The Doctor released the button immediately afterwards as he, Rose and the Argents ran over to Peter, who lay on his side with his back to them. Reaching him the Doctor gently rolled him over so that his head, still covered by a now dented and scratched helmet, faced them.
"Peter, can you hear us?" Alexander called in worry. There was a horrible moment of silence, but them they saw an arm stir. A groan emitted from Peter as he slowly brought his arm up and lifted up the visor of his helmet to revel his face, which was dripping with grime and sweat.
"Oh, my ears are ringing, what happened?" He asked groggily as he saw everyone's faces beaming at him as Alison helped take his helmet off. "Is it over? Oh no I didn't..." He began panicked as he tried to sit up. The Doctor held him down with a hand.
"Don't worry, no one's died, I stopped the fight" He said reassuringly. Peter looked even more confused.
"Why?" He asked. Before the Doctor could reply, a cold voice cut in.
"That is what I would like to know" It was Rasputin, looking extremely angry. Everyone's, apart from Peter's, expression changed to anger.
"General Grigori" The Doctor said as he stood up and walked over to him. "Recognise this?" He asked, holding up the original scroll.
"Where did you get that!?" Rasputin spat as soon as he recognised it.
"Nice of you to share it out wasn't it? Though this version may be a bit short don't you think?" The Doctor asked him as Peter was helped to his feet. "Though maybe you just fancied adding that last line" He added. A collective gasp rang round the arena.
"How dare..." Rasputin began to say.
"Plus the fact that you hid all other records, locked the original away!" Alison added. Mutinous whispers were circulating the arena now and Rasputin looked much less composed. But then he smiled.
"Oh, very good Doctor, the boy is right to trust you" He sneered. Peter stepped forward till his was level with the Doctor.
"You planned all this? Why? What could you gain?" He snarled. Rasputin's sly smile widened.
"You stupid hairball, I have so much to gain" He said coolly. "As I told you at our little meeting, I win either way" He added.
"How?" Alexander growled as he stepped forward a little in anger.
"If your brat had been killed, your lands would be without an heir to carry on the wolf inheritance, there would be unease which I could have used to take it for myself" Rasputin explained, though sounded less gleeful and more angered at his ruined plan.
"And if your daughter had been killed? What then? How could you possibly gain from that!?" Peter said, nearly shouting as his eyes glanced over Rasputin's shoulder to the black haired woman he'd walked past, lying on the floor, unconscious. Rasputin shrugged.
"As a women she couldn't have carried on my traditions and inheritance, lost when she marries and has children, no I would have been free to to remarry and produce a son to rule the entire of Vegeta" He said and smiled at his own plan. Peter by this point looked ready to kill as he slowly walked up to Rasputin, stopping only when he was directly in front of him.
"You really think people will follow you after this?" He said in a low and very dangerous voice. "And do you know the one thing, the one thing that sickens me the most about you? Is that your daughter is lying there and you walked right past her" Peter spat as he stood inches from Rasputin before he drew back and barged past him, walking towards the woman.
"You Argents, your all the same, far too high and noble for your own good!" Rasputin shouted after him, his previous composure having long since gone. But his voice and view were alone as everyone watched Peter crouch besides Rasputin's daughter as she began to stir.
"What's going on? Did I kill him?" She mumbled, her voice accented like her fathers.
"Hey it's all right, it's over and, I'm fine thanks" Peter reassured her. The woman, no older than himself with back hair and dark eyes, though not as dark as her father's, sat up a little and studied Peter before seemingly knowing who he was.
"You? Your the other dragon? I, thought...?" She tried to say. Peter smiled.
"Peter Argent," He introduced as he helped her to her feet.
"Rennerita Grigori" She replied.
"Fancy name" Peter joked.
"Most call me Renn" She replied with a smile. "So what's happened then?" She then asked.
"I'm afraid your father's been interfering with the day's event" Peter replied. Her expression told him the news was not a big shock.
"He's like that, let me guess it was to take control of all the lands? Ruin your family?" She inquired, glaring at her father at the same time.
"Be quiet Renn, this does not concern you!" Rasputin ordered. But Renn's glare intensified.
