Yes, Of Course (Doctor Who fanfiction)

The message reached out through the universes, crossing all dimensions of time and space in its distress. River looked out at the night sky, hoping upon hope that all those he had cared for would have the love to respond, and knowing in her heart that they would.
***
"Incoming message," said Mr Smith.
"Who is it from?" Sarah Jane asked.
"Unknown."
"Where is it from?" Luke asked, walking into the room.
"Unknown."
"Well, what is known?" Sarah Jane asked in exasperation.
"Content reads: The Doctor is dying. Please, please help."
Sarah Jane was worried but also wary. Not that long ago she'd been told the Doctor was dead, and that had turned out to be a lie. "Is he in danger?"
"Affirmative," K9 piped in.
"I'll go help him," Luke insisted.
Sarah Jane shook her head. "It's too dangerous. I don't want to lose you."
"Maybe we can work together," Rani suggested. "Pool our resources."
"Count me in," said Clyde.
Sarah Jane sighed. "I'll never be able to stop you kids, will I?" She turned to the computer. "Mr Smith, can you give a message to the sender?"
Mr Smith was silent as calculations flashed across the screen. "Yes. What do you want me to say?"
"We're all in," said Clyde.
"We will do everything we can to help," said Luke.
"Just tell us what you need," said Rani.
"We love you," finished Sarah Jane. "Please don't die."
They stood in solemn silence for a moment. "Message sent."
***
Tentoo (called "John Noble" after his parents) gently nudged Rose.
"What is it?" she asked, sitting up groggily.
"A message. I think you should hear it."
"How can you..."
"I'm a Time Lord; I can hear distress signals in any language. This is in every language, though it seems to have originated in English."
"Alright, tell me the message." John put his hands on Rose's head, sending her the message via telepathic link. The Doctor is dying. Please, please help. "But what happened?"
"I don't know," John answered, equally confused.
"Whatever it is, I'll help him."
John sighed. "You still love him, don't you?"
Rose nodded. "But I love you, too. You're not the Doctor, but I do love you. And even if I can't have the Doctor, I want him to be happy. I want him to live."
"Of course. So do I. After all, it's his fault I even exist," John said with a wry chuckle. "Well, it's Donna's fault too. She'd hate me for leaving her out."
Rose laughed. "She'd slap you for sure." Her smile faded as she remembered what had started the conversation. "Tell the Doctor, or whoever it is, we'll be happy to help."
***
"Ianto, Gwen, come take a look at this," Jack said with a note of apprehension. Concerned by the distress in his voice, they came running.
"What is it?" Gwen asked.
"Some kind of distress signal. It says... 'The Doctor is dying. Please, please help.'"
The three of them stared at the screen for a moment until Ianto broke the silence. "Can we send a reply?"
"I think so," Jack said, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "Got it!" he said a few minutes later. "What do we want to say?"
"You know him best, you tell us," Gwen replied. Ianto nodded.
"'Of course we'll help. We owe you one. More than one, actually. And even if we didn't, we'd still help you. What can we do?'" Jack looked at Gwen and Ianto, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. They nodded. Jack hit 'enter'. "Please make it through," he whispered. "We need you."
***
"Martha Jones, something has happened that requires your attention. Please come to UNIT headquarters. Oh, and bring your husband, too."

When they reached the headquarters, a woman walked up to them. "Kate Lethbridge-Stewart," she said, extending her hand. "Welcome back to UNIT."
"I hope you're not trying to recruit me again. You know I work best alone." Mickey gave Martha a wounded look. "Well, mostly alone."
"No, we're not recruiting you," she assured them. "We've received a message, and we think you should hear it." Martha looked at her suspiciously. "Come, follow me."

"This is the message," Kate explained, pressing a few keys on the computer. The Doctor is dying. Please, please help.
"What does it mean?" Mickey asked.
"Exactly what it says. I thought I would share it with you before sending a reply."
"Thank you," Martha said. "Tell them... tell them we will do everything in our power to help."
"Of course, mam," Kate said, giving Martha a salute. Mickey's expression changed slightly. Martha caught the difference and glared at Kate until she got the point. "Sir," she said, giving Mickey a salute.
"Thank you," said Mickey. "And let us know if you get a response."
Kate nodded. "Of course."
***
Donna woke up with a pounding headache. It didn't feel like a normal headache, though. She felt as if something were tearing at the corners of her mind, trying to pry something out of it and burrow deep into her head.

"Donna, what are you doing here?" Wilfred looked at his granddaughter in confusion.
"Couldn't sleep. I thought you might be up here stargazing." They sat in silence for a few minutes, looking up at the night sky. "Do you ever get the feeling you're forgetting something?"
Wilfred laughed. "I'm an old man, Donna. I get that feeling all the time."
"No, but like, something important. Really important." Wilfred said nothing. Donna sighed. "I've got another headache again." They continued on in relative silence, Wilfred occasionally showing Donna various constellations. All of a sudden, she remembered. "It's the Doctor. He's in trouble. I can feel it." Wilfred looked at Donna with concern. "Who is the Doctor? I'm pretty sure I know him." Wilfred said nothing. "It doesn't matter, I still want to help." She sighed. "Maybe if I think really hard, I can send a reply." She laughed. "I sound like a little kid, don't I?"
"Don't say that like it's shameful."
Donna smiled. "Alright, I'll try then." She frowned in concentration for a few seconds. "I think it worked. And my headache is gone, too!" A big smile split across Wilfred's face. "Now what were we doing again?"
***
Clara could feel it. The Doctor was in trouble. As the "impossible girl", she had some kind of sense for his well-being. This time, though, she heard a clear message. The Doctor is dying. Please, please help. She wondered what trouble he'd got himself into this time. She was about to go find him when she realized: she was always there when he was in danger. This time, it wasn't her place to help. But that didn't mean she couldn't show her support. With the help of a friend she'd sworn to secrecy, she located the signal and sent a reply. "Yes, of course we'll help. We will do everything we can for him."
***
The "solar flares" were increasing. Part of River was jealous that her husband had had so many companions, but a larger part of her was happy for him. Happy that the Doctor was loved by many, and by her most of all.

Alone With Myself (Doctor Who fanfiction)

I haven't written a blog post in ages! I'm really sorry. I've been super busy. Anyway, I forgot about this fanfic I wrote which I didn't put on the blog, so here it is!

"I am alone," the Doctor cried, sliding down the wall of the TARDIS.

"All my friends are gone," the Doctor sobbed, sinking into a corner of the TARDIS.

"My best friends are dead," the Doctor lamented, crumpling into a ball in the TARDIS.

"My people are gone," the Doctor wailed, slamming his fist onto the TARDIS.

Each Doctor thought he was alone; each regeneration felt doomed to live in sorrow. But the TARDIS had other plans. With a whirring noise, four worlds collided. Four different people, and yet the same.

The Ninth Doctor looked around at the other three. "You're not Rose." At the mention of the name 'Rose', the others cringed, and the Tenth Doctor looked like he was about to cry. In an attempt to divert himself, the Tenth Doctor looked around.

"If you're me," he said, looking at Nine, "does that mean..."
Eleven nodded. "I always knew you were a bright one! So tell us, grumpy pants," he said, turning to the Twelfth Doctor, "how's the future?"
Twelve shook his head. "You know I can't tell you anything. It's not like you'd remember anyway."
Nine sighed. "Is this what I grow up to be like?" Eleven nodded, as if this were a good thing.

"So, what brings us all here in the first place?" Twelve asked in far too serious a tone for such a casual question.
"Well obviously the TARDIS has created a spatio-temporal field that caused us all to occupy this space in the same time..."
"I mean," Twelve interrupted in a tone of frustration, "why were we brought together? What do we have in common?"
"Well, we're all the Doctor," the Eleventh Doctor pointed out unhelpfully.
"There's got to be more than that. Why do we all need each other?" Nine asked.
"Maybe we don't all need each other. Maybe we just need someone," Ten suggested.

Nine nodded. "I was all set to go, but Rose didn't want to come."
"Oh, she'll come," Ten said wistfully. "Just mention that it travels in time."
"How is she, by the way?" Nine asked, ignoring all the warning looks the others gave him.
"Gone, like the rest of my companions," Ten replied sadly. "She's got a life, but not with me. Not anymore."
"And you?" Nine asked, looking at Eleven.
"Oh, I'm alright," Eleven said with a smile that was far too thin.
"Rule one," Twelve announced, "the Doctor lies."
Eleven sighed. "You know me too well." He looked at Twelve. "It's Amy and Rory. And the angels." Twelve nodded knowingly. "And what about you?"
"Gallifrey." That simple word said it all. Though none of the others had been in the Twelfth Doctor's exact situation, they understood the sentiment. "I thought... I'd been told I could change things and... I was wrong."

"While we're here, anyone fancy some fish fingers and custard?" Eleven asked in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood. Having nothing else to do, the Doctors agreed. Nobody else liked the culinary concoction, so Nine brought chips. When that was over, Twelve suggested they have tea, and so they had a tea party. Over Jammie Dodgers, scones, and Earl Grey tea, they reminisced about old times (or new times, depending on whose perspective you considered).

