Disclaimer: I own nothing from Torchwood. This is unbeta'd, so any and all mistakes are mine.

Ianto woke up cradled in warmth from an unknown source. He didn't want to open his eyes; he imagined he was a young child again, and Amy, as embarrassing as it sounds, had climbed into bed to cuddle him when he had nightmares

And then it came rushing back to him. No, he wasn't young anymore. He was twenty-three. His home had just been burned to the ground and he was in a different Realm.

And he was in Jack's bed. Which meant...

The hand combing through his hair paused as Ianto shifted. He suddenly caught a whiff of the strong smell Jack always permeated the air around him. The large hand resumed its stroking after he relaxed back into Jack's embrace. Ianto's head was pounding and his eyes felt puffy and sticky from the meltdown he had had last night. They remained glued together, making it almost impossible to open his eyes up. He felt himself flush with embarrassment. He really had made quite a fool out of himself, hadn't he?

Despite his growing mortification over his actions last night, Ianto found he didn't want Jack to know he was awake. He was embarrassed to admit he was enjoying staying snuggled up innocently with Jack. This way, he didn't have to take responsibility for his actions around the other man, as cowardly as that was. He just wasn't used to all of... this. He had no other word for it.

Ianto lost track of time as he laid tangled up with Jack, who had not once stopped his soothing combing, absorbing the warmth and comfort that was Jack Harkness's embrace.

He waited a little longer, before he knew it was time to rise. He was well aware that he had a meeting with the king that morning, and wanted to dress appropriately. That took time.

Ianto stretched his arms up slowly, yawning slightly as he turned and buried his face in Jack's clothed chest. The other man chuckled fondly and swept a hand down his back. He was very much aware that Ianto was awake and had been for some time. He let it slide however, content with the fact hat Ianto hadn't been horrified by their position despite his apparent attraction to him.

He gently shook the Welshman, giving Ianto a quick out. The man took the opportunity and worked it as best as he could. He finally opened his eyes and glazed blearily at Jack's face. Jack felt his breath catch as he locked eyes with the adorable man. Even with his face all swollen from crying and his hair in a mess, he was the most beautiful man Jack had ever seen. He shook himself and smiled down at him.

"Well, good morning sleeping beauty! Feeling better today?" he asked, pleased when Ianto didn't immediately pull away. The Welshman smiled slightly and nodded.

"Thank you, Jack, I really appreciated what you did for me last night. And... and for staying with me," he said softly, a small smile on his face. Jack grinned back.

"Well, it is my room..." the man laughed when Ianto hit him on his chest, glaring slightly. "Okay, okay, I know what you meant. And trust me, I had no problems staying in bed with such a handsome man; who would?" Jack smirked as Ianto rolled his eyes, pushing off and away from Jack.

"You're incorrigible," he huffed, shuffling away from his friend. Jack laughed, smiling confidently.

"But you love me for it," Jack winked and Ianto flushed slightly as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Jack's smile suddenly softened and he sat up, leaning back on his elbows.

"I do mean it though, Ianto. It was no problem. I want you to feel comfortable approaching me when you're upset, or even when you're excited," he suddenly rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. "I know I haven't really been there for you for these past few years, and I just... I want you to know that I'm here for you now. When you need me, okay?" Jack asked softly, raising his gaze to meet Ianto's.

Ianto stared at him in shock for a moment, before he nodded, a smile on his face. "Thank you, that means a lot to me," he said quietly. "And the same goes for you. You might've been a stupid git for the past few years, but you're still one of my best friends," Ianto said, turning his body to face Jack. Jack grinned at him, before suddenly leaning over and brushing a light kiss of his friend's lips.

Ianto's face immediately flamed, and he looked stunned. He opened his mouth to ask why exactly Jack had done that, when the man placed a finger on his lips. His blue eyes twinkled with mirth.

"Shhh. Don't worry about it now. We have to be in the King's Court in thirty minutes," Jack grinned mischievously at him, before pulling his hand back and clapping them together.

"Right! Now get yourself over to your room Mr. Jones, we don't want to be late, do we?" Jack smiled cheekily at him, before he crawled out of his bed and headed off to his private bathrooms. Ianto stared at the door Jack had just went through for a few moments, stunned.

