"Come with me!" Mikquin hollered as they stayed low to the ground. They managed to avoid the shots coming from the blasters to an escape pod. "Doctor, please lead Charlotte to safety. Keep her away from Thalos."
"Hold up, what are you going to do?" Charlie asked.
"I will deal with Thalos."
"What? Mikquin, no!" Charlie objected.
"Your Highness, I agree with Charlie here. You are the only hope for the people of Corsect." The Doctor nodded his head.
"I will no have excuses, Doctor. If I am dead, my people will revolt against the tyranny of Thalos and build upon peace." Mikquin said. He sighed and caressed Charlie's face, "You are a truly amazing woman, Charlotte. It was a true honor to meet you. By the way, I am glad you wore the Gem of All. You are true protector."
"Come along, Miss Marcus." The Doctor opened the escape pod with his sonic screwdriver, "Your Highness." He bowed before he and Charlotte entered the pod.
"Goodbye, Charlotte." Mikquin said as he kissed her cheek, making her blush.
"Going somewhere?" Thalos knocked Mikquin out of the way. "No one is going anywhere until I have the Gem of All!"
"Thalos, you are not going to take this girl." The Doctor said, sternly.
"I beg to differ, Time Lord."
"Thalos!" Mikquin shouted.
Thalos turned as Mikquin's fist made hard contact with his face, sending him to the floor.
"Nice punch!" Charlie smiled.
"Thank you. Doctor, wait!"
"Yes?"
"Thalos told me he plans to have at least fifty thousand Corsect battle fleets invading in half an hour. I cannot stop them, let alone keeping an eye on Thalos. If you-"
"I will do everything I can, Your Higness." The Doctor said as he released the escape pod. He turned and looked at Charlie, "Charlie, promise me you will stay on the beach. Do not do anything."
"BS! I've been through hell today and you think I'm going to sit on my butt and do nothing? Not even close, mister. Consider me your right hand." Charlie rebuked.
"All right, fine!" The Doctor had no choice but to accept. The pod landed softly on the sands of the beach. The Time Lord and Charlie ran to the lone TARDIS and quickly went to work. "Fifty thousand Corsect battle fleets are coming to invade Earth in…" He checked the time on his watch, "twenty-one minutes."
Charlie stood there and watched the Doctor scramble around the TARDIS like a person late for work, "Which means we don't have a lot of time."
"Yes, now. If I'm right, Thalos has transmitter signaling the fleet on the ship above. All we need to do is block it. So push that green button there, and twist this thing over here and pull the lever down, and keep it down for ten seconds. Got it?" The Doctor pushed some buttons on his console.
"Yep." Charlie did what the Doctor asked of her, "Now what?"
"All we've done now is blocked the signal. It's up to Mikquin to deal with Thalos now."
Back on the ship, the two brothers were throwing each other at the wall, throwing punches and blocking them. "You really think that starving our people will make you a great king? You will instill no trust into them!" Mikquin shouted.
"Trust? Ha!" Thalos laughed, "Trust is for fools! Fear is the only way to control the people! I cannot believe our parents were daft enough to leave you the throne!" He ripped the cover of an electrical panel and threw it at his younger brother. "The crown, the throne, it's mine!"
Mikquin dodged it and ducked as Thalos pulled a sword from his sheath, slicing a water sprinkler, sparking the electrical panel, "You are mad with power, are you not ashamed of what you will bring on our family?"
"I will start a new line of power, brother! None based on respect and tending to the needs of the people! As a start, I shall kill you first, then the Gem of All, and watch as a new universe unfold at my command!" The water poured hard on the brothers as Thalos had his blade over his head, "Perhaps your head will make a perfect gift for your human lover." He cornered Mikquin in front of the exposed electrical panel. "Goodbye, baby brother."
Mikquin sensed the danger behind him, "Thalos, stop!"
Thalos charged Mikquin, but the young prince swiftly ducked, sending the blade to pierce the electrical panel, shocking Thalos.
Mikquin watched his brother being electrocuted, his bloodcurdling screams rang through his ears and fell dead onto the floor. Mikquin got up and stood over his dead brother and took his family ring off his finger. "It is over." He sighed as he got down and cradled Thalos in his arms, "I loved you, brother."
Charlie sat outside the TARDIS, hugging her knees and waiting. Waiting for who would emerge alive.
"Charlie, I think you need to see this." The Doctor opened the TARDIS door and called her in.
Charlie followed him inside and stood alongside him as they watched the screen.
Mikquin appeared on the screen of the TARDIS and the screen of the Corsect battle fleets, "I am Mikquin, King of Corsect. I am here to inform you that my brother, Thalos, is dead. I am the true king. Once I return home, I will rule my planet like my forefathers ruled Corsect. If you do not believe me, here lies the Ring of Kings, passed down from king to king of Corsect." Mikquin showed the ring on his finger. "I give my thanks to the Doctor and to Charlotte Marcus."
"He's alive! Doctor, Mikquin's alive!" Charlie laughed and hugged the Doctor.
"That must be him outside." The Doctor opened the door as Charlie ran out and saw Mikquin walking on the beach from his escape pod.
"Mikquin!" Charlie ran towards him.
Mikquin stopped and looked up, "Charlotte." Charlie kept running towards him and jumped on him, knocking him into the sand, "Oof! Charlotte."
Charlie looked at him and started laughing. She haven't felt like this in years. She felt so…so happy.
"Your Majesty. Your chariot awaits." The Doctor approached the two and glanced at the TARDIS.
The Doctor set the controls for the next destination as Mikquin and Charlie sat down and talked.
"So, what are you going to do once you get home?"
"I will fix everything that my brother caused. I promised myself that I will rule Corsect like my father did."
"You're going to do an awesome job. I guarantee it."
"Awesome. I like that word." Mikquin nodded as Charlie laughed.
"Grab something, you two. It's time to go home." The Doctor pulled the lever as Mikquin and Charlie grabbed onto a rail and to each other.
The TARDIS materialized in front on Charlie's apartment building, unnoticed as people walked by. Charlie and Mikquin, his face covered by his hood, stepped out and looked around. "My apartment, I thought we were going to Corsect."
"Charlotte, I'm afraid I cannot take you with me to Corsect. I need to fix what my brother has caused."
"What about you?" Charlie watched the Doctor exit the TARDIS.
"I'm going to help the young king here. Don't worry, Charlotte."
"No, what about the Gem of All? Mikquin, you're king now, you can take it off!"
"I have to be crowned king, Charlotte, and that may take some time. I am sorry. But I am not sorry that I have met you." He stroked her face.
"I'll never forget you, Charlie. You unlike anybody I've ever met. That's coming from the hearts." The Doctor said.
"Goodbye, then." Charlie walked inside the building and waved.
"Come on, Your Highness, your people are waiting for a new day." The Doctor led Mikquin inside and waved goodbye to Charlie. In a minute, the TARDIS was gone. Gone from San Diego and gone from Charlie.
Charlie kept a soft chuckled to herself and headed upstairs to her apartment. As she opened the door, it was small. It was no TARDIS, but it was still home to her. The girl looked at her pill bottle on the coffee table, "I feel better actually. For once, I have nothing to worry about." She looked at it again, "You never know." She chucked it across the room and sat down on the couch, "What a day!" The phone next to her rang, Charlie quickly picked it up and answered it, "Hello?"
"Charlie, are you okay? The firefighters couldn't find you in the café from earlier!"
"Lil, calm down, I'm fine." Charlie reassured her.
"Charlie, what happened?"
"Trust me, Lily, you wouldn't believe me." Charlie smiled.