"Oh it does father! Considering I nearly lost my life in your little plan I think it does concern me!" She nearly shouted. Rasputin seemed more angered than ever as his glare passed over to Peter
"You! You absolute piece of vermin! You have ruined everything!" He snarled in desperate anger. Peter however, remained calm and even bored by Rasputin as he left Renn in the care of some attendants and began to walk up to him
"Yes Rasputin, I did, because you see, like I told you, I've faced far worse that you" He said coolly as he stood in front of Rasputin before walked around and back to his family, the Doctor and Rose. "Oh, and the company I keep, that you so kindly pointed out, have done so too, that's why they're so brilliant and have stopped you today" He added with a final look and cocky smile as he began to walk away.
"Those humans may have kept you safe all these years but here you are a target and you will pay the price for your position" Rasputin threatened after him and smiled when he saw Peter stop and turn back around the face him.
"How do you know I was raised by humans? No one knew where I was never mind who with" Peter asked him as the realisation dawned on him. "It was you wasn't it? You send my pod to Earth knowing no one would look there" He theorised as he walked back over to him.
"Is that true father?" Renn asked Rasputin in shock as he started chuckling.
"It was easy you know, to slip an agent in and change your pod's course, you could have stayed there and been perfectly, out of the way" He said. Peter had remained surprisingly calm through this confession.
"You despised me that much, why didn't you just kill me there and then?" He asked.
"Bit messy and I would have been the first to get blamed" Rasputin replied.
"Well, thank you for that," Peter said, causing Rasputin to look puzzled. "Because that confession is all I needed" Peter added.
"What...?" Rasputin began to ask.
"General Grigori consider yourself under arrest for high treason" Peter told him. Rasputin laughed.
"You cannot arrest me, I am a General, the highest authority! And you are below me!" He spat.
"Oh but I can as interfering with the line of imperial succession not to mention trying to kill a member of an imperial family, endangering another in your daughter, is the highest crime committable" Peter told him. "Because of that, anyone can be arrested for it by anyone, so long as they have proof and witnesses" He added, indicating the packed stands. "I have got the law on treason right haven't I?" He asked Rasputin cockily.
"How...?" Rasputin tried to say but failed to speak properly in his anger and shock.
"You shouldn't have given me those two days, spent a little of them learning a few things" Peter said with a grin as he walked over to him.
"Why you..." Rasputin began and suddenly lashed out a punch that managed to clip Peter on the cheek, causing a cry of outrage from the crowd. Rasputin looked satisfied but quickly lost his smile when he noticed Peter was smiling also.
"You call that a punch? I've had worse on a Saturday night out" He joked as he straightened himself up again. "Here, let me show you how you do it" He said before he punched Rasputin in the face and sent him falling to the ground. "That was for the exile you sent me on" Peter told him.
"Guards!" Renn suddenly called out as two Eastern guards came forward.
"Ah my daughter," Rasputin said in relief as he sat up, his eye blackened from the punch. "Thank you for your support" He said. But Renn glared at her father.
"Arrest the General" She ordered. The two men nodded without question and ran over to Rasputin and handcuffed him.
"No! Wait I'm...!" He tried to protest before he turned to Peter, looking murderous.
"Now the punishment for high treason, death or exile isn't it?" Peter asked him. "But I wanna return the favour you granted me all those years ago" He said. "Don't worry, you'll be sent somewhere safe and, out of the way" He added coolly.
"So that's your plan? Get rid of our family so yours can rule the entire world" Rasputin laughed, as if trying to shift the blame on Peter.
"Oh no that's your way of doing things, you have a Generalheiress don't you?" Peter asked, looking to Renn. " I think she'll make a far better and far wiser ruler anyway" He added as Renn smiled slightly and gave a agreeing nod. "Now get him out of my sight" Peter ordered the two guards. A rumble from above then distracted everyone. The roof of the arena had been damaged in the fight and was cracked in the centre, looking unstable and vulnerable. Because Peter had been looking up at it he, like nearly everyone else, failed to notice Rasputin reaching down to his gun sheath. Two bangs brought everyone's attention back to see the last of the guards fall down to the floor dead. Like his fellow guard he'd been shot in the chest. Peter was in too much of shock and missed his chance to block the vicious blow Rasputin then delivered to his head with the hilt of his gun that send him crashing to the floor. Before he could do anything Rasputin had his hands around his neck, his handcuffs unable to stop him.