'Don't worry about it? What was he thinking? Now I won't be able to focus all day!' Ianto climbed to his feet, rubbing his lips as he thought with frustration and a little confusion, 'Damn you, Jack bloody Harkness!'

"You really wore that?"

"What? I thought you liked it. Besides, I don't look as dashing without it."

Ianto rolled his eyes as he straightened his tie. They were waiting patiently in front of the big doors leading to the King's Court. Jack was dressed in his usual military garb and Ianto in one of the suits he had found in his closet. He had almost cried when he felt how nice the fabrics were; they were much softer and smoother than the cheap ones at the other castle. He fussed with his tie a little more.

"Goodness, we're going to see a king! A king from a different Realm might I add," Ianto hissed under his breath as he began to attack his cufflinks with his nervous fingers. Jack chuckled and placed a hand over Ianto's.

"Calm down. King Alistair isn't some crazy big-wig; trust me, I've met plenty, and he definitely isn't on that list," Jack said soothingly, stroking his thumb over his knuckles, before winking and pulling away.

Ianto, at any other point in time, might have been a tad bit flustered at Jack''s open act of affection, but at the moment, he couldn't find it in him to care all that much about Jack and his antics earlier that morning. He had originally thought the whole thing that happened with Jack would affect him the whole time he was in the meeting, but as he came closer to the actual meeting time, his nerves were more focused on the actual king.

Ianto huffed, his hands stilling for a moment. He shook himself slightly. "But you can't blame me; it is the first king I've ever really had a proper, formal conversation with," he said, discounting his encounter with King John in the hallway when he was eight. He shifted his feet and chewed on his lip.

Jack watched the other man fondly. His awkward nervousness was very endearing. "Do you realize how cute you are sometimes, Jones, Ianto Jones?" he asked, a grin in his voice. Ianto glared at him, his cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. He was not cute!

"Jack!..." he hissed, a threat lingering in his tone, before quickly falling silent as the doors in front of the creaked. Ianto snapped to attention, and Jack chuckled, causing the Welshman to shoot a pointed, disapproving look at him out of the corner of his eye. When Jack simply laughed louder, Ianto rolled his eyes and had to fight the desire to bury his face in his hands. He smiled weakly at the servants holding the doors open for them. They didn't react.

As soon as the doors were all the way opened, the two men made their way into the large room, Ianto subtly casting his gaze around. He couldn't believe he was in a King's Court! He felt like giggling a little, but suppressed it, reminding himself of what he had just scolded Jack for.

The captain in question had already seen everything this court had to offer and approached the throne with his easy grin and heroic, sweeping gait. He sobered slightly when he caught gazes with the royal advisor. He remembered vividly how his father had to attend royal meetings with the Doctor. The advisor was standing down to the right of the king's giant throne, his chin tilted slightly to the air as he watched them approach.

Jack pulled his eyes away from the advisor and turned them up to the king. He smirked as he took a good look at the aging king. He was one of the older rulers; his beard and hair were already turning a bright white. Jack knew he hadn't been in the best of places the last time he had been to the Dragon Realm, and hoped the man hadn't caught wind of his antics. The small flash of slight disapproval that gleamed in the king's eyes when he looked over Jack squashed that hope quickly. He knew, however, that Alistair would understand why Jack was kicked out of several of the village pubs; he could only hope the man could forgive him.

Ianto, on the other hand, looked a little uneasy the closer and closer they got to the king's throne. If he wasn't intimidated by the size of the room, he was certainly intimidated now. The man in front of him wore a stern grimace, but his eyes were soft. He radiated confidence and silent control. Ianto could see the weight of the world in his eyes, but despite that, the king of the Dragon Realm looked strong, firm, and ready to fix any problems that arose.

The king sat up straighter as the two men approached, his chin tilting upwards. He waited patiently from both men to rise after they bowed respectfully. The room was silent for a minute as the king took in the two men who stood before him. He couldn't help but notice how different Jack was from last time; when he found out the man was coming back to visit again, he was going to chew his arse out for all the trouble he put his people through. Seeing the look in his eyes now, however, made him rethink his decision and he settle for a neutral silence on the matter.