"Remember that time when you were with Rose and she kept trying to get Queen Victoria to say 'we are not amused'?" Eleven asked Ten.
"Remember that time I accidentally married Queen Elizabeth I?" Ten laughed.
"How do you accidentally marry a queen?" Nine asked.
"I thought she was a Zygon!" Eleven rolled his eyes. "Oh, like you'd be any better," Ten said with a mock scowl.
"You should have seen him after regenerating!" Twelve exclaimed. "He kept rejecting perfectly good food just because he had a new body!"
"No fair!" Eleven complained. "None of us have anything on you."
Twelve smiled mysteriously. "Then the world is as it should be." Eleven glared. "Well, I believe we must be going soon. We do have lives to get on with after all." Each of the Doctors sighed and said their farewells. And so the loneliness was banished once more.

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 5

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

"Good morning, class!" Emrys said cheerfully. "Today will be our last day of wandless verbal spells, and then we will move on to nonverbal spells. All right?" The students nodded, and Emrys proceeded to teach them more difficult spells to do without their wands. After a good deal of experience (and a number of accidents Emrys barely prevented), the class was over.

As everyone was leaving, a student walked up to Emrys.
"Yes?"
"You said we can ask you anything, right?"
Emrys nodded. "Go ahead."
"I just need some help with my History of Magic homework."
Emrys smiled. "I should be able to help with that. What do you need to know?"
"We're learning about King Arthur," he said. Emrys smiled. "What was the name of Arthur's wife?"
"Gwen," Emrys said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Gwen?" The student looked confused.
"Oh, you'll be wanting the full name. It's Guinevere."
The student wrote the name down. "Thanks!"
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, actually. What was the name of Arthur's court sorcerer?"
Emrys stared at the student in disbelief. "Court... sorcerer? Magic was outlawed in Camelot!"
"That's not what the textbook says," the student replied.
"Tell Professor Binns I'd like to see that textbook he's using," Emrys said, disgruntled. "But if Arthur were to have had a court sorcerer, it would have been Merlin." Emrys sighed.
"Sorry if I'm wasting your time," the student said, standing up.
"No, no, I just doubt the accuracy of your curriculum. Go on."
"Where did King Arthur die?"
Emrys' face paled. His eyes sunk. He took a deep breath and with painful finality said, "Camlann." Emrys did all he could not to cry. Sensing that it was his time to leave, the student walked out of the room. Once everyone was gone, Merlin started sobbing uncontrollably.

His tears were interrupted by a knock at the door. Forcing himself to stop crying, Merlin used a spell to let the door swing open.
Professor Longbottom tentatively stepped in. "I heard you crying, and... I just wanted to make sure you were alright."
Merlin smiled weakly. "Yeah, fine." Longbottom looked skeptical. Merlin sighed. "It's Arthur. I was just reminded that... he died."
Longbottom nodded. "I'll leave you alone to your thoughts."

When the weekend came, Merlin left the grounds and traveled to Avalon. He could have apparated, but he wanted to walk, just to remember. Camelot was gone. The people were dead, the land developed... all that remained was Lake Avalon. Merlin stood at the bank, peering into the water. He cried and screamed and released his grief. He caused the wind to howl and the trees to shake, but he left the lake untouched, for that was where his friends rested, and he did not wish to disturb them.

Merlin stayed at Avalon so long he almost forgot he taught at Hogwarts. When the time came, Merlin said goodbye again to his friends and traveled back to the school. This time he went at a run, as if he could chase all his sorrow away. When he arrived to the classroom ten minutes late and out of breath, hints of tears in his eyes, he gave no explanation. Merlin sincerely hoped that Arthur was the real Arthur, or he didn't know how he'd be able to carry on.

Snow White Retelling

Once upon a time, a prince found a woman who was the most beautiful woman he had seen. He met her, and discovered that she was beautiful in her personality as well. He took her as his wife, and when he became a king, they tried hard to have a child, but the queen could not. One day, she became pregnant, but she could not give birth properly; both the child and the queen were lost. The king mourned the loss of such a beautiful, kind woman.

A year later the king took himself another wife. She was a beautiful woman (though still not as beautiful as his first bride), but she was proud and arrogant, and she could not stand it if anyone might surpass her in beauty. She had a magic mirror. Every morning she stood before it, looked at herself, and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

To this the mirror answered:

"You, my queen, are fairest of all."

Then she was satisfied, for she knew that the mirror spoke the truth.

This went on for many years, but it all changed with the appearance of a woman named Suana, who was called Snow White. One might think that she was called so because of her face, but she was in fact dark-skinned. It was her hair that was white as snow. She had a sort of wisdom and beauty that befitted a woman of her years. She lived happily until the day the white men came. They took her people and sold them into slavery. Fearing a fate worse than death, Snow White escaped to a new land.

One day when the queen asked her mirror:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

It answered:

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But Snow White is a thousand times fairer than you."

The queen ordered her servants to find this Snow White who was supposedly the most beautiful in the land. When the queen saw that Snow White was not white, the queen could not understand. The whites were the master race. How could a person of color be more beautiful than her? So the queen made Snow White her slave, thinking that with hard work, Snow White's beauty would fade. But no matter how hard Snow White worked, no matter how much she despaired, she kept that inner beauty that the queen could not fathom, and that inner beauty continued to show on Snow White's face.

Furious, the queen ordered her huntsman to get rid of this awful thing. "Take Snow White out into the woods," she said. "I never want to see her again. Kill her, and as proof that she is dead bring her lungs and her liver back to me." The huntsman nodded, having no choice but to obey his queen. He took Snow White deep into the woods, and they were alone together.

"You may take my life," she said gracefully. "I have lived many years, and my time is done. I have only one request. My people have been enslaved, tortured, and killed. I need to know that there is still someone who views me as a person. Someone who doesn't discriminate."
The huntsman looked at Snow White. "I don't think you deserve to be hurt. You are human, even though you look different from me. If I could do something, I would, but I fear for my life." He thought for a moment. "I will spare your life because you deserve to live it, no matter how few years you may have left. If I should ever have another chance to help your people, believe me that I will take it. Now, go far away from here, that the queen might not hurt you again." Snow White nodded, and ventured further into the forest. Meanwhile, the huntsman killed a wild boar, cut out its lungs and liver, and took them back to the queen as proof of Snow-White's death.

After Snow White had been walking for hours and begun to despair of ever reaching shelter, she found herself surrounded by a group of seven people, all pointing spears at her. They were dark-skinned as well, but their skin was much lighter than Snow White's. As soon as they saw Snow White's skin, they lowered their spears.
"Forgive us," the leader said. "We thought you might be one of the white people."
Snow White shook her head. "No, they have done me too much harm."
"They have hurt us as well. They drove us from our land, so that we are forced to live in these woods. But we have learned the ways of the land, and we are satisfied here," the leader said.
"What do you come to us for?" another one of the natives asked.
"I came not looking for you," said Snow White, "though I hope you might help me all the same. I seek shelter from the white people."
"That we may give you," the leader answered. "Come, we will teach you the ways of nature." And so Snow White became part of the tribe. She learned how to love mother nature, communicating with all manner of birds and beasts, using the plants and the land without taming them. In return, Snow White told the natives of her people and taught the natives her people's ways. It was a pleasant arrangement, and Snow White enjoyed being wild and free. Each day she grew more beautiful from knowledge and experience and sharing a kindred spirit with others who were fair and kind.

Now the queen, believing that Snow White was dead, could only think that she was again the first and the most beautiful woman of all. She stepped before her mirror and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

It answered:

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But Snow White, beyond the mountains
With the seven natives,
Is still a thousand times fairer than you."

This startled the queen, for she knew that the mirror did not lie, and she realized that the huntsman had deceived her, and that Snow White was still alive. Then she thought, and thought again, how she could kill Snow White, for as long as long as she was not the most beautiful woman in the entire land her envy would give her no rest.

At last she thought of something. Coloring her face, she disguised herself as an old peddler woman, so that no one would recognize her. In this disguise she went to the dwelling of the tribe. She called out, "Beautiful wares for sale, for sale!"
Snow White peered out the window and said, "Good day, dear woman, what do you have for sale?"
"Good wares, beautiful wares," she answered. "Bodice laces in all colors." And she took out one that was braided from colorful silk. "Would you like this one?"
"I can have no need of such clothing," said Snow White. "That is white women's clothing, and I am no white woman. Take your wares to one who would desire them." Frustrated, the queen returned home.

Not long afterward, in the evening time, the natives came home, for they had been gathering food while Snow White was guarding their dwelling. Snow White told them of the peddler woman. When they heard what had happened they said, "The old peddler woman was no one else but the godless queen. Take care and let no one in when we are not with you."

When the wicked woman returned home, she thought of the woman who would not wear such beautiful clothing. Surely, the queen thought, such a woman could not be beautiful. So she went to her mirror and asked:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

The mirror answered once again:

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But Snow-White, beyond the mountains
With the seven natives,
Is still a thousand times fairer than you."