"Stay back or I'll break his neck!" He shouted as the Argents, the Doctor and Rose started forward. "Well I guess the legend will come true after all, though this way is so much more fun" He told Peter, who was trying to wrench Rasputin's hands off his neck as he began losing air. A great crack filled the air as a chunk of the ceiling dropped to the arena floor, close to Peter and Rasputin. The roof was coming down, but it was ignored as Rasputin continued strangling Peter. "You and all your family forgot who your dealing with" He taunted proudly.
"And, your forgetting, who I am" Peter managed to wheeze out as he grabbed hold of Rasputin's hands before he shut his eyes for a moment. When they opened, they were still grey but, they were dragon's eyes. Fear swept across Rasputin's face as what looked like steam or smoke began appearing from Peter's neck and around his and Rasputin's hands. CRACK!. The ceiling finally caved in just as Rasputin leapt back holding his hands out which looked as if they'd been badly burnt. As Peter was released, he lashed out a kick with both feet which collided with Rasputin's stomach, pushing the General right into the centre of the arena just as the mountain of rubble came down. There was a sickening thud as the stone buried the man under a ton of marble and stone. An awful amount of dust was kicked up too from both the debris and sandy floor, cloaking both Rasputin's burial sight and Peter, who could only curl up in protection. As it settled a little, his family, Rose and the Doctor ran into the arena. To their great relief they saw Peter, filthy but alive and well, the rubble having just missed him, as he knelt on the ground coughing and spluttering from the strangulation and the dust. Alison reached him first and immediately began rubbing him on the back to help with airflow.
"Oh, Peter, are you ok?" Catherine asked worried as she knelt down in front of him and began fussing as he sat up a little.
"Mum, mum, I'm fine" Peter, sounding terrible from the lack of air, insisted as he waved away her concerns. The Doctor crouched down too and, with an eye roll from Peter, he scanned his neck with his screwdriver.
"Yeap, nothing to worry about, it'll just be a bit sore and some bruising, small cut by your eye from where he hit you" He reassured, more for Catherine than anyone else.
"That your opinion as a Doctor then" Peter said, sounding a little better, causing Rose and the Doctor to smile as they helped him to his feet.
"What about Rasputin?" Alexander asked, looking at the still and silent pile of rubble. Peter was one of few not now looking at the pile.
"I'm sorry" He suddenly apologised in a different direction. Turning they all saw he was speaking to Renn who stood, looking a little saddened at the pile.
"Don't apologise, he was never much of a father" She relied with a small, but still sad smile. It was then that a small elderly man, dressed in almost priest like robes, stepped out from the crowds, towards her.
"On behalf of the eastern lands, It is my duty to decree you Generaless" He announce, loud enough for the arena to hear as he and then everyone on one side of the arena bowed or curtsied. Renn seemed to consider for a moment before looking back at the Argents. After a moment she nodded and turned back to the man.
"Yes, yes of course" She replied before walking over to the Argents a little. "The fighting over lands and generalship has gone on too long, so I would like to propose a truce between us, a peace treaty" She asked, loudly enough for the crowd to hear. Alexander walked up to her, so that they stood in front of each other, as the crowd seemed to agree.
"I accept, most happily, the treaty can be drawn up immediately" He agreed, causing a ripple of applause from the crowd. Renn nodded and smiled.
"And I must say, your son is a great credit to you, he will do well as General" She told Alexander quietly among the applause as she glanced over Alexander's shoulder at Peter, who was stood a short distance away with the others.
"I think he might" Alexander agreed as they shook hands. It seemed that the legend of the dragon had come true in a way. Vegeta's future was looking very peaceful indeed.
A peaceful night had drawn in as across the now calm lands of Vegeta people were coming together from both lands and making peace. Peter stood, leaning against the balconies ledge at the back of his house as he enjoyed the calmness after so much tension and chaos. The door behind him opened. It was Alexander, walking out with two filed glasses.
