Disclaimer: I don't own the Doctor, the TARDIS, Rose or any of the characters, planets, technology etc that appear in Doctor Who. I am only borrowing them and they will be returned to the BBC undamaged and in their original packaging.

Chapter 12: To Challenge The Ancient And Evil

'No!' Rose said angrily, pushing the next person who tried to shove past her. 'Do you lot want to die, or risk killing everyone!' she demanded, at the top of her voice. 'No? I didn't think so! So get back, all of you!' She sighed, raking her hair out of her face and clenching her fists in it in frustration. She saw Solia stood on the edge of the crowd, scowled and ignored her.

Solia saw the look and smiled. Then she stepped away from the crowd gathering outside the cave and slipped quietly away. Almost no one noticed her go, not even her own guards.

'Get back!' Rose yelled. 'Xan? Some help here! Xan - ' She stopped and realised that he wasn't there. 'Damn it!'

Xan stepped out in front of Solia. She froze, glanced behind her, and judged that he could probably reach her before she could shout for any guards. 'What do you want?' she demanded.

He smiled. He was leaning against the wall, arms folded, a faint smile on his lips. 'You don't like me very much, do you?' he said mildly.

'No. I don't.'

'Don't blame you,' he said in the same mild tone. 'I don't like me very much sometimes. Like right now.'

She took a step back. 'What do you want?' she repeated.

He straightened and walked towards her. She backed away. He took hold of her arm, gently but firmly and marched her along the corridor. 'We are going to have a little chat,' he said pleasantly, reaching the door of her rooms. 'These are your rooms, aren't they?' he asked, as if he hadn't been hiding in front of them. 'They're very nice. You don't really like them.'

'I would like you to leave,' Solia said, glaring up at him.

'I'd like a lot of things but we don't always get what we want.'

'You're a bastard.'

'Indeed I am,' he agreed and smiled down at her. 'You find me very attractive, don't you? Is that because I'm a bastard? Do you like bastards?'

She yanked her arm away. 'I'd never touch you, you piece of filth!'

'I wouldn't let you,' he said, still smiling with a nasty, brittle edge. 'I don't go with back-stabbers and traitors. But there's an issue here, Solia, and it isn't how physically attractive you find me and how morally repulsive I find you. Actually, it is about that last bit but it had a nice ring to it, didn't it?'

Solia stepped away and treated him to a haughty scowl. 'Get out!' she snapped, pointing an arm at the door.

He stared at her. 'Is that it?' he inquired. 'Come on, darling, you can do better than that.'

Solia hissed furiously between her teeth. 'Get out, you bastard!' she snarled.

'Better, but not much,' he replied, dropping into a chair and treating her to a charming, mocking smile. 'Here's the thing, Solia. You poisoned me and you poisoned my friend. That's reprehensible.'

'You know what that means, do you?' she sneered.

His smile brightened. 'You think I'm a thug with more muscles than brains. That couldn't be further from the truth, Solia. Your actions are sickening. Poison? That's a coward's weapons and don't give me any of that shit about having no other choice. There's always other choices. So I'm giving you another one. The antidote. Give it to me.'

'If I say no?' she challenged.

'You're not going to,' he replied, the smile still playing about his lips.

'I thought you said I had a choice.'

'Yeah, but you don't really,' he said dismissively.

She stared. 'How dare you!'

'See?' he said. 'Now you know how it feels.'

Solia took a step back, drew herself up to her full height and said, 'No.'

'You're making a major mistake,' he said, rising. He was at least a foot taller than her, intimidating although he didn't seem to be trying to be. 'You're assuming that because I'm travelling with the Doctor, I share all his views and opinions. Now, he would never hurt you to get the antidote out of you. That's not his way. He won't lower himself to your level, which is a little lower than a sewer. Me, however, I'm a little different.'

'How is that, then?'

'You're very brave,' he said, sounding impressed. 'You're still holding out. Interesting. Anyway, my point is - you've been screwing us around. I'm not convinced that you're going to give us the antidote even if we get rid of this shadow for you. You're a back-stabbing little bitch and once we've done your dirty work, I reckon you'll just leave us to rot. So I don't intend to take any chances. Give it to me, Solia, or else things get nasty.'

