forth in front of him.
"Oi wait for me remember heels," Clara said as she finally caught up with the Doctor.
The Doctor spinned around Clara as he put his sonic screwdriver back in his inside jacket pocket, "Okay we have nothing to worry about due to the architecture and the smell of the air I'd say that we are in the middle of Arthur's reign specifically during the Quest for the Holy Grail."
"Oh really that's amazing," Clara said excitedly as she took out a book from her satchel and began to flip through the pages. "That's one of my favorite stories of Arthurian Legend."
The Doctor smiled as he watched Clara frantically flipping through a copy of Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. "Do you seriously carry that around with you everywhere?"
Clara nodded as she stuck her head from around the book, "Yep my mum used to read this to me all the time before I went to bed."
"Have I told you that I really like your mum?"
"Yeah you've told me that. She was the most amazing woman. I miss her."
"Well I'm sure she is very proud of you."
Clara smiled despite herself, "Thanks Doctor that means a lot."
"All right that's enough of this sappiness. I will not have any sappiness. So who are you most excited to meet?"
"I don't know all of the characters were such an important part of my childhood that it's hard to decide which one I like the best. I guess at this point I'm just more excited to see Camelot in its prime."
"Well my Impossible Girl all of your dreams will come true today. Arthur is in shall I say it the Golden Age of his rule with his ever faithful Knights of the Round Table at his side."
"Well it can't be much of a Golden Age if Merlin called for your help."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow as he fixed his bowtie. "Well maybe it's just something about the quest it can't be that serious and then maybe after that we can go to the moon."
Clara laughed. "I don't know about the moon."
"Oh come on Clara they have fabulous resorts there."
"Okay two things Doctor. First never say fabulous again and second a resort sounds good. Will there be champagne?"
"Champagne? Why do you want champagne when you could have fish fingers and custard?"
Clara made a disgusted face as if she was dying a horrible death. "I'm sorry Doctor but I do not share you're…dare I say interesting taste in food."
The Doctor shrugged his shoulders, "Suit yourself that just means more fish fingers and custard for me."
Clara pretended to gag as the Doctor turned his back on her. "Okay Doctor I'm sure the fish will be happy that they can write."
The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Fish don't have fingers Clara. What do you teach these kids nowadays? You should know these things."
Before Clara could respond a fierce wind suddenly blew around them and strangely circled around in front of them forming a small tornado. The Doctor wrapped his arms protectively around Clara as a figure slowly became visible through the wind. As the figure became more visible the Doctor loosened his grip on Clara but still had his hand in his.
As the figure got closer and closer to them Clara noticed that it was a young man with short jet black hair and bangs hanging over his beautiful bright blue eyes. Around his neck he wore a red scarf with a blue tunic. He looked really young, but like the Doctor when you looked into his eyes those old, sad eyes you knew that they had experienced far more and lived through far more than what their appearance suggested.
The Doctor clapped his hands excitedly as he realized who he was. "Well hello there old friend."
The young man smiled. "I guess you received my message Doctor. I came as soon as I heard the TARDIS."
The Doctor smiled and shook the young man's hand before turning to Clara. "Clara I would like you to meet Merlin and Merlin this is Clara my companion."
Clara was inwardly screaming as he took Merlin's outstretched hand and shook it. Plus he was smiling at her. Clara felt as if she was going to faint, she couldn't believe that she was meeting her favorite character of Arthurian Legend and it failed to mention how cute he was. Clara was brought out of her reverie by Merlin's voice.
"Nice to meet you Clara that's a beautiful name."
Clara found herself blushing. "Thank you Merlin it's nice to meet you too."
Merlin smiled as he released his had from her and turned his attention towards The Doctor. "Doctor I really need your help Arthur is in terrible danger."
"Clara and I will be more than happy to help Merlin."
"Thank you Doctor. Lets head to Camelot shall we? Danger lurks behind every corner."
The Doctor nodded and turned to Clara. "Come on Clara we have a kingdom to save."
Clara smiled and followed behind her favorite character and hero and her time traveling alien friend through a magical land that she only dreamed about when she was a little. That's what happens when you travel with The Doctor all of your dreams that seemed so out of reach become true.