"Jack Harkness... it's been quite some time since you've visited our Realm. I really wished it had been under better circumstances," the king said as he smiled bitterly down at the men. Ianto was only a little surprised on the way the conversation open; King Alistair had no time for small talk, and neither Jack nor Ianto could blame him.

Jack chuckled as he folded his arms in from of his chest.

"Yeah, can't say I'm too thrilled about the turn of events myself," the captain said as he shifted his weight to his right for. He blew air out through his mouth in a tired sigh, before asking quickly, "Are we going to go back to help my Realm?" Jack deep down already knew the answer, but he knew it wouldn't hurt to try. Ianto watched the king with a small flutter of hope. King Alistair sighed softly.

"I've sent a rescue fleet to check the rubble for survivors. I'm afraid there isn't much else we can do besides that. We're dealing with something that's bigger than the destruction of one castle and much darker," King Alistair said gravely as he shifted his gaze away from Jack to a stiff Ianto. He watched the young man quietly for a few moments after he spoke. He caught sight of the gold bracelet around his wrist and smiled, slightly amused.

"Which brings us to you, Ianto Jones. Twenty-three as of two days ago, raised in the Crisial Inn for eight years before being taken away to serve at the castle," the king sat back in his throne, his eyes still on the bracelet.

"Oh the Doctor was always a clever man, hiding the much sought after Hero right under their noses," he chuckled lightly, shaking his head with fond exasperation and amusement.

Ianto felt a shiver run through him as the man listed off his life. He was confused and scared; hearing this only furthered those feelings.

"How do you know all of that?" he asked, pausing before quickly adding, "sire." The king's attitude and body language changed immediately. His admiration was quickly replaced by irritation, and it showed on his face.

"He never got around to telling you, did he?" the king shook his head. "So smart and always so distracted," he sighed with exasperation. Jack chuckled at the King's annoyed expression, understanding where the king was coming from. King Alistair rubbed his forehead with two fingers, before suddenly pulling himself out of his chair.

"I feel like you won't believe me if I tell you by myself, so I suppose I should show you as well. Please, follow me," he said as he began to descend the few stairs on his marble throne to the polished floors. He left the advisor and servants in the room to themselves as he walked around the throne and headed for the door in the back of the Court.

He pushed on steadily for a man of his age and didn't once stumble in his steps. Ianto watched him curiously, Jack striding along beside him. They shared a bemused look as the king pulled out a silver key from around his neck and unlocked the wooden door. He didn't bother to look behind him as he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Ianto followed first, leaving Jack to shut the door behind him.

Ianto nearly smacked ran into the king he walked in. He quickly took a step back and looked around. The room was small and round; no more than ten people could fit inside nicely. The ceiling was low, the brick brushing the top of Ianto's hair when he stood up straight. On the wall, there were symbols drawn; they were lit up by the torches put up in the room, all of them burning. Jack eyed the burning wood curiously. He wondered if they honestly kept it burning all the time; that would be waste a lot of fuel and wood.

"I've been looking at these symbols ever since I got that letter form John," the king explained when he saw Jack look at the torches with confusion and slight disdain. The captain had enough decency to look a little sheepish, but the king was no longer focused on Jack. He ran his wrinkled fingers across the indents in the stone almost reverently, his brows furrowed.

Ianto swept his eyes around the room, feeling another shiver rock his body. It felt like there were eyes on him, and it was making him increasingly uncomfortable with the entire situation. The bracelet on his wrist suddenly vibrated with energy and Ianto rubbed the beads absentmindedly. The King didn't miss his actions.

"What is this place? And what are these symbols?" Jack suddenly asked as he walked slowly in circles around the room. The king looked away from Ianto's bracelet and removed his hands from the wall.

"It is the Prophecy. It's the story of our beginning. It's the tale of our tokens, and the evil that nearly destroyed our lands," the king said quietly, his voice hard and gruff. The archaic language hadn't been studied by common folk in many years, but each generation of royalty had to learn it specifically for the Prophecy.

