A/N: Um... I don't really know what to say about this chapter apart from that I think I've banged my head or something. Feeling a tad crazy today... but I'm sure it'll pass. One more chapter left, and then it's finitooooo :D

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Execution

'Well I've go to admit,' the Doctor sighed as the cold wind whipped around him. 'I didn't see it ending like this.'

Ashley grimaced at the Troll as it pushed the looped rope over her head. 'Now would be a good time for one of those innovative plans of yours.'

The Doctor squinted in thought. 'Well… I did have one, but it includes a banana and a miracle.'

Ashley glanced to him quizzically. 'What's the banana for?'

'For celebrating the miracle.'

'This can't be happening!' Rapunzel wailed. She looked very unattractive with puffy, wet eyes and bright red cheeks. 'I'm too pretty to be hanged!'

'Well at least one thing will come out of this,' Ashley sighed. 'I won't have to put up with her much longer.'

The three of them stood on the turrets on what appeared to be the highest tower of the castle. Behind them the Trolls were tying off the other ends of the ropes to iron hooks in the ground. The view was incredible from where they were; they could see right across the whole land. Even with the dark clouds above it seemed even more spectacular than when they first landed on the top of the hill, but Ashley assumed that was only because it was the last thing she would ever see. She glanced across to the Doctor, whose expression was a mixture of annoyance and acceptance. She wanted to reach out and hold his hand, but the gap was too wide.

'You know,' she said. 'This might be the crappiest exit imaginable, but… Well, you know. I'm glad I met you, Doctor.'

His eyes narrowed briefly. To her annoyance, his only response was, 'Mmm.'

She frowned. 'I'm sorry? Are those going to be your last words? Oh come on, I had you pegged as the teary speech kind of bloke.'

He was looking at something ahead and for a while it didn't occur to Ashley to look and see what it was. Having already accepted that there was no way out of their current predicament, she assumed he was just ignoring her.

'Oh well that's just lovely.' She snorted. 'And here I was thinking that you might have something nice to say. I swear to God, Doctor when we go to Limbo or wherever the hell we end up, I'm going to totally…' She trailed off when she saw what he was watching and her face dropped. 'Oh… balls.'

The Doctor turned and looked at her with wild eyes. He grinned broadly. 'Fall back on three.' He told her.

Ashley glanced behind her to the stone floor of the tower. 'Are you sure? That looks like it'll hurt a bit…'

'One…' he said, looking forward again.

'What… what are you doing?' Rapunzel sniffled.

'Two…'

'Fall back when he says three.' Ashley told her.

'But it'll hu-urt!' Rapunzel whined.

Behind them the Trolls were beginning to react to their incoming visitor.

'Three!' The Doctor cried.

On cue, the three of them fell backwards off the turret, just as the huge dragon swept over the top of them. Its beating wings missed them by inches, but managed to take out about five of the ten Trolls behind them. They howled out as they went tumbling over the side of the tower to the ground below. The dragon roared deafeningly, and then began to turn for another dive at the tower.

As she had expected, the fall had hurt. But probably not as much as if they had fell the other way. Ashley went to get to her feet, rubbing her head, but the Doctor yanked her back down. It was lucky too, as the dragon swept over them yet again, this time only leaving one Troll standing.

'What the hell is it doing?' Ashley cried, watching the creature soar up into the clouds.

The Doctor grinned at her. 'Now all I need is that banana. Come on.' He hauled her to her feet and pulled her towards the door that led back down into the castle.

The remaining Troll growled and followed, but then saw the dragon incoming again. It yelped and ducked, narrowly missing being torn apart by the creature's powerful jaws. The Doctor and Ashley sprinted through the door and took the stairs down two at a time.

'What about Rapunzel?' Ashley cried.

'I'm here!' Rapunzel replied, surprisingly close to her. 'Nice to see that you only started worrying after you were safe!'

Ashley glanced back and gave her a weak shrug, but continued after the Doctor. They were halfway down the corridor when several Trolls marched around the corner, swords held in their huge hands. The Doctor skidded to a halt, causing the two women to slam into the back of him.

'Okay, should have expected that…' he muttered.

The Trolls growled and charged, but they didn't get far. A door to the left suddenly exploded into millions of tiny splinters and a huge, slobbering grey creature stood in the middle of the corridor.

For about five seconds, no one moved. The Trolls looked on in alarm as the huge wolf eyed everyone with its beady, red eyes. It took a step towards the Doctor and Ashley, and then turned to the Trolls. With a guttural growl, it launched itself at them.

'Back!' The Doctor yelled, shoving the other two back down the corridor. 'Back now!'

Neither complained. They sprinted back down the stone corridor, leaving the wolf to savage the screaming Trolls. Soon they came to another flight of stairs, which they hurried down despite their steepness.