"Thought you might need a drink after today" He chuckled, passing on to him. Peter smiled in reply as he took a sip of the light brown liquid, though he nearly choked on it straight away.
"Bit strong isn't it?" He asked, setting it down on the balcony ledge as his father chuckled.
"Firewhisky, Sayain speciality" He replied as he finished his own drink.
"Suppose I'll get use to it well, and a lot of other things, living here" Peter replied, almost sounding a little saddened at something. "Listen, the whole dragon thing? Is it...?" He then tried ask, running his finger and thumb over the dragon ring he was still wearing.
"Gone?" His father guessed. "I imagine it's merely hidden itself deep inside but remains in place should you need it, though perhaps only in emergencies, it will take a lot of energy out of you" He added. "But what's really troubling you?" He then asked him.
"Nothing," Peter nervously lied. But Alexander wasn't buying it and could no doubt hear Peter's heartbeat increase as he lied.
"Are you ready for this kind of life?" Alexander then asked. Peter hesitated as his expression showed Alexander had guessed right.
"Yeah, I mean there's a lot to learn but er, it's the life I was born into" He replied.
"Because I know how challenging and restrictive it can be, and there's no rush for you to dive in if your not ready" Alexander told him. "Here, the Doctor asked me to give you this" He said, as he dug out from his pocket, an ordinary Yale key on a chain.
"A key?" Peter asked confused as it was dropped into his hand.
"A Tardis key" A voice rang out. It was the Doctor, standing in the doorway with his hands in his suit's pockets.
"Why would I need a key to the Tardis?" Peter asked, even more confused.
"Frequent flyers privilege" The Doctor replied as he walked up to them. Peter shook his head a little.
"Yeah but I'm not..." He began before the realisation hit him as both the Doctor and Alexander smiled.
"Well, course you don't have too, you could still stay here..." The Doctor began with a shrug. Peter looked torn as he looked at them both.
"I can't, I'm needed here, surely..." He tried to say as he looked to his father for input.
"Peter, just because you found us doesn't mean you have to stay here all the time, you grew up free of all this, free to travel" Alexander told Peter. "And to travel to the stars is something not everyone gets to do and should not be missed, and besides whatever duties or responsibilities you may think you have here, you did more than all of them combined today" Alexander encouraged as he rested a hand on Peter's shoulder. Peter looked from him to his house, where he spotted his mother and sister also watching and smiling with equal pride and encouragement from one of the windows. "And we will always be here" His father reminded him. Peter took a moment to consider.
"Well, I guess, I better go pack" He said, sounding a little nervous but happy all the same, knowing his family had given their blessing and would be waiting for him when he returned.
The western sun was shining brightly over the temple. Warm rays bounced of the Tardis's blue panelling as Peter was saying his goodbyes. His two sports bags and rucksack he'd used when moving from Earth were now on board, though they were a little fuller with some of his Sayain clothing.
"Here, I should leave this with you" He told his family as he handed them a thick book. "Its filled with photos and stuff from me growing up, I know you don't have anything" He told them as he handed it over to Alexander, who nodded before taking his hand from behind his back which was holding a leather bound journal.
"I started writing in this when you left," He told Peter quietly as he handed it to him. "It was my of writing to you, telling you what happened day to day and hopefully it can give a lot more information about here and us than you already know" He added.
"Thanks" Peter told him before they shared a firm hug.
"My darling, take care won't you?" Catherine then asked him as she kissed and hugged him.
"Course I will, and I'll be back to visit soon I promise" Peter replied before he looked to Alison.
"Don't get into too much trouble," She joked as she hugged him.
"Same for you," Peter replied. "And take care of them?" He whispered in her ear. Alison nodded just as the Tardis began to give off a warning whir. Peter finished his goodbyes, grateful in the knowledge they could all contact him through his transporter, which the Doctor had given universal roaming. With a last look at his family and the view of his home world, Peter smiled as he stepped in and shut the Tardis's door. The whirring of the ship echoed through the temple as it slowly disappeared, leaving the three remaining Argents to turn back for home.
