The Wizard Of Time
Part One
By Sonic Jules
A/N: I don't own a thing. Nothing 'Wizard Of Oz' nor 'Doctor Who'. Just borrowing a few little things in hopes that they have a sense of humor.
"Rose, Rose, Rose Rose, Rose! You are going to be absolutely tickled when we arrive on Garchenai! I'm telling you, those little people are the cutest things - though you really don't want to tell them that; they get a bit miffed when you call them 'cute, or 'little' for that matter. Anyway, they have pebble lined roads leading to their little pebble stone homes and if you walk through the woods far enough you can see a castle - it's amazing! It's got real emeralds in the stones that were used to build it, and when the sun shines upon it, it's the most fantastic thing for the eye to behold." The Doctor was going on and on, his enthusiasm so contagious that Rose couldn't help but be caught up in it.
"How long before we get there?" she asked, practically hopping on her feet as she watched him bounce gleefully around the center console.
"Oh, just a few minutes, give or take," he answered, then moved around to where she stood, leaning in to whisper. "I think the old girl's got a bit of indigestion at the moment. You didn't throw away those leftovers Jackie sent back with us in the garbage disposal, did you?"
Rose laughed out loud. The Doctor was fast when he wanted to be and she'd just missed giving him a good slap on his arm for that comment because of those speedy reflexes.
"Annnnnyway," the Doctor started again as he resumed flipping levers, "when I was last there they'd just discovered how to make tin. Tin, Rose - can you imagine? They were making cooking utensils and tools - one Garchenain even made a tin man for his straw garden! It was beautiful - kept all the birds away, but his produce ended up getting flattened a bit when the townsfolk began gathering around to have a look at the tin scarecrow. Well, I guess it wasn't a scarecrow - more like a scare-dreaver - they have dreavers, not crows."
"Well, yeah, that's interesting enough, I guess," Rose spoke with an unimpressed tone. "But what about the castle? Can we go see it?" she asked, hoping this trip wasn't just about their farming techniques.
"Oh, I s'pose so, we'll just have to be a bit careful about it when we head over there," he answered as he punched in a button dramatically.
"Careful? I thought you said the people were friendly." Rose was beginning to doubt that this was just a place to go and relax as the Doctor had originally told her.
He looked up at her over the console and grinned. "It's not the people we have to be looking out for. More like the flying monkeys."
"The what? Did you just say 'flying monkeys'?"
"Of course I did - nothing wrong with your hearing, is it?" he asked a bit sarcastically.
"Oh lovely," she replied with the exact sarcastic tone he'd given her. "So then, tell me 'bout the castle? Does it have a King and a Queen and knights and a big huge courtyard full of gardens and things?"
The Doctor smiled. "Not quite," he said with a little leer.
"Oh, and the drama continues," Rose grinned. "Tell me, what's so ominous about the castle dwellers then?"
"Dweller. Just one. A man that none of the population can say they've actually met in person," he spoke with a conspiratory tone, looking around with eyes wide, pretending there might be someone sinister trying to hear.
"Time to cue in the eerie music," Rose laughed, and the Doctor joined in.
"Yes. He's said to be a Wizard."
"Oooh," Rose began, "the plot thickens. A Wizard. Like in times of Camelot or something?"
"No, more like a hermit. Ah - Herman's Hermits - remember them well. Now those were the days of your world, Rose Tyler." He looked at Rose and he could tell, oh yes he could, that she wasn't really into this part of his conversation. Maybe it was that nice little glare she gave him when he'd gone completely off subject. The Doctor cleared his throat. "As I was about to say, there's tons of yellow flowers planted close to the castle, put there for a purpose, mind you, because it's said that if you inhale from their flora they'll put you to sleep," the Doctor smiled. "He wants to be alone."
"Very interesting," Rose smiled back.
"He's said to be intelligent to the point of brilliant - and rather handsome, too," the Doctor added.
"That all?"
"Oh, well, don't forget the witches. Can't forget that," he added, slanting his eyes to the side to see her reaction as he twisted another knob on the console.
"Witches? They've got little witches running around there?"
"No." The Doctor stood straight and gave her a serious look. "They don't run. They fly."
"Okay, now I really know you're kidding. You must be," Rose said, looking at him as he held her gaze. "You're serious, aren't you!"
The Doctor grinned. "There's only one way to find out."
Rose burst out into laughter. "Fantastic!" she exclaimed.
The Doctor smiled broadly. "Ready for an adventure?" he asked, his hand poised over a lever - the last one to push down before they landed.
"Definitely," Rose answered immediately.
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It was the biggest explosion he could ever remember inside the TARDIS. The Doctor had flipped down a lever and the ship had jerked to the left, throwing him down to the grating and Rose off the main platform. He rolled to the side just in time to watch the center console flare with fire and then the TARDIS jerked again, sending him rolling down into Rose.
"You all right?" The Doctor asked breathlessly.
"Yeah," Rose answered him quickly.