'That was the bloody Big Bad Wolf!' Ashley cried. 'The one that tried to eat me!'

The Doctor nodded, breathing heavily. 'Oh, really?'

His sarcasm was lost on Ashley. 'What the hell is it doing here?'

Before the Doctor could attempt an answer, they were interrupted yet again. However they came to a halt in confusion rather than horror. In the corridor, covered in armour that looked like it had been pulled out of a kitchen, stood three little pigs. The largest one (which only came up to the Doctor's waist) waved a short sword around.

'Identify yourself!' it squealed. 'Before we slash your ankles!'

'We're okay!' the Doctor cried. 'I'm the Doctor, this is Ashley and that's Rapunzel.'

Rapunzel was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. She waved a weak hand to the pigs. 'Hi guys.' She huffed.

'Oh, hey Zel.' One of the pigs replied.

Ashley stared at them. 'What the…?' She couldn't manage anything else.

'Rumpelstiltskin is down there somewhere,' one of the pigs informed them. 'Watch for him though because sometimes he just seems to appear out of nowhere. If you go down the right side of the castle it should be clear of Trolls. Is it clear that way?'

'Well, there's a wolf.' The Doctor replied.

The three pigs nodded solemnly. 'Then it will be by now. Remember, head down the right side.'

With that, the three of them trotted off up the corridor, armour clanging and tinging as they went. Ashley turned and looked at the Doctor in shock. 'Did that just happen?' she asked. 'Or did I knock myself out when I fell off the side?'

The Doctor beamed at her, grabbed her hand, and dragged her along the corridor.

The sights on the way down the castle were quite amazing. It appeared that the whole castle was under siege by everything from cute but savage woodland creatures (it had been quite distressing to see two sparkly eyed deer ramming a Troll into the wall), to several dwarves taking out five more Trolls with a battering ram. However, after travelling down approximately seventeen flights of stairs, they reached the entrance hall. And that was when things got really weird.

'You're a meanie.' Jack spat as he kicked and bound and gagged Troll in the shin.

'Kick him again, Jack.' Jill cried shrilly, whilst twisting another bound Troll's ear.

Just beyond them stood Arnie, yelling at a rather pretty brunette with a hammer to get up into the left wing to help out the three bears. She did so, closely followed by a small army of squirrels. He glanced around, noticed the arrival of the Doctor, Ashley and Rapunzel, and trotted towards them.

'You idiots okay?' he asked.

They could do nothing but stare at him.

'What's the matter with you lot?' Arnie frowned. 'Did they finish your lobotomies off for you or something?'

'What… Did you do this?' the Doctor asked, stepping aside to allow a young cute girl with blonde ringlets and a frying pan to run by.

Arnie straightened his neck. 'Well I am a prince's horse.'

'How did you…?' Ashley blinked at the insanity around her. 'How could you…? How?'

'I knew I could count on you for an intelligent question.' Arnie muttered. 'Well it was pretty easy really. I told a little birdie to get everyone to meet up down here and down they came. People can get awfully protective when they realise their lives are at risk.'

'How did you get the dragon to help?' the Doctor asked, completely astounded by the turn of events.

Arnie shrugged. 'I didn't. I'm guessing she's just following the flock. Dragons aren't really all that smart you know. Easily influenced. Guess she just thought an attack on the castle looked like fun.'

The Doctor grinned broadly. 'Well it looks like you've proved yourself after all.'

Arnie snorted. 'Yeah. Pity Karl wasn't around to see it.' He paused. 'Although this will probably cover my retirement; saving the whole land and all.'

Ashley frowned slightly. 'But you didn't even want to help at the beginning.'

Arnie rolled his eyes. 'Oh well I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered then. Hell, you're just full of gratitude you are. No wonder you're single.'

Ashley blushed and fell silent. The Doctor glanced around and noticed that the chaos seemed to be quietening down. Obviously it was almost over.

'Where's Janex?' he asked.

'Who, the dwarf?' Arnie glanced around. 'Snow White had him last time I saw her. She's got a way with dwarfs, she has. She'll sort him out.'

The Doctor nodded, smiling faintly. 'He's got something of mine that I'd like back.'

'He'll probably be out front.' Arnie nodded. 'Now you'll have to excuse me. Those bloody pigs are still running around upstairs and the wolf hasn't checked back in yet. Last thing I need on my head is three little pork chops.'

Arnie trotted away past them and the Doctor and Ashley looked at each other, still slightly mystified.

'Do you think it's okay if we go now?' she asked. 'It looks like they've got everything under control.'

'If it's alright with you,' the Doctor replied. 'I'd like to wait and see how this story ends.' He put an arm around her shoulders and they stood back to watch the last of the Trolls being bound up.