'What are you going to do?' she demanded, her voice shaking a little. Barely, but he heard it, just behind the bravado. And he could feel the fear coming off of her in waves.

'We'll discuss that if you don't give me the antidote,' he said.

'You wouldn't dare.'

'Solia. I can go inside your mind and get that information out of you. I can do it without hurting you, without you even knowing. Or I can through your mind like a chainsaw and leave you dribbling and incapable of a coherent thought for the rest of your life. Or you can just give it to me.' He gave her a charming smile. 'There you go, there's a choice for you.'

She weighed up her options then walked through the door into another room and returned with a bottle. She tossed it to him. He caught it, examined it and smiled.

Then he smashed it against the wall.

Solia jumped, a hand flying to her mouth.

'That's a fake,' he said sweetly.

'No!' she protested.

'I'm telepathic and you're incapable of covering your thoughts. The shadow speaks to you and you're listening, because you don't like me and you'd like to see me dead.' He gestured at the shattered glass and spilled liquid. 'That's more poison. You just can't stop, can you?'

'Shut up!'

He walked over, took her shoulder and shoved her against the wall. 'I killed the last person who screwed me over,' he said conversationally. 'Would you like to be the next one?'

She shook her head, too terrified to say anything.

'Then get the real antidote.'

She shot him a look of pure hatred, left the room again and came back with another bottle. He took it, turned it over in his hand and nodded, putting it in a pocket.

'Thank you,' he said, sounding sincere. 'I'm sorry it had to come to this.' He walked to the door.

'You'll come to a bad end,' she said, her voice dripping with venom. 'I hope it's bloody and I hope it's painful. You may be physically handsome but you have an ugly soul.'

He paused, looked over his shoulder. 'You think? I know,' he said quietly. 'But if you want to see an ugly soul, I suggest you look within, Solia.'

The Doctor stepped into the cave. 'I found you,' he said aloud. He put his hands into the pockets of his jacket and strolled across the floor. Outwardly, he was the picture of calm and nonchalance. Inwardly, his mind was coiled like a spring.

'You know, I've wondering what you really are,' he said thoughtfully. 'What kind of being were you? Before you were nothing more than a merely a presence? I mean, when you had physical form.'

Forgotten. Long ago. Go.

'I'm not going anywhere,' the Doctor said, leaning against the wall. 'I am here to stop you.'

Why?

'Because someone has to.'

That is not the answer.

'Not the answer you want, you mean.'

You are running.

'What the hell would you know about it?' The Doctor stopped, breathed in and said, 'You know nothing of my reasons for doing anything. Anyway, we're talking about your reasons, not mine.'

You attack me. I attack you. That is battle.

'Are we battling? I thought we were just talking.'

The shadow snarled.

The Doctor examined his fingernails; a redundant exercise because he actually couldn't see them. He smiled. 'I've had a hundred foes go up against me,' he said. 'You know how many of them are still around?'

Your petty boasts mean nothing to me.

'They should do.'

They mean nothing. You mean nothing.

He felt the shadow reach out and touch his mind tentatively and withdrew, battling to keep it out.

You are strong.

'Thanks,' he said cheerfully. 'So are you.'

But not strong enough.

'Who locked you away here?' the Doctor asked curiously. 'You've come from a long way away and I admit, I've never encountered anything quite like you. Similar, I guess, but not as old. Nor as strong. You've been here a long time.' He reached out mentally and before the shadow blocked him off, he found something. 'You were here before any people came, weren't you? Long before. So who locked you away inside the planet? There was no one here to do that and although my people could have done it, if they had they would have recorded it – anyone capable of imprisoning you would have made sure others knew – unless they died in the attempt – ' He paused.

The shadow was laughing at him. It was a hollow, dull sound like a boot heel thumping a coffin lid. It sent shivers down his spine.

Your people could never have imprisoned me.

'No? You underestimate the Time Lords, shadow.' The Doctor thought quickly. The shadow was still laughing at him.

Then the answer hit him.

'Of course,' he whispered. 'The planet itself locked you up. Solenistra reacted, protecting itself and the people that would come by holding you prisoner – the planet itself fought you and won! Of course, that's why you're laughing at me, because no one did imprison you, only the planet!' He laughed.

The shadow lunged, shattering his mental defences and roaring into his mind with utter savagery, intending to lay waste to his mind.

It ran up against a steel wall.