When she heard that, all her blood ran to her heart because she knew that Snow White had a different kind of beauty that surpassed the queen's, and the queen was afraid because she did not understand this beauty. "This time," she said, "I shall think of something that will destroy you."
Then with the art of witchcraft, which she understood, she made a poisoned comb. Then she disguised herself, taking the form of a different old woman. Thus she went across the seven mountains to the home of the seven natives, knocked on the door, and called out, "Good wares for sale, for sale!"
Snow White looked out and said, "Go on your way. I am not allowed to let anyone in."
"You surely may take a look," said the old woman, pulling out the poisoned comb and holding it up. The child looked at the comb. "Such a comb would not manage my thick hair. The natives I live with take care of me and make sure I have all I need, and I do the same for them. Now, go and sell your wares to somebody who can make use of them." The queen became enraged, but knowing there was naught she could do, she returned home.

Surely with such unruly hair, she cannot be beautiful, the queen thought. She stepped before her mirror and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

The mirror answered:

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But Snow-White, beyond the mountains
With the seven dwarfs,
Is still a thousand times fairer than you."

When the queen heard the mirror saying this, she shook and trembled with anger, "Snow White shall die," she shouted, "if it costs me my life!"
Then she went into her most secret room -- no one else was allowed inside -- and she made a poisoned, poisoned apple. From the outside it was beautiful, white with red cheeks, and anyone who saw it would want it. But anyone who might eat a little piece of it would die. Then, coloring her face, she disguised herself as a peasant woman, and thus went across the seven mountains to the seven natives. She called out to Snow White.
Snow White stuck her head out the window and said, "I am not allowed to let anyone in. The natives have forbidden me to do so."
"That is all right with me," answered the peasant woman. "I'll easily get rid of my apples. Here, I'll give you one of them."
"No," said Snow-White, "I cannot accept anything."
"Are you afraid of poison?" asked the old woman. "Look, I'll cut the apple in two. You eat the red half, and I shall eat the white half."
Now the apple had been so artfully made that only the red half was poisoned. Wheras the other wares had been things Snow White did not need, this time the queen had brought something Snow White could enjoy. She longed for the beautiful apple, and when she saw that the peasant woman was eating part of it she could no longer resist, and she stuck her hand out and took the poisoned half. She barely had a bite in her mouth when she fell to the ground dead.
The queen looked at her with a gruesome stare, laughed loudly, and said, "Ugly black woman! This time you will no longer be the most beautiful in the land."

Back at home she asked her mirror:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

It finally answered:

"You, my queen, are fairest of all."

Then her envious heart was at rest, as well as an envious heart can be at rest.

When the natives came home that evening they found Snow-White lying on the ground. She was not breathing at all. She was dead. They lifted her up and looked for something poisonous. They washed her clean. They tried to shake any evil spirits out of her. They attempted the healing rituals as per their religion. But nothing helped. The dear woman was dead, and she remained dead. They laid her on a bier, and all seven sat next to her and mourned for her and cried for three days. They were going to bury her, but she still looked as fresh as a living person.
They said, "We cannot bury her in the earth, for her spirit is not yet ready to pass to the underworld," and they made a simple wooden coffin to symbolize that she was simple, but beautiful and strong. They laid her inside, and with golden letters wrote on it her name, and that she was a woman of wisdom and beauty. Then they put the coffin outside on a mountain, and one of them always stayed with it and watched over her. The animals too came and mourned for Snow White, first an owl, then a raven, and finally a dove.

Snow White lay there in the coffin a long, long time, and she did not decay, but looked like she was asleep, for she was still as beautiful as the day she died.
Now it came to pass that a prince entered these woods and happened onto the natives' home, where he sought shelter for the night. He saw the coffin on the mountain with beautiful Snow White in it, and he read what was written on it with golden letters.
Then he said to the natives, "Let me have the coffin. I will give you anything you want for it."
But the natives answered, "We will not sell it for all the gold in the world. She was too dear to us."
Then he said, "Then give it to me, for I cannot live without being able to see Snow White. I will honor her and respect her as my most cherished one."
As he thus spoke, the good natives felt pity for him and gave him the coffin. The prince had his servants carry it away on their shoulders. But then it happened that one of them stumbled on some brush, and this dislodged from Snow White's throat the piece of poisoned apple that she had bitten off. Not long afterward she opened her eyes, lifted the lid from her coffin, sat up, and was alive again.
"Good heavens, where am I?" she cried out.
The prince said joyfully, "You are with me." He told her what had happened, and then said, "I love you more than anything else in the world. Come with me to my father's castle. You shall become my wife." Snow White looked up at him. He was a dark-skinned man just like her, and he was a prince. Knowing that in his land people like her must be respected, she went with him. Their wedding was planned with great splendor and majesty.

Many neighboring royals were invited to the feast, including the queen. After putting on her beautiful clothes she stepped before her mirror and said:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"

The mirror answered:

"You, my queen, are fair; it is true.
But the young queen is a thousand times fairer than you."

The wicked woman uttered a curse, and she became frightened, so frightened that she did not know what to do. At first she did not want to go to the wedding, but she found no peace. She had to go and see the young queen. When she arrived she recognized Snow White, and terrorized, she could only stand there without moving.

When Snow White saw the queen, she recognized her as the evil woman who had tried to kill her, and the evil queen was banished from the land. Snow White lived her new life with a man who loved and respected her, and in time she learned that she loved him too.

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 4

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

"Well, I think I've found him," Merlin announced to the group.
Will put down his book ("The Theory of Everything"), and looked up, surprised. "You sure?"
"He looks like Arthur, and he most definitely acts like Arthur. I'm sure it's him."
"Well then what do you need us for?" Gwen asked.
Merlin thought for a moment. "What about the others? I mean, they might not have memories of their past lives, but they could be here. After all, I found you lot."
Gwaine smiled. "I remember my time with Arthur as a hazy drunk dream."
Gwen shook her head in amusement. "Not surprising, considering you were drunk more than half the time. I for one remember Arthur very clearly. I can't wait to get back together with him," Gwen said, smiling.
"He's only eleven," Freya reminded her.
"I can wait."
"So who's on the hit list again?" Gwaine asked, taking a swig of firewhiskey.
"It's not a hit list," Merlin said, exasperated. "We're trying to find these people, not kill them." He sighed. "Balinor, Hunith, Gaius, Elyan, Lancelot, Leon, Percival, Mithian, and Elena."
"That's a long list," Will commented.
"I'm not going to make it any shorter because every one of those people matters. Now then, let's get to work," he said, standing up. Hannah Abbot watched him out of the corner of her eye, convinced something was going on.

***

"Good morning, Professor Emrys."

"Good to see you, Professor Longbottom."

"Might I speak with you a minute?"

Emrys nodded. "Of course!"

They walked into Longbottom's classroom.

"Herbology? Nice. I apprenticed with a physician once."

"Oh? Great, then you'll know what this is." Longbottom held up a vial.

Emrys didn't recognize it from his studies with Gaius, but he recognized it nonetheless. "Veritaserum? But surely you wouldn't..."

"No, I just wanted to make it clear that I want you to be truthful. I have a few questions for you."

Emrys blanched as if he was back in the time of Camelot and had been accused of sorcery. He swallowed his fear and put on a smile. "Ask away."

"Your teaching methods are... rather advanced."

"Thank you."

"Where did you study?"

Emrys was silent for a moment, considering whether to tell the truth. "I learned by experience."

"So you fought Voldemort?"

Emrys shook his head. "No, but I fought people like him."

Longbottom looked confused by that. "My wife, Hannah, tells me you frequent the Leaky Cauldron."

"Yes, I find it a wonderful place to think."

"About what, if I might ask?"

"You might. I..." Emrys sighed. "You said you wanted the truth, right? I'm just not sure you'll believe me."

Longbottom smiled. "Trust me, I've heard some very strange things."

Emrys laughed. "Ever heard of Merlin?"

"The most powerful wizard in all of history? Of course I know of him."

Emrys nodded. "What would you think if I said..." Emrys took a deep breath. "...that he's still alive?"

Longbottom looked at Emrys in shock. "But... he can't be!"

"I assure you, he is. And he's sitting in this room."

Longbottom stared at Emrys. "But Merlin's supposed to be older?"

Emrys laughed. "I am old. I just don't look it. I can show you how old I really am," he said. "Mind if I use some of your supplies to make a potion?"

Longbottom shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose it can't hurt."

A few minutes later, Emrys drank the completed potion. He was transformed into his old self, and Longbottom stared. "It is you!"

Emrys nodded, drinking the antidote. "And I'm looking for Arthur Pendragon. I miss him. I think he's at this school. You know Arthur Pratt?"

Longbottom nodded, still in shock. "Yeah, bright kid, really cocky, but a decent guy at heart."

"That's my Arthur," Emrys said. "Oh, and don't tell anyone about this conversation. I don't want word to get out of my identity, or I'd never have peace and quiet." Longbottom started to open his mouth. "I suppose you can tell your wife," Emrys conceded. "But no-one else. Understood?"

Longbottom nodded and walked off, marveling at what had just happened.