The king was pulled from his thoughts as Jack's eyes quickly met his. The man seemed to search his eyes for a moment, disbelief shining in the captain's blue ones. He suddenly shook his head.

"The Prophecy? That's just an old wives tale," he said, his tone skeptical. The king watched Jack, his eyes narrowing slightly. He never was fond of having to explain things that didn't seem possible.

"This is no wives tale, Captain. No, this is very real, and you both are an important part of it," he said, his eyes straying back down to the shining golden bracelet on Ianto's wrist.

The Welshman was oblivious as his mind raced. This must've been what Suzie was talking about. Jack knew what it was, so perhaps he really was living under a rock in that castle.

"What's the Prophecy?" he asked, his fingers still rubbing the bracelet gently; the tingling had steadily gotten stronger as time had gone by.

Ianto focused on the king, who had opened his mouth to respond, but Jack spoke up before he got the chance.

"Like the Brigadier here said, it's the story of our land. I'm not surprise you haven't heard of it; it's most commonly spoken about among warriors or soldiers," Jack butted in as he lounged against the smooth wall. The king frowned at the man, who in turn flashed his big, charming smiling.

"Come on, Alistair, I'm great at telling stories! And this is one of my favorites," the captain pleaded, his mouth forming a small pout. The king looked at Jack with annoyance, his mouth a tight line. Jack was beginning to think he had push the man too far when the king finally sighed a nodded. Jack grinned even wider and turned to Ianto.

The younger man was embarrassed by Jack's actions, but had to admit he was excited to hear it from Jack's mouth; he was always so good at story telling.

"Well, the story says that there was once this special crown made of gold that was owned by the king of the Gem Realm. It was said to have been made with every single gem of the land, and was so powerful that it could even think for itself. The king who ordered the crown to be made was not a selfish man. He had simply wanted to see what would occur, and was actually a little scared of the outcome.

There was one time, though, that the king used his crown to save the Realms from a drought. People far and wide came to see the alleged crown and to ask for help. The king always delivered if he thought the reasoning was just, and from then on, the king of the Gem Realm was admired and loved by all.

One day, though, the king of the Forest Realm grew jealous of how well-loved and powerful the king of the Gem Realm was, and darkness grew in his heart. They say it turned black, and he became a monster. He began to experiment with different animals and create horrifying creatures using all of the the different elements of the Realms. He made an army of monsters to destroy the king and his castle, knowing if he could do so, he could steal the crown and take over all of the Realms.

He was able to gain support for his attack by targeting the power hungry; the ones who didn't support him were used to feed his creatures. His wife helped him hand pick the human soldiers they were going to use. She was just as dark as he; you might say they were a match made in hell," Jack briefly chuckled to himself at his own joke, before quickly continuing as Alistair cleared his throat pointedly.

"The king of the Forest Realm decided to attack the castle with his army of monsters in the dead of night, hoping to catch the Gem Realm off guard. The king of the Gem Realm, however, was much stronger and wiser than the other king with his monsters. He used his crown of gold to trap the man and his wife in a special box that would hold him for one thousand years. He then locked the box in the castle of the Forest Realm and had the monsters moved there as well. The eighth Realm, now known simply as the Dead Forest, was declared unsafe, and no one was allowed to step foot on the soil.

The king of the Gem Realm knew this was partial his fault. He knew if he were to keep the crown as one, others would try to steal it and use it for evil. Using the powers of his crown, the king split it into seven pieces and infused one item from each Realm with its power. He then hid these tokens in their respective Realms.

One of the tokens he made special, though, for the sentient crown had shown him a vision on the day the powers were split. It showed him the near destruction of the Realms repeat by the hand of the evil king who would escape from his prison, but also showed him their savior. One Hero from the Realm of Gems would rise and take down the king with the help of an Immortal being.

He knew each token was sentient, but gave this token the ability to latch onto its owner's closest possession. This way, the token would locate its next owner without any hassle and wouldn't fall into evil hands easily. He knew the token would work its way through the royal blood line and eventually find the also created a map of the tokens that would only make itself known to the Hero, knowing that when the time came, the Hero had to find all seven of the tokens and reunite them to defeat the king once and for all.