'Is that the best you can do?' the Doctor asked, sounding amused. 'I let you in last time, just putting up enough of a show of resistance to fool you. And it worked beautifully.'

The shadow howled, realising its mistake. It had revealed the full extent of its strength to its enemy and they both knew that he was indeed the stronger. It screamed and attacked him again. He brushed it aside as if it were a fly bothering him and lifted his hands, resting them on the cave walls around him.

'A little more strength is all it needs,' he said softly. 'It wasn't quite strong enough to cast you out last time; you were both stronger then. The planet could only neutralise the threat you posed. But with my strength – we can get rid of you altogether. Solenistra, heed me and I will aid you – together we can cast this shadow out – '

For a moment he thought it wasn't going to work, that the planet would be too weak and the shadow too strong to do anything.

Then it felt it stir and Solenistra's strength flowed through him and his through the planet. The shadow screamed and fought furiously but it was no good. It was dragged from its hiding place, and cast out, howling and shrieking and fighting all the way.

As it went, it screamed, I curse you! Never come here again! I will be strong again and I will destroy you! Curse you and damn you!

'I do not heed the curses of the darkness,' the Doctor said. 'For in the light, the darkness dies', and with that, he left.

The crowd had calmed down and had all but dispersed since nothing interesting seemed to be happening.

Rose jumped in fright as Xan materialised out of the shadows beside her. She gasped, glared at him and said, 'You mind'

'No,' he said, smirking. 'I have good news.'

'What's that, then?' she demanded. 'You disappear, not bothering to tell me you're going somewhere -'

'Oh, so now I have to tell you everything I do?' he said crossly, then held up a hand to forestall her protests. 'Look, I have good news. You want to hear it or you want to shout at me?'

'Right now I want to give you a clip round the ear,' she muttered.

He rolled his eyes and waved a small bottle with a wax seal at her. 'Look.'

She peered at it. 'What's that?'

'And the award for slowest person on board the TARDIS goes to - ' he said sarcastically. 'It's the antidote, you numbskull.'

Rose opened her mouth to shout at him. 'It is?' she said eventually.

'No, I lied,' he said under his breath. 'Here.' He handed it to her. 'Drink it.'

Rose broke the seal on the bottle, unscrewed the lid and paused. 'What about you?'

'I already had mine,' he said impatiently. 'Hurry up, drink it! We've got stuff to do!'

Rose nodded and drank down the whole bottle. It stung her throat and made her cough. With a faint smile, Xan hit her on the back until she stopped coughing. 'Potent stuff, isn't it?' he said, smiling.

She nodded again, wiping her eyes.

'Come on,' he said cheerfully. 'We've got some arses to kick.'

'Not anymore,' the Doctor's voice came from the cave entrance. He stumbled out, covered in dust and looking weary to the bone. He smiled faintly before sliding down the wall to sit on the floor with a heavy sigh.

'Oh,' Xan said, sounding disappointed. 'I was looking forward to beating someone up.'

The Doctor gave him a frown. 'You really need to work on your anger management issues,' he said.

'No I don't,' Xan said, sounding offended. 'I manage my anger until an issue comes up and then I work on it.'

'That's not quite what I meant.'

'But it works for me.'

The Doctor shook his head in exasperation and turned to Rose in a search for the voice of sanity. 'I need some sleep,' he said, holding out a hand. She took it, pulled him to his feet, and gave him a hug.

'Glad to see you're all right,' she said.

'I didn't get a hug and I saved your life directly,' Xan pointed out. He grinned as she rolled her eyes and gave him a hug as well.

'Now,' the Doctor said. 'I need to sleep.'

Xan rubbed his eyes. 'So do I,' he said. 'Well done, by the way.'

'First we need to get the antidote off of Solia,' the Doctor added.

'Oh, no we don't,' Rose said, smiling. 'Xan already got it off of her. We've had it.'

The Doctor turned and gave Xan a slow, piercing look. Xan didn't even blink. 'How did you manage that?' he asked quietly.

'Persuasion,' Xan said blandly.

'Persuasion?'

'Yes.'

The Doctor glared. 'Did you hurt her?'

'No.'

The Doctor relaxed. 'Good.' He added warningly, 'We'll talk about this later.'

'I'm sure we will.'

