“You know me?” asked the 11th Doctor.

“At this point, is there anyone who doesn’t really know you?” asked Edward.

“Am I this renowned? I did not know this,” he replied while fixing his bow tie with a slightly smug look on his face.

“Pay attention; we are in the enemy’s territory,” said the woman. “ I told you this might be a trap, but you didn’t listen.”

“If we didn’t come, how would we know whether it was a trap or someone needing help.”

“He has a point,” interjected Edward.

“You’re the one who lured us here and captured us. Your opinion is not valid.”

“You must be the legendary Clara Oswald.”

“You know me? And what do you mean by legendary.”

“You are more famous or important than you realize,” said Edward as he approached them. The Doctor stood before Clara, but Edward did not care as he examined him like a rare specimen.

“What an interesting species.”

“Are you one of those madmen who collects rare species?” asked the Doctor, and Edward paused:

“Technically, I am, but that’s why I’m here.”

“Then, why are you here?”

“You will know in a second,” replied Edward, who handed him an object. “Now, please put your finger in here. I need a sample of your blood.”

The Doctor looked at him without moving.

“Look, although you are captured, there are no restraints or use of armed forces. Since we can have a civilized conversation, why not do it?”

After a brief hesitation, the doctor put his finger in the device and felt a prick in his finger. Edward smiled as he looked at the data on the screen before him:

“What an interesting species. Time Energy is intrinsically linked to your very DNA, to your very soul.”

“Now, can you tell me why you lure me here?”

Edward did not immediately answer but walked to the TARDIS. A device began to scan the blue box, and he looked at it with fascination.

“Are you here for my Tardis?”

“Yes and no,” finally replied Edward. “To be precise, my main objective is Clara–the Impossible Girl.”

“Me? Why do you need me? I’m just an ordinary person, just ordinary Clara.”

“Oh, you are far from ordinary,” replied Edward. “Sometimes later in your journey, Events will unfold where Time Winds will scatter you into millions echoes or splinters across the Doctor’s timeline.”

“Scattered? Does that mean I’m dead?”

“So, that’s it.” muttered the Doctor. “That’s why I keep meeting different versions of her at different periods of time.” He remembered Clara Oswin Oswald, the barmaid and governess he met in 19th century London.

He was saddened by her death but soon found another Clara in the 21st Century. However, she had no memories of the past and seemed to be a completely different person. Now, he finally understood why.

“So, why do you need Clara’s help?”

“To find Gallifrey.”

“Impossible. Gallifrey was destroyed, I made sure of that.” He did not hide the pain in his voice, so Clara held him.

“Since I know about your future, do you think I will speak without reason?”

“So, you’re saying…?”

“You change the past. All twelve of your regenerations worked together to exile Gallifrey into a pocket dimension that is frozen in time. It was apparently the best way to end the Time War and prevent its effect on the world.”

The Doctor looked at him before laughing in madness: “2.47 billion of them–I did not kill them.”

“Are you alright?” asked Clara, but the doctor did not stop his maniacal laughter until a few minutes later. Finally, he rearranged his suit and bow tie.

“Thank you for telling me.”

“It’s fine, you would have found out eventually.”

“Yes, but who knows when? Who knows how long I would have had to carry this burden.”

“True,” nodded Edward.

“So, why do you need to find Gallifrey?”

“For their Time Technology,” he admitted frankly while observing the Tardis.

“That’s a dangerous thing to want.”

Edward did not look at him while answering, “My family, friends, and trillions of people are counting on to get that technology, and I will do everything possible to succeed.”

The Doctor’s two heart skipped a beat. He noticed that person’s conviction as it was similar to his back then when he decided to end the Time War by all means necessary. He also knew such a conviction was indeed a terrifying thing.

“Are you a Mage?” suddenly asked the Doctor, and Edward’s body visibly paused, “I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide it from you, but I did not expect you to figure it out so soon.”

“Mage? Are you talking about magic?” asked Clara.

“Yes.”

“So, magic is real?”

“It used to be,” replied the Doctor.

“What does that mean?”

“Magic was initially a strong force in the universe in ancient times. However, the Time Lord rose to shape the universe, replacing its principles to that of science to underpin reality.”

“You guys can do that?”

“Yes,” nodded the Doctor. “Are you and your people survivors of ancient magical civilization?”

“You don’t need to know about my background,” replied Edward. “All I ask for is that you cooperate and don’t get in my way. Once I’m done, I’ll leave, and we’ll never see each other again.”

“Fine, I won’t pry any further, but I still have some concerns. What’s going to happen to Clara?”

“She’ll be fine; she’s only acting as a medium or conduit to lead me to my destination. Once her role is done, there won’t be any issue.”

“I will take your word for it,” commented the Doctor. “What about Gallifrey? What’s going to happen to it?”

“I only need their database. Once I’m done, you can decide whether to leave them in the same state or allow them to return to the universe.”

The Doctor did know how to respond to these words. He knew the corruptions of the Time Lords as a result of their absolute power. It might not be the best idea for such a civilization to return to the universe.

“Okay, so what should we do?”

“We start with the Tardis, and here’s your thing back.” Edward handed him back the Sonic Screwdriver–an act that surprised him. After a moment, he entered the Tardis, and Edward followed.

He knew he was taking a significant risk by entering the Tardis as he knew some of the scary things the Doctor had in there. However, he considered the latter’s peace-loving nature before taking such calculated risks. Of course, he also had preventive measures–after all, they were still in Netheril, his home ground.

‘Morgana, how is it?’

‘I’ve installed a spying software in the screwdriver.’

‘Will he find it?’

“Yes, but the crux of the issue is how long before he does. According to my calculations, it should take some time, but I don’t know if it’s enough before our plan succeeds.’

Edward secretly nodded. He knew the importance of the thing to the doctor, so he had to monitor it at all times. Of course, he also understood that his unparalleled intelligence was the latter’s greatest reliance.

‘That’s fine,’ he nodded.

‘It’s a shame we could not directly go to the pocket dimension where Gallifrey is,’ complained Morgana. The rule of this universe restricted them too much. Hence, their technology was no longer the best and outshined everybody. As such, they cannot be direct and forceful in many things and must plan carefully.

‘Why are you complaining? Didn’t we already expect this?’