On his deathbed, the king released his token and map to his eldest son who was the heir to his throne. He revealed the name of the Hero to his son, and ordered him to never utter the name to other ears until it was time to pass it on to the next king or to call on the Hero. The son obeyed, and the king died shortly after. They say from then on, the name, scroll, and token have been passed down for generations, each king waiting for the Hero to step forward and claim his name."

Jack finished in a hushed, conspiratorial tone, looking mischievous and light-hearted. King Alistair, on the other hand, looked grave, and nodded solemnly. Jack looked at him with disbelief, his eyebrows high up on his head.

"Oh come on! That isn't real; it's just a story. You don't... you don't actually believe that, do you?" Jack asked incredulously as he shook his head. "It's just a myth that power-hungry soldiers tell to excite themselves." Ianto had to agree with Jack. Even if the tokens part was true (which he wasn't sure he believed yet despite what he had been told happened to him), the Hero and the evil king items had to be made up. Perhaps those soldiers had made up the story to make it more exciting.

King Alistair could see the skepticism on Ianto's face as well. He knew that was no good; the Hero had to know what his duty was, or else the Prophecy would mean nothing. The king looked at them both, very unamused.

"I won't argue with you Jack, but think about all the things that have happened in the past few days. What do you think happened to Mr. Jones the day you escaped from the castle? What was that golden light? And you, Ianto," the king turned his intense gaze to the Welshman.

"Do you remember the day King John caught you walking towards that blank wall? Can you hear the whispering? Can you feel that token crying for its companion? I know you can, Ianto Jones, it's written on your face," the king said quietly, almost as if he wished it wasn't true.

Jack looked over to see the young man roll his eyes as he knew he would, but was surprised to see instead how white Ianto's face had become.

"How... how do you...," Ianto whispered, his hand tightening visibly on his bracelet as it vibrated under his hand. Jack stared at the pale man, his mouth open. Ianto looked genuinely scared now and that in itself scared Jack. Ianto was the most down to earth man he knew, and if he was believing the story may be true, who knew if it really was or not?

The king was already beginning to relax as he saw actual fear and belief beginning to show on Ianto's face. "King John wrote to me about you. You would've been sent here to me regardless of what had happened at the castled. That king... the Master... is back, Ianto. John knew it was coming for years. He took you from your family to protect you. He was waiting until you were old enough to be trained. This is it, Ianto Jones, this is your calling," King Alistair said seriously, his eyes dark.

Ianto stared back at the king, his eyes wide. It was impossible. Hearing that little bit from Suzie was nothing compared to something as big as this. It couldn't be him. He was a nobody; he wasn't even strong enough to lift things on his own without that bracelet that used to be his bracelet for strength. This wasn't him. He wasn't the Hero, he was a servant. He looked up as the king turned to face Jack.

"I can only assume the Doctor figured the Immortal being wasn't actually immortal. You, Jack, are nicknamed the Immortal and are close to Ianto. It does make sense to assume that you would be the one to accompany the Hero, seeing that you know so much about each Realm. John really is too clever for his own good; he probably figured that out right in time," the king said quietly, allowing the words to sink in for both of the men.

Now Jack was beginning to believe there may be a sparkle of truth to this bizarre story. Ianto's horrified face and the incident with Ianto and his bracelet were too close to the actual story, and made Jack feel uncomfortable and a little scared. He knew that if there was some chance in hell that the Prophecy was coming true, the two of them were in more danger than ever before.

Ianto shook his head, now turning and staring at the symbols on the walls. There was no way. Perhaps if he repeated that mantra enough, it would be true. This was all too crazy. He had never asked to be the Hero.

King Alistair could see Ianto was struggling with the truth he was presented and knew this wouldn't do. The king turned the young man around and placed his hands on his shoulders, his face tired and grim. Ianto searched his eyes frantically for some sign this was on big joke, but the king knew he would find only truth. He shook the man slightly.

"This is real, Ianto. It's been your name the Kings have whispered to their heirs as they lay dying. It's you who have heard the whisper of the tokens. And it will be you who saves us all from certain destruction."

A/N: This may be the last chapter for a little while because my computer has been acting up lately. Thanks for reading!