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 3

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

The doors swung open and the professor walked in. "Hello, class. I am Professor Emrys, and I will be your Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher." The class stared at him. "Well go on, say hello!" The professor surveyed the class. "Ah, too early in the morning, I see." Emrys muttered something, pointing his wand at the students. His eyes flashed gold, and they sat upright, awake and eager. "Much better. Now then, why don't you introduce yourselves? I've got to start memorizing your names right away."
"Professor?" a young girl's hand shot up.
"Yes, miss..."
"Rose Weasley."
"What was your question, Rose?" Emrys asked, deciding to be on a first-name basis with his students.
"Couldn't you just use a spell to memorize our names?"
"Now why didn't I think of that?" Emrys said, smiling. "You're Hermione Granger's daughter, aren't you?" Rose nodded. "Brilliant. Now, I know Rose's name, but I don't know the rest of you."
"I'm Arthur Pratt," a student with blond hair and blue eyes said. Emrys tried his best not to laugh. The student was the spitting image of Arthur Pendragon, whom Emrys had often called a prat. Emrys shook himself away from that thought and focused on the other students who were speaking.

After all the students had introduced themselves, the lesson began. "Now, I'll need a volunteer. Don't worry, you won't get hurt." Albus Severus raised his hand. "Excellent. Step up here in front of the class." Albus did so. "Now, we're going to act like we're going to duel. Do any of you know how to duel?" About half the class (mostly the male half) raised their hands. "Good. Shall we begin?"

They did so. Anticipation rose as the two wizards counted their paces. Albus opened his mouth to cast a spell, but Emrys beat him to it. "Expelliarmus!" Albus' wand went flying. "Now what will you do?" Emrys asked.
"Beg for mercy?" Albus suggested.
"You don't really have another option," Emrys agreed. "And I think that is unacceptable. Should any of you be attacked, I don't want you to be helpless without your wands. And that is what we shall be working on," he explained. "Allow me to demonstrate." Emrys and Albus got set up for the duel again. This time, Emrys allowed Albus to disarm him. "Stupefy!" Emrys shouted, throwing Albus backwards with considerable force. Just before Albus slammed into the wall, Emrys slowed time and let Albus reach the floor without injury. The students stared at Emrys in awe.

"Now Albus has had his turn," Emrys said, breaking the silence, "who'd like to be the first to learn how to do a spell without a wand?" Arthur stepped forward. "Great! Set your wand down, and I'll show you how it's done. What spell should we start with?"
"Expelliarmus!" Arthur said enthusiastically.
"Good choice. Being able to disarm your enemy without a wand is a significant advantage." Arthur nodded, looking incredibly smug. "Now, think about what expelliarmus does." Rose raised her hand. "Rose, while I'm sure it would be exceptional, your explanation is not required." Rose sighed, lowering her hand. Emrys turned to Arthur. "Have you been thinking about the spell? Picture what will happen when you cast it. Think about the wand leaving my hand. Think about me flying backwards. Think about how you will cast the spell. Think about how to pronounce it. Focus." Arthur nodded. "Now, when you're ready, cast the spell."
A few moments later, Arthur yelled "Expelliarmus!" Emrys' wand dropped to the floor, and he was knocked back a negligible amount. Arthur's face fell.
"Don't worry, Arthur, wandless magic is difficult. It's not surprising that the spell wasn't that powerful. Wands help channel your magic, but so do minds. The spell is only as strong as your concentration. Now focus, really focus, and try again," Emrys said, picking up his wand.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Arthur bellowed, full of confidence and authority. This time, the wand flew out of Emrys' hand and Emrys was knocked back a few feet.
"Much better. I should note, yelling your spell is not necessary. It was just Arthur's way of focusing. Whispered spells can be equally potent," Emrys informed the class. To prove his point, he whispered "Incendio," and the candles in the room lit up. "Thank you, Arthur. Who's next? I want you to all be able to cast this spell without a wand by the end of the class."

"By the way," Emrys said as the class was drawing to the close, "I'm told nobody has managed to hold this position for more than a year and thus some consider it to be 'cursed'. I would like to inform you that should I leave this school at the end of the year, it will because of my own choice and not because I was forced to do so by unfortunate circumstances." The students seemed somewhat skeptical, but none of them said anything. "And if you need any help for your other classes, or even for something not school-related, feel free to ask me. I'm a wealth of information." The students nodded. "And that concludes this class. Oh, I almost forgot: your homework is to practice wandless magic with your friends, enemies, or anyone else you want to use magic on. Stick to expelliarmus for now. I look forward to seeing you all again next class."

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 2

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

Merlin sat at a table, eagerly awaiting the boy's approach. After what felt like forever, he saw Albus Severus walking over.
"Find anything?" Merlin asked.
"Maybe," Albus said. "There's this kid. I think his name's Arthur, but I'm not sure. He's really arrogant, but he seems like a nice guy at heart. He also enjoys ordering people around. He says he wants to become a prefect."
"Hm. That might be him. Can you find out more about this kid?"
"Yeah, but I think there's a better way."
"Oh?" Merlin asked, taking a sip of his tea.
"You see, Hogwarts is a little short staffed at the moment. Snape's gone, and the school's had difficulty finding a Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher."
"Who do they have now?"
"Nobody," Albus said simply.
"You mean to tell me students aren't being taught Defense Against The Dark Arts?" Merlin asked incredulously.
"Well, there's not as much need for it now, seeing as Voldemort's dead," Albus pointed out.
"Still, this is something I will not permit." Merlin frowned. "I'll apply for the position. In fact, I'm going to Hogwarts at once. Would you like to come with me?"
Albus shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I was planning on going there soon anyway."

As they walked onto the grounds, countless students greeted Albus.
"You're very popular here, I see," Merlin commented.
"That's what happens when your dad is the one who defeated Voldemort."
Merlin chuckled. "True. So, where do I go to apply?"
"Well, maybe you should try speaking to the headmaster," Albus suggested.

Albus left Merlin at the door. "Good luck," he said.
"Thanks!"
"I know you'll be a great teacher."
Merlin smiled. "Oh, and if I do end up teaching here, don't tell anyone about our secret, okay? I'll go by another name." Albus nodded solemnly.
"Come in," a woman's voice said.

Merlin did, and shook hands with the headmaster.
"Greetings," the headmaster said, "I'm Professor McGonagall. I mean, headmaster McGonagall. I'm still not used to the new title."
"Of course," Merlin said, nodding politely.
"And who might you be?" she asked.
Merlin thought for a moment. "You may call me Emrys."
"Emrys! Quite a name," McGonagall commented.
"It is my name," Merlin said simply. "Take it or leave it."
"And what brings you here, Mr. Emrys?"
"I'm told you're looking for a Defense Against The Dark Arts professor?"
"We are," McGonagall replied. "The darkest times may be over, but we still need our students to know how to defend themselves."
"I couldn't agree more," Merlin said. "Which is why I'd like to apply for the position."
McGonagall looked hopeful for a moment, then her face regained its stern mask. "Have you any teaching experience, Mr. Emrys?"
"No," Merlin admitted, "but I do have a good deal of experience with the dark arts, and as for the teaching, I'm sure I can manage that well enough. I'm incredibly patient and kind, and I'm good at working with others."
McGonagall nodded, as if taking it all in. "You are aware, of course, of the danger of this position?"
"I'm not sure what you mean," Merlin said.
"Nobody has managed to hold the position for more than a year, Mr. Emrys."
"Well then, I'll have to make it a great year, won't I?" Merlin said, smiling.
"So you still want the position?" McGonagall asked, somewhat surprised.
"If you'll have me," Merlin replied.
"Well, I'll need to administer a diagnostic test to make sure you are fit for the position, but if that goes well, I see no reason why you can't teach at Hogwarts."
"Fantastic!"

The test was so simple, Merlin was concerned about the caliber of the wizards and witches who had held the position before him. The only part that he found difficult was the dementor, but somehow Merlin instinctively knew how to produce a patronus, and so a german shepherd came out of his wand.

"I notice you use a lot of nonverbal spells," McGonagall commented.
"It's what I'm used to," Merlin replied simply. "I'm familiar with the spells you teach at Hogwarts."
"Very well then. Your performance was satisfactory. Welcome to the staff."
***
"I've got a job at Hogwarts now," Merlin informed the group. "I'll be sure to keep you updated."
Will looked up from his book ("The Universe In A Nutshell"). "Sounds good. Want us to keep looking, or do you think you've got the guy?"
"Keep looking, just to be safe." Everyone nodded. "Right, see you all next week. And wish me luck!" They did, and then left (at different times, just to avoid arousing suspicion).

Hannah Abbot, the landlady turned to one of the employees. "Those people seem suspicious to you?" she asked, gesturing at the dispersing group.
"No," the employee said. "Why?"
"Well, it's just that there's always a group of people visiting that customer," she pointed to Merlin, "and they look different, but it's the same number of people each time. Same time, same table. If I didn't know better, I'd say it were some sort of meeting."
"But it's different people every time!"
Hannah nodded. "They could be disguising themselves, though."
"Why would they need to disguise themselves?"
"Why indeed. I think they're up to something." The employee looked skeptical. "Just... keep an eye on them, okay?"
"Whatever you say, boss."

The Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (Harry Potter and Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 1

A certain friend of mine (you know who you are) has been bugging me to write this for ages, so here it is at last.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5

The man looked up from his book ("A Brief History of Time") to see the boy. He sighed and resumed wandlessly stirring his tea. That was the signal. Another man walked over to the table.
"So, the famous young wizard?"
The first man nodded. "Think he's the one?"
The second man shook his head. "He looks too different. And he acts nothing like him, either. He's not nearly prattish enough."
"The way you talk, I'm not even sure you want to find your friend," the first man joked.
"Don't talk nonsense." The second man looked around. "The others have noticed. I think your tea is adequately stirred by now, Will." Will shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of tea.

