A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I've been so busy! But here it is, the new chapter. Please don't forget to leave a review at the end!

-REMEMBER ME-

PART II

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Rebel City

The scene before us is a majestic one. Leafy plants give way to green grass, and green grass gives way to crumbling stone. The wall speaks of something that was once tall and powerful, but has fallen into disrepair. Stone slabs lay fallen into the grass before the crumbling wall, while the stone retains great gaps. They are reinforced with wood from the forest, and from between them shine bright, glimmering eyes.

"Halt! You cross into the territory of the Rebels. Be you friend or foe? We warn you now: be you friend, you live. Be you foe, you shall die."

"Oi, you're a forgiving lot," I mutter.

Gurkhan stands in front of us, back straight and proud.

"We be friend!"

"State your name, rank, and intention."

"Gurkhan, General. I seek shelter, to return home. I also seek an audience with Tragalade. And…" Gurkhan hesitates. He spares half of a glace and you and I before training his eyes back on the glimmering eyes of the guard. It's a look neither of us miss. "And I travel with One who would turn the tide in our favor in this war."

Several more glimmering eyes appear in different holes. There is a moment's silence and a whispering takes up behind the walls, sounds like a slinking river.

The eyes are all focused on us, flickering around our companions until finally they settle on the thing that doesn't belong—myself and the Doctor. I swallow as the beady eyes fix themselves on me, and shuffle behind you, wrapping a hand in the scarf flung over your shoulder. You stand taller, shielding me from view. Gurkhan looks behind at us, then back to the wall.

"This is the Doctor."

Silence.

Then…

"You may enter."

A part of the stone wall falls away, revealing it to be an illusion. In place is an archway—crumbling still, yes, but an entrance.

"Perception filter," you whisper to me in explanation.

"Ah," I say, understanding. Then I ask, "Are we really going to go in there?"

"I think…" you say. "I think that's where we'll find the answer to this puzzle."

"Are you sure that's wise?" I ask, a little worried.

"The beginning of wisdom is the unknown," you say.

"Okay, Dumbledore," I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes behind your back. You shrug your shoulders in response.

You reach back, searching for my hand, and I give it to you, slipping my fingers into yours. You grasp it tightly.

"Be brave," you say. And I'm not entirely sure whether you're reminding me, or yourself.

Gurkhan starts to walk forward, and then he stops, and gestures to us to follow immediately behind him. You move forward, and I follow. Then the rest of our party brings up the rear, and we move through the archway.

The silence of the crowd behind the wall follows us as we move behind the wall. The silence is unnatural, as there is a crowd of people. As we move into them, they part for us, carving a path to the tallest run-down building. Their eyes follow us as we move into the crowd, and my eyes move onto them.

They are not the best-dressed of people. They look haggard and worn down, like the people in the city, but with noticeable differences. Where the people in the city wore gold, these people wear leather. Where the people in the city wore silk, they wear linen. Their eyes are not filled with the dull, worn-cattle look the city of the people sported—they are alive and bright with the spark of rebellion. The spark of freedom.

But freedom comes with a price.

These people are gaunt, underfed. Their clothing is worn, their hair dingy. There are very little children, but where they do pop up they are bright, strong, clean, and well-fed. It's clear where these people's priorities are. Because of that, I begin to warm to them.

When we've all moved through the arch, I look back. The wall is back in place, and the crowd begins to swallow our path.

They watch us.

When we've walked about twenty feet through the crowd, the murmurs start. The murmurs turn into voices, the voices turns into shouts. Soon there is a roaring crowd not two feet away from me, pressing into us, hands out stretched.

"The Doctor!" they cry, they cheer in tandem. Equal parts desperation and hope. "Save us, save us!"

Your hand begins to tremble, ever so slightly, in mine as I cling to it tightly. Their numbers may be few, but they are a fierce crowd. Jexlan and the boy move to the sides of us, moving into a protective formation against the crowd. Gurkhan picks up the pace and we follow, almost running to the run-down building. A pyramid, but not one nearly as beautiful as in the city. One that is crumbling in on itself.

I cling to you tightly, afraid that if I loosen my grip on your hand and your jacket for even a second that the crowd will swallow me, small as I am, and I will be lost forever. Hands reach through the gap in our guards and grab at us, desperate to touch. I let out a small screech whenever they grab at my dress and press myself tighter to you.

It's a short journey to the building, but it feels as though an entire lifetime is taken up in the space of time. Years, centuries, millennia. The rest of my lives and yours, thrown away in a desperate bid to escape the crowd that yearns for our help, for our salvation. It's no wonder your hand trembles—it's a lot to place on someone's shoulders, the hopes and fears of an entire group. Almost too much. Even for you. Even for the Doctor, savior of worlds, of the universe. It is too much.

Until finally, we reach the decaying pyramid, and the doors swing open for us. We shuffle inside, quickly, and the heavy doors slam shut behind us, locking us in. And I feel as though we've just been trapped. I turn instinctively to watch the doors as they close with a loud boom! As though the doors to our tomb have just been closed.

"So," says a voice. A powerful voice, that echoes through the hall and vibrates in my very soul. But it is old, and sad, and creaky. As though it has spent a long time swallowing pain and hardship and the weight of a whole planet. "Here you are at last, our salvation. Hello, Doctor."

I turn.

A/N: Hey, guys! Glad you've hung in there! We're getting to somewhere in the middle of this little episode/serial, and boy will I be happy when I've finished it! But don't worry, that's not the end of the story! And at the end of this serial is the special treat I've promised you all! A very special guest appearance. So hang in for that!

Thanks to all of you, my lovely readers and reviewers. You guys are awesome and I hope you've had an awesome day! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please remember to leave a review! Give me your best guesses as to what you think is going to happen! :D

~gfg