Charlie was thrown into the brig by the two insects as they shut the door. "Let me out! Let me out!" She banged on the metal door.
"Charlotte?" A familiar voice spoke in the darkness.
"Doctor?" She turned around and saw his face, blood running down his mouth, "Doctor!" Charlie ran and hugged him, "I thought they killed you!" She gave out a laugh of relief, "What happened, are you okay?"
"They gave a good sock to the jaw that knocked me out cold. Where's Mikquin?" He wiped the blood from his mouth.
"With his brother." Charlie bit her lip. "This is all my fault."
"No, it's not. Well, it is sort of your fault by risking yourself by putting on the Gem of All. Why on Earth did you do that, Charlotte? The Gem of All is a powerful item!"
"I had no idea until you told me! It looked pretty normal to me. Besides, it's a pretty necklace! I'm a girl, girls are attracted to pretty things." She rebuked.
"Well, the good thing is, Thalos can't get the necklace off you since he isn't the rightful king, but neither can Mikquin…"
"Believe or not, they found a way to get it off." Charlie leaned against the steel wall of the cell.
The Doctor looked confused.
Charlie drew her finger across her neck, hoping the Time Lord will catch her drift.
"No…Charlie…" He went over to her and held her close. "This is my fault, I should've been there on time. None of this would happen. You wouldn't be involved in any of this."
"If I wasn't, then this wouldn't be the best day of my life."
The Doctor looked at Charlie as if she was crazy. "Really?"
"Doctor, you called my life dull, which is basically the only word to describe it. This beats out any of the adventure movies I've ever seen. Powerful trinket, royalty, aliens, it's the adventure of a lifetime."
The Doctor smiled at Charlie.
The cell door opened as Mikquin was thrown in.
"Mikquin!" Charlie ran over to his aid, "You okay?"
"Charlotte, they did not harm you!" Mikquin hugged the girl, which made Charlie smile.
"Mikquin, you're bleeding." She wiped the blood blue off his face, and why is half of your face missing?" She began to freak at the sight of blue scales on underneath his flesh.
"Forgive me, Charlotte, Corsects do not take the appearances of humans." He began to tear the rest of his disguise off, revealing his true face. Blue scales, big, blue eyes, but his smile was still there. A smile like his could never be faked.
"It's alright. We're just glad they didn't kill you." Charlie stroked his face and smiled.
"Your Highness, what does Thalos want with the Gem of All?"
"The Gem can create new worlds or destroy worlds. If the Gem falls into Thalos' hands, he'll create worlds of chaos, and destroy the planets of those who oppose him." Mikquin explained. "But fortunately, the Gem of All rests on Charlotte's neck."
"Unfortunately, he's going to kill me to get it. Chop my head right off."
"No, I will not allow it, Charlotte."
"Hey, we all have our problems. It's my fault I put this thing on my neck, and there are other problems we can't fix, but we just have to live with them and try to make the best of it." Charlie sighed as the Doctor looked at her, curiously.
"Problems? I wish there was an easy solutions to solve my solutions."
"You and me both. Perhaps there is a planet out there that can solve all of everyone's problems." Unbeknownst to the group, the Gem of All emitted a soft, green glow.
"That is the power of the dream, Charlotte." Mikquin replied.
"Alright, you can stop calling me Charlotte, it's only for pleasantries. We've known each other for about a good thirty minutes, I'll have you know I like to be called Charlie."
"But Charlotte is a beautiful name for such a beautiful woman."
"See? I told you so." The Doctor pointed out.
"I'm sorry, but is judging my nickname going to get us out of here? I think not." Charlie looked out the slits of the cell door.
"She is an extraordinary girl, Doctor. Where did you ever find her?"
"She is more odd than extraordinary, I'll let you know that when she first stepped into my TARDIS, she asked for the toilet. No one has ever done that."
"She does not, as the humans say, 'go with the flow'."
"You know, the echo vibrations are really good in here because I can hear everything you're saying." Charlie turned and looked at the two.
The cell door opened as the two grey insects came in. "His Majesty wants the girl." One of them pointed to Charlie.
"As King of Corsect, I order you to stand down, soldiers!" Mikquin jumped in the way.
"Foolish boy!" The other insect knocked him into the wall as the other grabbed Charlie.
"Doctor, please don't let them take me away!" Charlie reached for the Doctor's hand as tears formed in her eyes.
"Charlie, no!" The Doctor reached, but failed the insect soldier knocked him back as they departed with Charlie. The Doctor got up and banged on the door, "Charlie! Charlie!"
"What happened?" Mikquin came to.
"They took her. They took Charlie." The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair.
"Thalos will kill her for the Gem of All!"
"Aha! I completely forgot, my screwdriver!" The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver from his jacket. He aimed it at the door and opened it. "Mikquin, where did they take her?"
"The throne room, probably. It is this way." The prince pointed down the hall.
Charlie was dropped on the floor in front of a red scaled man in black robes, "Ow." She rubbed her arm, "Hey…hey, where's the other guy?"
"You mean me, girl. To think I would live in something uncomfortable as human flesh."
"Yeah, but I don't have to shed my irritating skin once a month, snake face." Charlie sneered.
Thalos slapped her across the face, "You dare speak to me like that? Humans are so primitive, I swear, once this world is mine, I plan to rid this place of all of you."
"And I'm the first one you kill, right?" Charlie stood up, but was forced to stay down by the guards.
"No, you're the third. Of course you're the first!" He roared.
"You didn't have to yell. Besides, you'd be saving a lot of time." Charlie smirked.
"Oh, saving you from pain? I'll torture you slowly, human."
"The pain you inflict on me can't beat out the pain inside me, or the pain that's to come." Charlie sighed of sadness.
Thalos came over and sniffed Charlie, "Oh…I see…Time is causing you the pain, is it, my dear?" His sharp claws petted her head.
"You're making it the situation worse when you say it like that."
"Silence, you are causing me grief. Kill her now!" Thalos ordered as the guards threw Charlie on the ground. One of the guards held her head down and exposed her neck as the other held up an axe above his head.
Charlie closed her eyes shut and grew hesitant of the axe. She took one deep breath, and allowed herself to no longer fear her fate.
The guard was about to swing, when suddenly the lights went out. "Huh?" The guard went dumbstruck as he lowered the axe.
"What happened to the lights?" Thalos grew angry.
In the darkness, the sounds of punches and groaning could be heard. Charlie felt herself being picked up and taken somewhere else. Somewhere away from the danger.
"Charlotte? Charlotte?"
Charlotte opened her eyes. The power had been restored, and there was Mikquin, caressing her face, "Mikquin!" She hugged him.
"Charlie, you okay?" The Doctor approached the two.
"Doctor!" She squealed as she tightly hugged him. "I've never been so happy to see you and your stupid bow tie."
"Bow ties are cool, Charlie, not stupid." He smiled at her.
"Whatever." She laughed. "Well, I'm alive, Thalos doesn't have the Gem of All, so far it's been pretty good." Someone fired their blaster at the group, causing them to duck as the shot missed. "I spoke too soon."