"Now that we're all here, let's discuss theories," the second man, who seemed to be in charge, said.
"Harry Potter," Will suggested.
"No, we've been over this already."
"What about Ron?" another man suggested.
The leader laughed. "Definitely not!"
"Do you think it's anyone at Hogwarts?" a woman asked, exasperated.
"I'm not sure," the leader admitted. "I mean, he's bound to end up at Hogwarts eventually."
"Maybe he hasn't been born yet," another woman offered.
"I've been waiting for a long time," the leader said. "I suppose I can wait a while longer. Same time next week?" The group nodded, then dispersed.

Merlin thought back to that day. The boy, Harry Potter, had turned out to be quite promising- but he certainly wasn't the boy they were looking for. Merlin was beginning to think it was all in vain. He'd been searching for ages, how could these people help? Maybe it was time to move on.

Merlin had formed the group in the hopes of locating the Once and Future King, know to Merlin as Arthur. Arthur had been his dearest friend, and the loss had devastated Merlin. Kilgharrah had insisted that Arthur would rise in the time of Camelot's greatest need. But wasn't Voldemort's reign enough? Now Voldemort was dead, and there was still no sign of Arthur. But maybe this group would find him after all. They were exceptional at blending in- Will was a master of disguise, Gwaine made himself so drunk everyone looked away in disgust, Freya was an animagus, and Gwen was a metamorphmagus. To the typical patron of the Leaky Cauldron, they were just random strangers going to meet the man with the neckerchief (nobody outside of the group knew Merlin's real name, for Merlin considered anonymity better suited to his needs). As such, they were called the Leaky Cauldron Irregulars (or the Irregulars, for short).

The Irregulars were Merlin's eyes and ears, but so far they had been unsuccessful. They had brought a number of interesting individuals to his attention, but Merlin cared for none but Arthur. Not to say that Merlin was callous (though the years had hardened his heart somewhat), just that he would be satisfied with nothing less than his friend.

And so it was that when Merlin saw eleven year old Albus Severus in the Leaky Cauldron, he decided to take a chance.
"Albus!" The boy didn't turn around. "Albus Severus! That is your name, isn't it?" The boy turned slowly around, fixing a wary eye on Merlin.
"My father told me not to talk to strangers."
"Your father was a notorious rulebreaker, as was your grandfather. Indulge an old gentleman and talk a little while, won't you?"
"You barely look thirty, mister."
"So I do," Merlin said amusedly. "I forget sometimes. But the question still stands: will you talk with me? Technically, I suppose you already have, but I mean a proper conversation."
The boy sighed. Merlin laid his wand on the table, a gesture of peace. "I suppose I could talk," Albus grudgingly admitted.
"Good! I knew you'd come round!" Merlin said cheerily, pouring a cup of tea for Albus.

"You're getting all set to go to Hogwarts, right?"
Albus nodded. "I'm really excited!"
"As you should be. I was wondering if you'd be able to do a little job for me."
"A job? I thought this was just a conversation." Albus looked unimpressed.
"Think of it as a quest. Something exciting to do. Like what your dad did. Well, probably not as dangerous, but just as fun."
Albus considered this. "So what do you want?"
"I want you to people-watch. Pay attention to the students in Hogwarts. I'm looking for someone, and I'd like you to tell me if you think you've found him."
"Who are you looking for?" Albus asked, his curiosity piqued.
"His name is Arthur, but that might not be his name now."
"Is he your long-lost son?"
Merlin laughed. "Not really, but he's very close to me, and it would mean a lot to me if you could find him."
"So tell me about this 'Arthur'."

"Oh, he's wonderful. He's a bit of a prat, though. He thinks he's king of everything, and sometimes he can be a bit mean, but he's a good man at heart. He always tries to be fair, but sometimes he has trouble not having the same prejudices as his father taught him. He's pretty smart, but he can be so stupid sometimes. And he doesn't have one ounce of self-preservation." Merlin's face darkened. "Not one."
Hoping to lighten the mood, Albus asked Merlin "What does he look like?"
"Golden brown hair that's absolutely perfect, beautiful green eyes, broad shoulders..."
"Are you in love with him?"
Merlin was surprised at that question, and he had to take a moment to consider it. "No... but I do care about him very much. Can you help me find him?"
"Alright, mister... hey, you never told me your name!"
"Merlin." The boy's eyes widened. Merlin nodded, then put a shushing finger on his lips. "It'll be our little secret," he whispered.

Fandom School (4th period): Crossover Fanfiction

Hello and welcome again to Fandom School! We're back to fanfiction again, and now I'd like to talk about crossover fanfics.

First of all, what is a crossover? A crossover is a mash-up of two or more fandoms. You can combine just a few fandoms (Wholock, Superwholock, etc.), or you can go all out (for example, this fanfic). A crossover is not the same thing as an AU. For example, my fic The Once And Future Time Lord is a multi-fandom AU because while there are elements of Doctor Who, they are assumed to have always been there. A crossover takes the characters of one world and inserts them into another, while still retaining the memory of their original story (unless there's a memory loss trope or something). A multi-fandom AU takes one fandom and changes it so that it's part of another fandom. Fanfics where characters from one fandom are students at Hogwarts (like this fanfic) are a good example of this type of AU.

So now that you know what a crossover is, let's get to crossover fanfics. What should you keep in mind when writing them? Well besides the usual fanfiction tips, it's important to think about how your fandoms mesh. Wholock is a common crossover because the two fandoms are similar: eccentric genius outsmarts bad guys with the help of his friends. (They're also both set in the modern world.) However, if you wanted to combine the Avengers and My Little Pony, that would be a bit harder. (A quick google search reveals that fanfiction for this crossover does exist, and here's an example.)

There are a few other things to consider when writing crossover fanfics:

• How many fandoms are you including? Try to keep it to just a few fandoms, else you'll risk complicating your fanfic and seriously limiting your number of readers.
• How many characters are you including? Like fandoms, if you include too many your story will get cluttered.
• How do your characters meet? Are they old friends? Do they randomly happen to run into each other? Is there some sort of crisis that brings them together?
• How do the worlds connect? Have both universes co-exist, do the characters live in the same universe, or does something cause the universes to come together/the characters to be transported to each other?
• Are your characters interacting reasonably? Is any character monopolizing the story, or is any character just sort of... there (invisibility level: Mickey Smith)?
• How is canon affected? Is it canon divergence, or is canon altered to explain how the fandoms are connected?
• Make sure your characters stay in character. OOC characters are a common problem with crossovers. It is justifiable to change a character somewhat to make them fit in with the other fandom(s), but you need to make sure that the essence of his/her personality remains the same. You could intentionally make characters be OOC, but I wouldn't recommend it.

And now that I've given you advice, I'll share my own crossover fanfics:

Wholock (Doctor Who and Sherlock crossover)

• An Interesting Case
• This is my first Wholock story (and my first fanfiction). In this one, Sherlock is asked to interrogate a mysterious witness who proves to be just as interesting as the case itself, and they go on an adventure together.
• The Search For Father
• This is a story for all of you who were frustrated when we saw that Jenny (from "The Doctor's Daughter") was alive, only to never see her again. I mean seriously. She never even gets a spin-off show! So, I wrote a story in which she goes off looking for her dad and enlists the help of Sherlock Holmes.
• Call In The Expert
• "When the police are out of their depth, they consult me," Sherlock had said. But what about when Sherlock was out of his depth? What then? That's when it's time to ask an even greater genius for help. Sherlock must call in the expert.
• When Justice Is Treason
• The Master and Moriarty. A deadly duo. With the help of the Archangel network, they control all of England. So when the few people who know the truth try to stop them, it is treason. Will they succeed? Or will Prime Minister Harold Saxon and King Moriarty continue their reign of terror?
• You Matter
• Sometimes characters have things going pretty rough for them. And sometimes their friends and family can't console them. But what about if somebody totally different were to come in? This is how characters would take care of each other in a Wholock universe.
• On this blog: chapters 1 2 3

Other Crossovers

• Use The Force (or the Mind Palace)
• Remember the first time Luke used the Force? What did he actually see? What if he visited Sherlock's mind palace? Strange concept, I know, but the idea came into my head and wouldn't go away. (It's more of a series than a cohesive story.) Feel free to tell me what character you'd like to see next.
• On this blog: chapters 2 3
• You Are Not Alone: The Search For The Other Time Lords
• The Twelfth Doctor feels as though he is all alone, until his daughter Jenny comes to him, telling him that she has found a way to locate other Time Lords. She tells him that he is not the only one. Together, they go out to find the rest.
• Rating: G
• On this blog: chapters 1 2 3

And a few great crossover fanvids:

You Are Not Alone: The Search For The Other Time Lords (Doctor Who fanfiction) - Chapter 3

Chapters: 1 2 3

"Like I said," Jenny informed the Doctor, "I've no idea where we'll turn up."
"But you do know that there'll be a Time Lord," he pointed out.
"True."

