City On The Edge of Destruction
Chapter Five

Authors notes
First of all, LONG LIVE DOCTOR WHO! It's just finished over here so I had to rush this one out. But next is the announcement of the winner of the four way post. This one! Coming second was Lost but Found and a close third was the Terminator crossover. I'll be updating/completing in that order.
That's all so Lets get on with this story.

Giles wasn't happy walking around the court yard of a pre-medieval stone castle and he could tell the rest of the group felt the same way. 'Doctor, do you honestly think we'll just bump into your friend in the middle of the street?'

'No. That's why I sent out a psychic probe. Ah here comes our escort.' A dozen men-at-arms with spears and sheathed short swords quick marched up to them, their leader was the same man who was at the gates.

'You will follow us.' He ordered before glancing up at his spear. Probably contemplating levelling it at them.

'Of course.' grinned the Time Lord.

As they started to move Giles noticed Dawn was gawping at an animal. 'Urm Dawn…'

'That's a moose.'

'Yes?' It was a very nice moose but quite why she was looking at it was beyond him.

Her smile was not the sort of thing you'd find on the face of a sane person; 'Moose… from the titles!' For a long second Giles didn't get the reference then he did, the title sequence from the Quest for the Holy Grail was full of Moose jokes.

'That's it, I'm taking your collection and your not getting it back.' He turned around and took a few steps before another thing caught his eye. 'And that is not a python.' he said jabbing his finger at a snake that actually looked very much like one.

He spent the next few minutes trying to figure out what it was, if not a python, and trying to ignore the giggling child.

Willow wondered if Dawn didn't have the right idea in going mad. It seamed to make things a lot easier to understand. As the group were escorted into the keep and up past a grand hall she began to wonder why Camelot was so difficult to find if it was this big. She asked the Doctor.

'You see my dear, Merlin was exiled and sent here as punishment for something or other. I forget what but the point is that Camelot was his idea and it effect the history of this race you see. So my fellow Time Lord's simply erased it from everyone's memory. The story survived of course but the building itself was removed, there's nothing left. That's why you can't find it.'

'There's nothing left to find! How… I mean what gives them the right to do that.' Willow was shocked that these beings could do that sort of thing.

'Power, necessity and the fact that its already done. Really my fellow Time Lords worry that if we keep effecting the Space-time continuum we could destroy it. Rather short sighted that, given the current situation. Wouldn't you agree?' he directed to the room they had just entered.

They had just turned and came through two large doors. Inside was a youngish man with a mane of light red hair and a short beard, he wore a short dark cloak over a dull red top and rough brown leggings. His friend was an old man with neck length white hair and a long beard, just passing his neck. He wore a light blue robe with a white cord like belt. 'What situation would that be?'

'Three trans-dimensional entities have punctured the barriers between the dimensional plains. The idiots didn't even bother to check the energy fields at the spot they ripped creation open.'

'Full power?'

'No power. The hotspot was burnt out a year before.' the Doctor walked over to a chair.

'That's a problem?'

Willow watched as the Doctor stopped mid stride before hanging his head 'And you're a scientist, what has the universe come to? The amount of trans-dimensional energy they threw at the point had to go somewhere didn't it?' he turned on Willow. 'Perhaps its better if I explained it to you; if you slap a bit of sticky tape on to a balloon and then take a sharp pin and push it through the bit you taped up, what happens.'

'The pin goes through the balloon, but it doesn't burst.' She had seen this done on T.v as a kid and spent days getting it to work, but it did eventually.

'Right, now that's a dimensional portal on a working hotspot. Without the tape the balloon bursts, that's without a hotspot. Now put layer upon layer of tape on one spot and a blunt pin that gets rammed through with a hammer, what happens?'

'The balloon bursts?' asked Buffy.

'Exactly. The balloon is our, well this, dimensional realm,' he turned on the druid. 'The skin of our dimension is burst, no more and whatever's inside is lost in the emptiness between. BOOM.'

Merlin had been getting a strange looking his eyes as the Doctor talked, 'By the great tower, the end of everything. Why are you the one stopping it, shouldn't the others be the ones to… do whatever they plan to do to stop it.'

'They have a wonderful plan, but I'm not sure it will work.'

'What is it?'

'Tell me to go and fix it.' It was at that point the conversation was interrupted by Giles.

Giles barely heard what the Doctor was saying to Willow. Upon entering there was only one thing he was interested in. Next to a stone throne, flush against a banner on the far wall, was a scabbard. Inside was the sword that just about every Englishman would sell his soul to see.

