Chapter Nine

The Doctor watched as Kenmek got off Thunderstone and walked closer. Kenmek was a little taller than he was as Kenmek arched the tattered cowboy hat back and titled his head to one side.

"You sure you want to do this?" Kenmek asked.

"Yes," the Doctor said and his eyes were in tight slits.

"You ever kill anyone before?"

"You have no idea," the Doctor thought.

"Well, seeing that you're already dead, this doesn't count."

Kenmek stood straighter when he walked closer and they stood face to face. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it and turned. The Doctor watched as Kenmek walked ten paces away from him then turned and the Doctor rubbed his thumb against the sonic screwdriver.

"We do this on three then?"

"Sounds good to me!"

"Alright, one…THREE!" Kenmek shouted when he went for his gun and pointed it at the Doctor.

Rose sat on the stone floor as Nol's screams filled her ears and she had her eyes closed. The screaming came from the other room as she tried to block the screams and the tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't know where Zeeni was when she heard the screaming stop and a soft sound of a door closing came from the other room. She sat up when she heard someone coming closer and looked at the door. The slot opened when she saw Mirror looking at her and she got up.

"Why are you doing this?" Rose demanded.

"Because I can!" Mirror said, smiling.

"You won't get away with this! The Doctor will stop you!"

"I don't think so!" Mirror said then slammed the slot shut and Rose sat on the stone floor. She looked around the darkness as she sighed and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Doctor, where are you?"

Kenmek had never seen anyone move so fast. The Doctor had shot the gun right out of his hand before he could even fire.

"With a stick!" Kenmek thought while the Doctor pointed the sonic screwdriver at him and Kenmek growled.

"Give up?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah," Kenmek sighed.

"Good!" the Doctor said, smiling when he placed the sonic screwdriver away, turned around and looked at Thunderstone. "Guess I'll be on my way then."

The Doctor walked to Thunderstone when Kenmek picked up the gun and pointed it at the Doctor's back.

"Dok-tur!" Ludo shouted as the Doctor turned around, took aim and fired the sonic screwdriver. Kenmek screamed when the blue light hit him then Kenmek crumbed into a pile of bone dust except for the skull and the others looked at the Doctor. No one moved as he placed the sonic screwdriver away and walked to Thunderstone.

"Easy now," the Doctor whispered. The Doctor patted the soft hide then placed his right foot into the stirrup and lifted himself up onto the saddle. Thunderstone moved as he took the reins and looked at Ludo, Sir Didymus and Ambrosius.

"I suggest that you three go back to Jareth's kingdom," the Doctor said as they nodded and he watched them leaving. He looked at Thunderstone when he thought and gently patted the hide. "Now, how do I get you to fly?"

"You got to know the right word," Zenrelk the Skull Rider said.

"And only Kenmek knew it, right?"

"Yep!"

"Wonderful," the Doctor sighed then looked over at the skull. He got off Thunderstone when he walked to the skull, brushed the brown coat back, knelt down onto his haunches and picked the skull up, shaking it like a snow globe. "Kenmek?"

The skull stayed quiet until The Doctor tapped it on the hard ground a few times then the red light appeared in the sockets and he smiled.

"What?" Kenmek asked.

"How do you get your horse to fly?"

"I'm not going to tell you!" Kenmek said and the Doctor tapped the skull harder on the ground several times. "OW! OW! OW! OW! Alright! Alright! I'll tell you!"

"Well?" the Doctor asked, looking into the sockets.

"All you have to do is say "Up."," Kenmek said and the Doctor dropped the skull onto the ground.

"That's it?" the Doctor asked then shrugged. He stood up then walked back to Thunderstone when he got back onto the saddle and took the reins in his hands. "Ok then. Up!"

Thunderstone spread the large leathery wings when it took off and the Doctor held the reins tightly in his hands. He laughed as the wind blew his hair around and whistled in his ears. Thunderstone flew higher and higher until it leveled off and the Doctor looked down.

"Fantastic!" the Doctor said and Thunderstone flew towards the dark mountains.

Rose sat on the stone floor when she heard something and stood up. She picked a rock when she walked to the wall and the wall seemed to move. She raised the rock when the wall opened and something crawled through the opening. Rose looked down when she dropped the rock and knelt on the stone floor.

"Nol!" Rose said when Nol slid to the stone floor and she scooped him into her arms. Nol's face was bloody and swollen and he was shaking. She rocked him when he opened his eyes and she brushed the hair from his eyes. Nol coughed a few times when he looked at her and he seemed to have trouble breathing.

"Wh-who are y-you?" No asked while she stroked his hair and tried not to cry.

"I'm Rose," she said and he barely smiled.

"Oh. He-hello. Who am I?"

"You're Nol."

"I am?"

"Yes. Do you know where Zeeni is?"

"Who?"

"Zeeni."

"Oh. I don't know," Nol said when red hot waves of pain hit him and he gasped. "Wh-why does everything hurt!?"

"You've been hurt."

"Oh. Right. Mirror hurt me."

"Well, he's gone. You're safe."

"I'm sleepy," Nol whispered, closing his eyes and she raised his face up.

"Nol?" Rose asked when she checked his pulse and placed his head against her chest. She rocked him as she looked at the door and swore she heard Mirror laughing.