After a slightly less turbulent flight, they reached their destination. Jenny stuck her head out the door, then turned back to look at the Doctor, surprised.
"What?"
"Well I could be wrong... but I think we're in the wizarding world!"
"The wizarding world?" the Doctor asked incredulously.
"Yeah, like from Harry Potter."
"I know what the wizarding world is," he said condescendingly.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is Diagon Alley," Jenny remarked as they stepped out of the TARDIS. The Doctor nodded.

Just then, a family of four walked by. The mother had bushy brown hair and was carrying a large stack of books. Jenny turned to the Doctor. "She's the one."
"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked somewhat nervously. Jenny nodded. They walked up to the mother. "You first," the Doctor hissed almost inaudibly.

"Hi, I'm Jenny and this is the Doctor... I mean Doctor Smith. He's my professor, and at his direction, I'm interviewing muggle-borns about the transition to the wizarding world. Are you a muggle-born, and would you be interested?" The Doctor tried to hide his look of impressed shock at Jenny's story.
The mother, too, seemed a little taken aback. "You know, you're the first person to ask me that. Are you going to write an article? I'm really glad this topic is being covered. Are you going to cover discrimination against muggle-borns? I think that's a really important issue. And what about..."
Her husband rolled his eyes. "You'll talk their ears off," he scolded her.
"Sorry, it's just a topic I'm really passionate about."
"No need to apologize," Jenny replied pleasantly. "So I take it that means you'd be interested?" The mother nodded vigorously. "Ron, can you help the kids get their school supplies? I'll join you again soon." Ron, her husband, nodded. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! Ron's a bad influence on me," she said, laughing. "I'm Hermione Granger." All of a sudden, Jenny realized she hadn't considered something. Thankfully, the Doctor had the same idea.

"Do you know any good places to conduct an interview? We don't know the area-"
"The university's in Scotland," Jenny explained.
"- right, and we were wondering if you had any good ideas? We also figured the people we interviewed would be more comfortable in a location of their own choosing."
Hermione nodded. "I know just the place."

They sat in a small room, discussing the contrast between muggle life and wizard life. After a while, the interview seemed to be almost over.
"Do you have any questions for us?" Jenny asked.
"Just one: why did you pick me? I mean, you weren't even sure I was a muggle-born."
Jenny looked at the Doctor, who looked right back at her. Jenny shook her head slightly and turned back to Hermione. "Well, you see, we have reason to believe you aren't just a muggle-born witch."
"Oh?" Hermione asked, feigning innocence.
"Have you ever time traveled?" Jenny asked.
"Well, I did use a time turner to take more classes at Hogwarts."
"We're looking for Time Lords," Jenny stated. Hermione stared at them in shock. "You do know what a Time Lord is?"
"Yes, but I thought they were just a legend. You're telling me they actually exist?" Jenny nodded. "And you think I'm one of them?" Jenny nodded again. "But... I can't be!" The Doctor pulled out his sonic and scanned Hermione.
"According to this, you are."
Hermione gasped in shock. "So what do you want with these Time Lords, then?"
"I just want to show him he's not alone," Jenny said.
"You're the Doctor!" Hermione exclaimed.
The Doctor simply nodded. "It seems like you're to busy to travel with me, but it's nice to have met you."
"Thank you for your time," Jenny said. "We really appreciate it."
"Excuse me, may I ask a question?"
"You just did," the Doctor pointed out.
"Doctor, be nice." Jenny turned to Hermione. "Go ahead."
"If it's not too much trouble, could you actually write that article?"
"No problem," Jenny answered, smiling.
"You can hand it to me when you're done; I know a few papers that might publish it."
"Great! We'll be back in a few minutes." Hermione gave them a quizzical look. "Time travel, remember?"

True to their word, Jenny and the Doctor were back 3 minutes later. Jenny handed the article over.
"Thank you," Hermione said.
"No, thank you."
***
"Got another crush?" the Doctor asked Jenny as they set their next destination.
"No." Jenny rolled her eyes. "I do think she's a lovely person, though. I wish we had a way to keep in touch."
"Oh, so you want her number?" the Doctor asked. "Or would you rather communicate via psychic paper?"
"That was one guy," Jenny said. She felt the psychic paper vibrate. She read the new message.

In another boring council meeting. Miss you already. -Merlin
Jenny laughed.
Do they know you're talking to me? -Jenny
Sh. What they don't know won't hurt them. -Merlin
You are such a troublemaker! -Jenny
I'd rather be that than boring. -Merlin
Good point. -Jenny
Haha! I win! -Merlin
Whatever. I gotta go. -Jenny

"You done texting that boy?" the Doctor asked.
"Yes, Dad," Jenny sighed.
"Good. We've got places to be."
"You bet we do."

You Are Not Alone: The Search For The Other Time Lords (Doctor Who fanfiction) - Chapter 2

Note: this chapter happens after my fic The Once And Future Time Lord, so you may want to read that if you haven't already (you don't have to read it to understand this chapter, but it does help).

Chapters: 1 2

"You're not the only one."
"Well, yeah, there's you and River..."
"No, I mean besides us."
The Doctor jumped up in shock. "What do you mean?!"
"I'm getting all sorts of readings, all over the universe," Jenny told him, pointing to her watch.
"Does that mean..." the Doctor hardly dared hope. "Does that mean we can find them?"
"We can certainly try," Jenny told him. "So," she said, smiling eagerly, "you ready?"
"You bet," said the Doctor, going to the console.
"Wait!" Jenny said, and the Doctor turned to face her. "Can I drive?"
"Do you even have a liscence?"
"Do you?"
The Doctor sighed. "Oh, all right, but if you get us lost or hurt or anything like that..."
"I won't," Jenny insisted, flipping switches.
"...it will be your fault."
"You don't need to worry about me, Daddy. I'm perfectly capable."

What ensued was a rather rough ride, but the Doctor restrained his chastisement, as they did reach their destination safely.
"So, where are we?" the Doctor asked, walking to the door.
"I don't know," Jenny admitted. "I just punched in the coordinates on the watch; I don't know what they mean. Why don't we find out?" she asked, raising her eyebrows and grinning.
"You first," the Doctor said.
***
Arthur honestly didn't know how he survived these council meetings. Oh, right - he had Merlin. They would always make faces at each other across the round table. In anyone else, such behavior would be frowned upon, but Arthur was the king, so nobody could stop him. And Merlin was the Court Warlock (Arthur had wanted to call him the Court Sorcerer, but Merlin had insisted on "Warlock" as it was the correct term), so he was an important person, too. Even with the incessant face-making, Arthur was getting bored out of his mind. But he didn't have to be. Not for long, anyway.

A whooshing sound got the attention of the council members. The man who had been speaking stopped midsentence. They all turned to find the source of the noise - and saw a strange blue box materialize.

"Sorcery!" a council member cried.
"You do remember that sorcery is legal now, I hope."
"Oh," the man said sheepishly. They could have gotten into an argument about the controversy of that decision (it was a rather frequent occurrence; Merlin wondered that Arthur didn't just fire all the magic-haters, but Arthur insisted that he couldn't just get rid of all who opposed him), but thankfully they were interrupted again.

Jenny stepped out tentatively, looking around. She gasped and her eyes went wide. All the things that she had meant to say disappeared with the realization that she was here with King Arthur, and Merlin!
"Greetings, fair maiden!" said Arthur, breaking the silence. "What brings you here, and how did you come? Camelot could make great use of such magic." Jenny opened her mouth, but was still too startled to speak. "Are you mute, milady? Can you perhaps write for us, that we may know what you desire to say?"
"Oh, she can speak just fine, she's just a little nervous," the Doctor said, stepping out of the TARDIS. After a few seconds, he realized who he was meeting, and wonder struck him.
"You seem surprised to see us. Have you not heard of Camelot?"
"Oh, give them a break, Arthur," Merlin broke in. Arthur glared at Merlin, but said nothing. "Sorry about him, he's still not used to visitors. I'm Merlin, by the way," he said, shaking the travelers' hands.

"But... you're so young!" Jenny said.
"Jenny, you've seen me; you can't honestly say..."
Jenny laughed. "Good point, Doctor." (she almost called him "Daddy", but thought better of it) Jenny shook Merlin's hand, then Arthur's. "I'm Jenny, and this is the Doctor. Sorry about uh... momentarily being unable to speak earlier. See, we have heard of Camelot... quite a lot, actually... and we were just surprised to actually get here." Jenny gave the Doctor a questioning look.
Picking up on the cue, the Doctor took over. "We are... travelers. We came from a long way. We are looking for someone, but we didn't know exactly who we were looking for, just that our... transportation would take us to them."
"What sort of person are you looking for?" asked Arthur suspiciously, gesturing for Gwaine and Percival to stand next to the "travelers" (just to be safe).
Jenny opened her mouth to speak, but the Doctor beat her to it. "I'm not sure you would know that of which we speak."
"Sorry, he's really condescending," Jenny whispered to Merlin.
"Trust me, I know the type," Merlin replied, looking at Arthur. Jenny giggled, until Arthur glared at the both of them.