The Doctor gave him another suspicious look and then continued, 'But sleep comes first. Or else I'm going to sleep right here and lie in everyone's way and nothing will get me to move until I've had a good eight hours.'

'I think we've all earned a few hours sleep,' Rose agreed. 'That's the least Solia can give us, considering everything we've done for her.'

'True,' Xan said. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. 'I could sleep for a week.'

They made their way back along the corridor to where their rooms were. No one came looking for them and the few guards they saw went walking hurriedly back the way they had come. Reaching the room, Xan instantly claimed the sofa and collapsed onto it, rolling onto his side and closing his eyes. The other two rolled their eyes at each other.

'All in all, not a one hundred percent successful trip,' the Doctor observed, dropping into a chair with a sigh.

'We all got out alive, didn't we?' Rose said, leaning back in her chair.

'I get the impression the people aren't exactly happy with us.'

'We did what they wanted, or as close as we possibly could. What more could they want?'

'I think we offended Solia too much,' the Doctor replied. 'And I want to know what Xan said to her to get her to give him the antidote, because I sure as hell didn't get anywhere trying to persuade her.'

'Maybe he's a bit more - forceful than you,' she suggested.

'Violent, more like,' the Doctor muttered. 'You have issues,' he said, addressing this comment to Xan who ignored them both. 'Serious issues,' he said in a loud voice which was again ignored.

'Are we just going to go without telling Solia?' Rose asked.

'She's unlikely to thank us,' the Doctor said. He sighed. 'Well, I was never in this for the gratitude, or the fame and money.'

'That's good, because there isn't any,' Rose said, smiling.

'Shall we go?' the Doctor said suddenly. 'I don't really want to stay here. I'd rather take the TARDIS somewhere safe, and rest there. Maybe you'd like to go and see your mum?'

Rose looked delighted. 'Could we? She gets worried if she doesn't see us for some time.'

'We can introduce her to Xan,' the Doctor added, grinning. 'He won't know what hit him. You want to meet Rose's mum, Xan?'

Xan didn't reply, his eyes closed.

The Doctor got up. 'What have you done that means you're sleeping?' he demanded. 'I did all the hard work - ' He prodded Xan in the shoulder, hard. Xan rolled over slightly. His skin was very pale and cold, his breathing shallow and ragged. The Doctor stopped and crouched down, shaking Xan's shoulder urgently. 'Xan? Xan, wake up!' Xan didn't respond, but a thin trickle of blood ran from his nose.

'What's wrong with him?' Rose said, concerned, looking over his shoulder.

The Doctor looked up at her. 'I thought you said he'd taken it!' he said accusingly.

'He told me he had!'

The Doctor got to his feet. 'I'm going to find Solia,' he said grimly, running out the door, calling as he went, 'Look after him! I'll be back, just make sure he doesn't die!'

He raced out of the cave, down the corridors, crashing into guards and ignoring their angry shouts, until he ended up in Solia's cave. She was there, looking startled at his presence.

'Give me the antidote,' he snapped, forcing the words out as he dragged in air.

She paused. 'Your little friend already took it,' she said coldly.

'My other little friend hasn't,' he said. 'And I swear Solia, if you don't uphold your end of the bargain, you will be very, very sorry. Understand? Now give it to me!'

'The blue eyed bastard had his,' she said, picking up a bottle and throwing it at him. 'Some people can be very selfish, can't they?'

'Some people like you, you mean?' he shot back, then paused. 'I don't have time for this. See, Xan gave the antidote you gave him to Rose. He's dying. Not everyone has the same idea of morals as you do.'

He left her staring after him in astonishment and took off down the corridor again, racing past the same guards and finally making his way back to the cave.

'He still alive?' he gasped, half-falling through the door.

'I think so,' Rose said.

The Doctor broke the bottle open. 'Hold his head,' he instructed. Rose did so and the Doctor forced the contents of the bottle down Xan's throat.

'You think we're in time?' Rose asked him. She sounded frightened.

'I don't know,' the Doctor said.

Xan's breathing slowed abruptly and stopped.

'Damn!' the Doctor swore.

Rose shoved him out of the way, leaning over Xan. She bent down and pressed her mouth against his and forced air into his lungs, again and again and again. 'Come on,' she whispered between breaths. 'Come on, Xan! Please don't die!'