Chapter Twelve: What's Your Name?

VWOORMP! VWOORMP! VWOORMP!

The TARDIS rematerialized upon an open field; not far from it was a small village. Exiting the TARDIS, the Doctor had a smile on his face; he believed the world outside to have been where he last was before disappearing into the fairy tale world. However, as he gazed around the new setting, he wondered whether or not if he was successful in his task. Seeing the village nearby, the Doctor started running to it and hoped someone inside one of the homes could confirm if he was in Storybrooke. As he got closer to the houses, he slowed down and stopped after coming upon a troubling realization:

"I'm still here," he said in defeat. "That's not possible. I set the TARDIS coordinates precisely to Earth." He gazed upon the houses, which were evidently too ancient in design to be standing in the time he thought he was. They were a major clue to the Doctor that he was still in the fairy tale world.

Soon the Doctor heard hoof beats approaching and turned his head in time to see a group of knights arrive. Much like the knights he had last seen, these were clad in black; but they were not donned in armor. The lead knight was a short-haired, bearded man who sat upon his horse while three others dismounted from theirs. Staring over the Doctor, the knight boldly questioned to him, "What business do you have here, stranger? You're not part of this village."

Not sure how else to respond (he thought by now he would be back in Storybrooke), the Doctor answered with honesty, "I'm…the Doctor."

The knights collectively bellowed with laughter, much to the Doctor's confusion.

"A doctor, huh?" The lead knight amusingly uttered. "We can certainly use plenty of you on the battlefield."

The three knights shoved the Doctor aside and moved towards one of the houses in the village. The baffled Doctor wanted to go back to the TARDIS and try again to reach Storybrooke, but the lead knight seemed to have been keeping a close eye on him. He then heard a loud shriek that almost made him jump from his skin; it sounded from the house that the knights entered. Within a second, they reemerged outside with a young girl, her parents following close behind and begging to the knights not to take her away.

"She's a fine, strong girl. She'll make a fine soldier." The lead knight said with a smug attitude that was evident to the Doctor.

"There's a mistake! She's turning fourteen! Only fourteen!" The father cried.

"Orders of the Duke!" The lead knight snapped. "The Ogre Wars have taken their toll this season. More troops can turn the tide."

"Perhaps it's not children you should be after, but men…preferably ones about your size." The Doctor suggested.

The knight glared upon the Doctor disapprovingly. "Does that count for you…Doctor?" He did not get a word out of the Doctor, only a look of shame. "That's what I expected." Turning to his men, he ordered, "Take her. She'll ride with me."

"No! You can't take her!" The mother cried.

The knights brought the girl onto the lead knight's horse, but they were soon met with some resistance from her parents as they drew swords. Before they could have struck the knights, however, a supernatural force soon overtook them, creating a simulation of drowning. At first the Doctor was puzzled from where this force originated – clearly the knights were not capable of it; but then he found a dark, hooded figure on horseback with a single, glowing fist raised. It was the first real sign of magic the Doctor had ever seen in this fairy tale world he was trapped in, and it both fascinated and alarmed him.

"The Dark One seems to think I can." The knight stated, before signaling for the dark figure to cease his control over the girl's parents with a simple nod.

Dropping his fist, the force immediately disappeared and the girl's parents were able to breathe again, albeit in downfall. The knights departed from the village, leaving behind the grieving parents, who were soon aided by other villagers that came out to witness the scene. The Doctor was used to witnessing such villainous acts, but he never felt more helpless in the girl's situation. This world was still new to him, and there was much happening in it that he could not be a part of for the sake of time and space.

"Papa, my birthday's in three days. He'll come for me in three days."

In the midst of the mother's screams, the Doctor heard the woes of a boy who stood close by him; he turned to see the worried boy and his equally worried father there. "We'll find a way," the father assured his son. "W-We'll find a way."

The Doctor wished that he had not heard the exchange, because he felt even more helpless in the dilemma of another family from this village. Before any more else could happen, he started to leave the village in the confusion, making his way back to the TARDIS. Unfortunately, the Doctor was caught just after moving a few feet.

"Excuse me." It was the father of the son he had just heard. The Doctor turned and faced him with uncertainty. "You said that you're a doctor. I-Is there someone in the village that's sick?"

"No." The Doctor softly replied. "I'm just…stopping by."

The father nodded understandingly and then beckoned his son to go back inside their home. As soon as his son was away, the father approached the Doctor, aided by walking stick. "I commend you for standing up to that tyrant like you did. Many of us have wanted to…we just…"

"Don't have the courage." The Doctor finished his statement.

Again, the father nodded. "If I were courageous enough, I'd have the power to put an end to these laws of the Duke. My son will not fight in their war."

The Doctor could see the conflict happening over this father's face. There was much distress in him, but the Doctor did not know of any way to help; even if he could, there was still the caution of influencing events in a world with a future literally written for it. The Doctor once again found himself standing helpless as he told the father, "I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do."

"That makes two of us, friend." The father remarked. "All the same, you've certainly given me some hope. For that, I thank ya." He extended his hand out for the Doctor to shake in respect.

"You're welcome, Mister…?"

"Rumplestiltskin."

The Doctor's face lit with surprise, which was noticeable to Rumplestiltskin.

"Something wrong?"

"No…nothing's wrong." The Doctor quickly said. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Rumplestiltskin. Good luck with the yarn."

Before Rumplestiltskin could question to the Doctor how he knew about his yarn-spinning profession, the Doctor was already leaving the village, running across the open field where there stood an unusual blue box that Rumplestiltskin had never seen before. He watched the Doctor go to the blue box and enter it; at first, he wondered if it was merely an outhouse, which would explain the Doctor's hasty departure. It was then that Rumplestiltskin saw the blue box fade away into open space, an event that made his jaw drop in awe. Witnessing the occurrence, Rumplestiltskin began to wonder if the Doctor was lying about being unable to help…because from the remarkable power he had witnessed over his strange blue box, it seemed like he could have.