"How can I know that of which you speak if you will not speak of it?" Arthur asked.
But before the Doctor could start with some lengthy circumlocution, Jenny spoke. "We're looking for a Time Lord." The room collectively gasped. "So you do know what a Time Lord is."
"Before we go any further," the Doctor interjected, "I should point out that we mean no harm. I am a Time Lord, and my daughter here is half-Time Lord, half-human." Jenny shot the Doctor a curious look.
"What do you want with this Time Lord?" Arthur asked, still suspicious."
"We are merely looking for our kin. Dad thought all his kind were gone, but I found otherwise. See, I got this sort of... locator thing... and it helps me find people with Time Lord DNA." She looked at their blank faces. "It helps me find other people like me and my dad." The confusion disappeared. The people of Camelot said nothing, unsure of what to do.

"Fine, I can do it this way, too," Jenny said, pressing a button on her watch. She walked around the room. She stopped when she reached Merlin. "Interesting reading, but not what we're looking for."
"I'm a warlock. I have magic," he said.
"Ah, that explains it," Jenny replied, smiling brightly.
"You... you don't hate me?" Merlin asked.
"Of course not! Why would I?" Jenny continued walking the room. She stopped again when she reached Arthur.
"Yes, it's me," Arthur acknowledged, standing up. "If you were looking for traveling companions, I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed."
Jenny shook her head. "That may be, but we are still delighted to have met you. Come, Daddy, we've got many more people to meet. He's not the only one giving off a signal, you know. We've got the whole universe!" She skipped towards the TARDIS, but she soon stopped. "Can I?" she asked the Doctor.
"Can you what?" Jenny leaned over and whispered in his ear. The Doctor's eyes widened and a smile crept onto his face. "Now why didn't I think of that?"
"Because you're all full of Time Lord pompousness with no human genius?"
"Careful, Jenny, I do believe they have stocks here, and I'm sure Arthur wouldn't mind if I wanted to put you in them for a little while," the Doctor said jokingly. Jenny just rolled her eyes and walked into the TARDIS.

"Isn't that a little small for the both of you?" Arthur asked.
"Oh, I'm sure they've got some sort of spell on it, Arthur," Merlin said. "It's probably bigger on the inside." The Doctor nodded, smiling.

Jenny returned a few minutes later with the psychic paper and a piece of parchment. She passed the parchment to Merlin. "Use this to communicate with us," she told him.
"What spell does it need?" he asked.
Jenny shook her head. "It's already got a magic on it. Just write on it, and it'll work. Try it now."
Merlin looked doubtful, but he dipped a quill in ink and wrote a message. Hello, Jenny. Nice to meet you. The ink disappeared from the parchment and the message appeared on the psychic paper. "And we can respond, too," Jenny said. "Nice to meet you, too, Merlin," she said, holding the psychic paper. (She said this only for effect; all she had to do was think it.) The message disappeared from the psychic paper and appeared on the parchment. "So if you ever need to get ahold of us - or just want to keep in touch - you know what to do." Merlin and Arthur nodded and smiled, and they waved as the Doctor and Jenny went into the TARDIS and disappeared.
***
"So, what do you think of Merlin?" Jenny asked.
The Doctor shrugged. "He seems like a decent man, I suppose. Why do you ask?" Jenny stared at him, as if the answer was obvious. "Oh! You're... you're in love with him?"
"Don't say that like it's shameful! Yes, I may possibly have a tiny bit of a crush. He's smart, gorgeous, magical (literally)..."
"Yes, I get the idea," the Doctor interrupted. "So who's next?"
"Isn't one love at a time enough?" Jenny asked. "Oh, you mean who's the next Time Lord?" She blushed.
"We're about to find out," Jenny said, turning dials.
"Can you try not to get us killed this time?" the Doctor asked.
"My driving was perfectly satisfactory," Jenny insisted.
"Yes, for a dead body!"
"Shut up!"
"Make me."
Jenny just rolled her eyes and kept working.

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 18

This is the last chapter! If you're starting here, go back to chapter 1.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Destined2Bqueenofcamelot has entered the room
Fortheloveofcamelot has entered the room
Imthegreatestwarlock has entered the room
Lady_of_the_Lake has entered the room
Entertainment_at_Ealdor has entered the room
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: Good news guys!
Imthegreatestwarlock: What is it?
Entertainment_at_Ealdor: Can I say it?
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: No.
Lady_of_the_Lake: Go on then, don't leave them hanging!
Destined2Bqueenofcamelot: We've reached 1 million views!
Fortheloveofcamelot: YES!!!!!!!!!!!
Imthegreatestwarlock: Wait, does that mean...
Imthegreatestwarlock has left the room
Fortheloveofcamelot has left the room

Merlin, Arthur, and the rest of the cast were suddenly teleported into Morgana's office. It was rather small, so they were all squished together. Arthur and Merlin didn't seem to mind, though.
"We did it!" Arthur exclaimed, raising a fist into the air, accidentally punching Gwaine (who glared at Arthur and punched him back). Impulsively, Arthur grabbed Merlin and swooped him up into a kiss.
"So it wasn't an act, then," Gwen said, as if she had known all along (which she probably had).
"Oh, um... Arthur?"
"Yes, Morgana?"
"You should probably talk to Uther. He seems pretty angry. Oh, and bring Merlin."

"He's not a homophobe, is he?" Merlin asked as they walked to Uther's office.
"He used to be, but not anymore. I don't know what this could be about," Arthur said, confused. They held hands as they walked, and when they passed Vivian, she glared at him. "Good thing we finished filming that movie," Arthur said to Merlin.

Finally, they arrived at Uther's office. Arthur knocked on the door, and it swung open instantly.
"Sit down, both of you," Uther said. He looked a lot like the Uther in the TV programme. Arthur wondered if that was what this was about. Uther turned to Merlin. "Now then, your name is Merlin Emrys, correct?" Merlin nodded, trying not to show how terrified he was. "Why the hell are you not working for us?!"
"Well, um..."
"How much are they paying you?" Uther demanded.
"Actually, sir, with all due respect, that was just a special circumstance. I'm not actually an actor."
"You aren't?!" Uther asked incredulously.
"No, sir, I'm a computer programmer."
"Hm... I'm not sure if this is in your line of work, but do you know how to do special effects?"
"Sure."
"And you can do IT stuff?"
"That is kind of my job..."
"How would you like to work for me?"
"Um... I'm not sure..." Merlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"As a technician. If you come work for me, I'll pay you whatever your previous employer did, plus extra for any acting job you'd like to do. You're a fine actor, and we could use more like you. Of course, if you still want to do your regular computer stuff, you can work here part time."
Merlin's eyes widened. "Wow. I'll um... need some time to consider your offer, but I think I'll accept. It would be an honor to work here."
"Good. Now then, Arthur, may I speak with you alone?" Arthur nodded as Merlin walked out the door.

"You work very well with Merlin," Uther said. Arthur nodded. "And you do much better acting gay than acting straight."
"Well, that's because I am gay," Arthur pointed out.
"I know," Uther replied. "I'd like to put you in more gay films and programmes."
"I could also play a bisexual person."
"I'll take that into consideration. Now, about Merlin..."
"Yes?"
"Do you have... feelings for him?" Arthur nodded. "As I thought. I've noticed your chemistry with him on screen. You're good, but not that good." Arthur nodded again, wondering where this was going. "I've been thinking about putting you two in more programmes or films together, that is, if he accepts."
"I'd love that!"
"Arthur and Merlin. Yes, it certainly does have a nice ring to it. And by the way, to what 'special circumstance' do I owe this success? Your programme was exceptional."
Arthur thought for a moment. "Call it channel 5," he said at last.
Uther raised his coffee cup. "To channel 5."
Arthur nodded, raising his mug of tea. "To channel 5."

Channel 5 (Merlin fanfiction): Chapter 17

So, I kind of left you guys hanging with this one, since I posted the most recent chapter on December 19 and I still haven't finished it yet. Well, here's the penultimate chapter, and the last part of the story-within-a-story. If you're just reading this now, I recommend you go back to chapter 1 so you understand what's going on.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Arthur was in his flat, talking on the phone. "Hello, Father... yes, I know I don't call often, sorry... fine, fine, but can you let me get to what I called you about?... thank you. I'll take you up on your offer of lunch... yes, I know it's about time, now let me continue... and I'd like to bring someone with me... no, not a colleague... no, not a friend... yes, a date... right, I'm sure "she" will be glad to meet you... see you then." Arthur put down the phone and sighed in frustration. After a moment's thought, he picked it up again.

"Hi, Merlin!... yes, it's great to talk to you, too... yep, I know, that's what I'm calling about... he said yes... oh, and there's one thing... no, of course you don't like where this is going because he, well, he thinks you're a girl... no, of course I didn't tell him that! He just assumed, and I didn't dare correct him... yeah, so just be prepared for him to be a bit shocked... okay, more than a bit... if it gets too nasty, we can always just leave... yeah, I would, it's about time I stood up to him... okay, great. Love you, bye!"