It took Giles a moment to realise that the handle and hilt of the mythical bade was familiar, pale leather bound around almost pure silver that still some how had a red tinge. He just couldn't place it. The more he looked the more familiar it became. Racking his brains he knew he could not have seen Excalibur before so it must be something like it.

Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. 'The scythe! Excuse me your majesty may I please see your sword?'

'You may. But I warn you it will only allow it self to be wheedled by my hand, no one else's.' The historical figure seamed grateful to be distracted from the two Time Lords and walked over to the sword.

'Never my intention your majesty. Thank you.' Giles followed him

'What did you mean by scythe?' Asked the legendary king as he picked up the sword.

'A few days ago we found weapon a lot like this.' Giles looked at the sword, long and straight, the Sword had a silver edge to the blade but a metallic red core. It seamed to emit a sense of light. 'In fact it was exactly like this.'

'That's cool Giles but there's something a bit more important going on. Pardon me sir but can you understand me.' Buffy looked at the king.

'Of course I can fair maiden, why do you ask?'

'Cause our friend there said you only speak Latin. I'm speaking English, so is Giles.'

'English?' he looked to Merlin

'Very good,' Exclaimed the Doctor quite out of the blue. 'Your chameleon circuit works.'

'Yes I'm quite proud.'

As one the humans in the room looked at each other then to the Time Lords before saying 'Huh?'

However one didn't, she looked up and down the walls before standing in the centre of the room. Then she took two steps backwards and frowned at where she was just standing.

'What is it Key?' There was a slight tone in the Doctor's voice that showed that he knew exactly what "it" was.

Dawn could see the faint outline of ,well something that wasn't there, or at least not yet. Curious she reached out and flipped a nonexistent switch and a TARDIS control column promptly slipped back into reality. 'Camelot is Merlin's TARDIS? Cool!'

'Who is this? For that matter who are they Doctor?' Merlin had the same look in his eye that the Doctor had at the beginning of the journey.

'I thought you recognised them, it was your hobby at the academy. The young lady with blond hair is the Slayer General.'

'Buffy Summers, you're joking! Buffy Summers was eight feet tall and could kill a vampire by looking at it.' Merlin laughed.

'That's what was said about her. As you know legends are often exaggerated This is Rupert Giles and over here is Willow Rosenberg. The young man without an eye is Xander Harris.'

'Then who's this?' he looked down at Dawn who was too busy investigating the column to meet the gaze that was being directed at her.

'She's the Key, given to the Slayer in this form for her own protection.'

Merlin took a few steps back. 'How?'

'I think they used a chameleon field to reshape her.' the Doctor half shrugged before heading to one of the controls. 'This is the Doctor calling the Time Lord's high council. Urgent mission update.'

From the empty air around him a great voice permeated the very rocks of the castle; 'This is Barossa. Proceed Doctor, is this universe safe?'

Arthur always knew that Merlin was powerful. So while he was surprised at the strange table simply appearing, and the equally strange man talking to mid-air, he knew that there was an logical and reasonable explanation. He also knew that he wouldn't understand it. Instead he latched on to the thing he did understand; the protection of those in need. 'Merlin, will this…event harm the innocent?' He was uncomfortable interrupting but he had to know something.

'What? Well yes, everyone will die Arthur.'

'Then my goal is clear.' He turned to the other travellers. 'You have come a long way to seek help in saving lives. Years ago I pledged my life and honour to that endless task. The six of you are no match for the armies of hell and so my army will accompany you to this distant place.'

Merlin was spluttering, obviously trying to dissuade Arthur but not knowing how to start.

Arthur walked besides the strange druid and stopped him; 'Oh Lords of time, I am Arthur king of the Britons. It is my duty to protect this country and by extension this world. Whatever aid these people require I give it freely.

'Merlin once told me that you punished him for a mistake. He has been my greatest friend and teacher, I ask what crime could this man make by accident that is rewarded with this punishment?'

'King Arthur, his crime was one of stupidity and foolishness. We have long considered out verdict and still believe it to be just. However the length of this justice can be disputed. Merlin; hear me now.'

'Yes Lord-President?'

'Your charge may assist with the Doctor's mission, given the same restrictions as his other companions. As for yourself, you will live out the rest of this life to its natural conclusion. Upon your regeneration you will be welcomed back amongst us.'

'Thank you Lord-President.'

'Now go. The time lines are becoming unstable, any further delay may doom all of us. Time Lord command centre, end of message.'

'So do we get to save the world now?' Asked the youngest girl with a strange smile.

End Chapter Five