Some time later, Merlin and Arthur appeared at Uther's doorstep. Merlin rang the doorbell, then ran to hide behind Arthur.
"It's not going to be that bad," Arthur said, rolling his eyes.
"Better safe than sorry," Merlin replied. Just then, Uther opened the door.
"Hello, Arthur, good to see you again. It's been so long since the last time," Uther said with a frosty demeanor thinly veiled by a false smile.
"Yes, the last time, when you all but disowned me for coming out as gay," Arthur muttered under his breath.
"So, where is she? Or did you invent a girlfriend again?" Uther asked in a disapproving tone, the smile disappearing.
"Oh no, my date's just a little shy." Arthur gently nudged Merlin, and when Merlin didn't respond, all but pushed him out into the open.
"Hi," Merlin said with a nervousness Arthur had never seen before. But then again, Uther was a rather formidable person.
"Arthur," Uther said, looking back and forth between the two of them, "unless I am very much mistaken, this is not a girl."
"No, father. I was going to correct you on the phone, but I didn't think you would listen."
"And what makes you think I'll listen now?" Uther asked, glaring. Merlin tried to hide again, but Arthur grabbed Merlin's hand and gave him a pleading look. "I have told you before that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated."
"What, being myself? I'm an adult, Uther, I'm allowed to do what I want. And I will always choose to be myself rather than fit the perfect cookie-cutter mold you've set out for me. Got it?"
"I'm a very reasonable person," Uther said, tension rising in his voice, "but this is one thing I will not accept. If you want to remain in my good graces, get rid of him." Uther pointed at Merlin in disgust.

"I have a name, you know!" Merlin said, finally speaking up. "My name is Merlin, and I am not some sort of "phase" or "toy" Arthur has, I'm a human being. But honestly, I don't care how you treat me. You're just some old-fashioned man who insists on being hostile to those around you. What I care about is how you treat Arthur. This is your own son! You raised him, and now you're telling him he doesn't have the right to make his own choices, that your desires matter more than his. You're talking to him like he's nothing, and nobody deserves that, especially someone who is your job to love and take care of. But guess what? He's an adult now. He doesn't need you. And I don't need you, either. We'll make it just fine on our own. It really doesn't matter what you think of us because we have each other, and that's what matters. But if you ever want your son to love and respect you, and if you ever want me to think of you as a decent human being, you will accept our choices. And in the meantime, we will spend our time with those who accept us as we are." Still holding Arthur's hand, Merlin turned and started walking away, leaving Uther speechless.

"I didn't know you had that in you," Arthur said, surprised.
"I didn't, either, I just got so angry!" Suddenly, Merlin was fighting to hold back tears.
"Sh, it's okay, like you said, he doesn't matter." Merlin nodded, but his eyes were still watering. "Just let it out. You'll feel better."
Merlin shook his head. "We're going to my mum's, right? If she sees me like this, she'll think you made me cry, and trust me, you don't want to see her get angry. Uther was bad enough."
"I thought you said she's nice?"
"Oh, she is," Merlin nodded, "but she can be very menacing when she gets all protective. Especially after... well, I guess I may as well tell you." Arthur nodded encouragingly. "My last boyfriend, Cenred... was very abusive. It was nasty."
"Oh," Arthur replied, not sure what to say.
"Anyway," Merlin said, quickly changing the subject, "I should call Mum so she knows we're coming."

Merlin pulled out his phone. "Hi, Mum!... yes, I am coming over, you know how I love your cooking... yes, yes, and your company, too - I thought that was a given... haha okay. Oh, and I have some exciting news for you... I have a new boyfriend... what? Oh, I nearly forgot about that... yeah, we'll do that first, and then we'll come over... don't be silly, Mum, of course he'll pass... yes, I'll call you back. Love you, bye!"
"Test?" Arthur asked. Now it was his turn to be nervous.
"Oh, um... after Cenred, my mate Will said that anybody I dated would have to pass his test. He just wants to make sure I won't get hurt again. You should be fine."
"Oh, okay," Arthur said, relaxing.

After lots of missed turns and confusing directions ("I knew I should have been the one to drive!" Merlin complained. "Well, we wouldn't have a problem if it weren't for your rubbish direction-giving skills!" Arthur insisted.), they finally arrived at Will's house. Will invited them in, eyeing Arthur warily. He was short (well, shorter than Merlin and Arthur, anyway), but he was still intimidating. Will looked at Arthur a while longer, sizing him up, then began with the questions.

"Name?"
"Arthur Pendragon."
"Pendragon? As in the huge law firm?"
"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Watch your tongue, Pendragon, or I'll fail you right now," Will warned Arthur. Arthur sighed. "If you're a Pendragon, that means you must be very rich."
"Yes."
"What are you doing with Merlin? Is he your boy toy?"
"Absolutely not!" Arthur was incredulous.
"Calm down, I'm just trying to look out for my friend." Merlin gave Arthur a sympathetic glance. "As you are in the public eye, I happen to know your previous dating experience. Arthur is your first boyfriend, correct?"
"Yes," Arthur said, now bored.
"Are you experimenting?" Arthur glared at Will and shook his head. "Very defensive... interesting..."
"You would be, too, if people kept assuming you of the worst possible motives!"
"I suppose. I'll just get straight to the point, then: have you ever hurt Merlin in any way?"
"No."
"Do you ever intend to hurt him?"
"Of course not!"
"Calm down, we're almost done. You really do need to watch your temper if you ever want to have a chance with Merlin. Last question: do you love Merlin?"
"Yes," Arthur said, full of conviction.
"And Merlin, do you love Arthur?" Merlin nodded and smiled. "Then I wish you both luck. And Arthur, if you ever hurt Merlin, you will have to answer to me. Understand?"
"Of course. Come on, Merlin, let's go to your mum's."

Having learned from their last fiasco, Merlin drove Arthur to his mother's house. They arrived in good time, and she opened the door and gave them a big smile.
"Hello, Merlin, good to see you as always. And you've brought your new boyfriend, I see. He passed the test?" Merlin nodded. "Lovely. Now then, why don't you two come in? I'm sure Merlin's told you of my legendary cooking skills."
Arthur laughed. "Yes, but we have yet to see if they hold up to his high praise."
"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself! I'm Merlin's mum, but you can call me Hunith."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hunith. My name is Arthur," he said, firmly shaking her hand. Merlin and Arthur went over to the table and Hunith started towards the kitchen. "So, is that it?" Arthur asked.
"Sorry, what?" Hunith replied, confused and slightly insulted.
"No criticism of my sexuality, no lengthy interrogation?"
"Oh, no," Hunith said, smiling. "If Merlin's happy with you, that's good enough for me. Well, and you passed Will's test. If he hadn't interrogated you, I likely would have, but there's no need to interrogate you twice." Arthur nodded, relaxing.
"See? I told you you'd like her!" Merlin said.
Arthur sighed. "I'm going to have to do a lot of admitting you're right, aren't I?"
"Of course!" Merlin answered smugly.
"Speaking of telling people they were right..."
"Oh my God, Gwaine and Gwen are going to gloat about this for ages!"
Arthur sighed. "Yeah, well anytime they talk too much, I'll just drown it out with thoughts about you."
"Or we could be sickeningly sweet."
"Or both," Arthur said, kissing Merlin.
"Both is good," Merlin agreed.

Fandom School (6th period): How To Create an OC

Hello, everyone! Today is Christmas Eve, but it is also a Wednesday, which means it is time for Fandom School. Today's subject is roleplaying, and the topic is how to create an OC.

First of all, what is an OC? It stands for "original character" and is a character you created yourself, as opposed to a character that already exists in canon. An OC is not the same thing as a self-insert, nor is it the same thing as expanding on a minor character. An OC is totally yours. OCs are used in both roleplay and fanfiction.

What do you need to keep in mind when making an OC? Well, first and foremost, you need to be careful. Avoid making a Mary Sue at all costs. You also need to make sure your OC is appropriate for the setting you are using him/her in. If you're in a Camelot (Merlin) roleplay and you create a modern OC, your OC had better be a time-traveler with a very good reason to be visiting that time period. You'd probably be better off creating someone who fits in. There are a few categories you need to cover when creating an OC: name, appearance, and personality. You may also want to include these categories: strengths and weaknesses, backstory, and relation to other characters.

Keep in mind that not every roleplay accepts OCs, and some people won't read fanfiction with OCs. But don't let that stop you. Go for it! Now that I've given a basic overview of how to create an OC, I'll show you the profiles for my OCs.

Google+'s Fandom Family
This is a roleplay community where we are all one big, happy family. Click the link to see my profile.

You. Are. Divergent.
A roleplay community based on the "Divergent" series. Click the link to see my profile.

Target Practice
In this short fanfic about why the stormtroopers are terrible shots, I created an unnamed male OC. He's the instructor of Stormtrooper 101, and he's really strict.

When Justice Is Treason
This Wholock fanfic in which the Master and Moriarty team up also features three OCs: Melinda Raven, Kaitlin Raven, and Violet Verner. Melinda is a dangerous, black-haired, criminal computer hacker who helps the Master and Moriarty. She carries a purple laser screwdriver and a gun. Unlike her sister, Kaitlin has a conscience. A redhead, she's good with technology, and she helps the Doctor and his friends. Violet, the sisters' brown-haired cousin, is in the morally grey area. She's an expert spy, and she tells the Doctor and his friends that she's the best source of information, but she warns them that "any information you give can and will be held against you or sold to the highest bidder".