The interior lighting had failed - only the greenish hue of the vortex giving the Doctor a way to see around, but the main room lit up brightly once more as the center console threw sparks. It looked like a fireworks display going off right in the middle of the ship. The Doctor was ever-so grateful that he wasn't standing beside it when it blew. The TARDIS crackled and moaned and spit fire all around the main room, and soon smoke was swirling overhead. Then just as suddenly as it had started, everything went quiet. The Doctor stood up and ran to the center console, snatching off his coat to smother the flames, but as he readied to use it, the fire went out.
"Good girl," the Doctor whispered to his ship, dropping his jacket on the floor beside him. As if responding to him, the TARDIS lights came back on, illuminating the destruction.
"Gonna take at least a few days to fix this mess," the Doctor said as he walked around the charred circle, looking up and down as he observed the damage. "I wonder what could've caused it," he said to himself, poking his index finger into a jumble of wiring that should've been inside the console, but was now sitting on top of it. He snatched his finger back quickly and hissed; the wire obviously still too hot to touch.. "Hmm. Well whatever it was, seems to be over with now. I don't hear anything going on outside," he said as he walked around the console for the forth time. "You hear anything, Rose?"
The Doctor turned towards where he'd last seen her. She was still on the floor. "Rose? Rose!" he yelled and took off running, stopping as he fell to his knees beside her.
Rose lay on her side, facing the Doctor with eyes closed. She hadn't moved since he'd rolled into her a few minutes before. Gently placing his fingertips to her neck, his eyes closed in relief when he found her pulse. It was slow, but steady, and the Doctor found himself releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He brushed the hair from her face and looked at her closely. "Rose? Can you hear me?" he asked gently; worry clear on his features. He felt along her scalp with his fingertips, feeling a rather large lump forming behind her right ear. He sighed deeply, then reached behind her, his hands feeling along her spine, making sure there were no injuries there. Feeling confident, the Doctor carefully rolled her over on her back without jarring her body.
"Rose?" he asked, still getting no response as his fingers felt up and down her limbs, checking for broken bones. When he reached her right wrist, she moaned a little, so he carefully touched over the bones between wrist and fingertips, finding that she'd probably sprained it when she landed. Luckily nothing was broken.
Pulling out his sonic screwdriver, he held it above her and moved it slowly along her torso, finding no internal bleeding. Holding it over her head, he moved it around a few times, his brow furrowing. Putting the instrument away, he gently placed his arms beneath her body and lifted her into his hold. He moved swiftly down the TARDIS corridors, only slowing when he'd reached the med bay door.
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Rose opened her eyes and looked around, seeing the Doctor looking down at her. And from the way things were swishing in and out of her vision, she was pretty sure something had happened to her. "What's goin' on?" she asked, finally seeing that she was in the med bay.
"You don't remember," the Doctor stated, helping her to sit up.
"No, that's why I'm asking," she said, putting a hand to her head - the pain beginning to awaken.
"Well, we had a hard landing when we got to Garchenai - I told you the TARDIS wasn't feeling well. We got shook up a bit, and you went flying off the main platform and managed to bump your head in the process. Got yourself a concussion, too. But," he looked her over closely, "I think you'll live," he finished, grinning.
"Oh, that's good to know," Rose replied, grinning back at him. "So, we made it there - on Garchenai then?"
"We did indeed. But I'm going to be busy repairing the mess that came of it. How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," she answered as he helped her to stand. "Can I do anything to help?"
"No. What you can do is go get some rest. If you start feeling nauseous or dizzy let me know. And if you're feeling all right in the next, oh say, six hours, you can go out and see the township for yourself."
"What - you're letting me go out there on my own? Did you hit your head, too?"
"Don't be silly," he smiled at Rose. "You're perfectly capable of handling yourself, and don't you forget, I've been here before, so I'm pretty sure it's safe. Plus, while you were unconscious, I went out there and let them know that we'd be here a while for repairs. They can't wait to meet you, by the way."
She smiled at him. "Okay," she said, her enthusiasm clear.
"All right. Now off you go, Rose Tyler. Time for you to rest. I've got tons of work to get started on."
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Rose did like she was told, per 'Doctor's orders', and was up bright and early to face the dawn of Garchenai six and a half hours later. It was beautiful, the town looking like something out of Hansel and Gretel. Without the gingerbread house, she noticed. The people were friendly and polite with her, and she was able to move about with only minimal stares - seeing as she was tall and a bit odd looking in their eyes.
When she stumbled upon the garden with the "Tin Man" sitting in the middle, she couldn't help but smile. It was much taller than the average height of the residents here, and looked somewhat familiar to her. She stepped in closer, admiring the handiwork.
"Hello!" It said, startling Rose so much that she stumbled backwards, almost falling before regaining her balance.
Rose looked around a bit before returning her gaze to the tin sculpture. "Um, hello," she answered.
"You from out of town?" it asked.
"Uh, yeah, kind of," Rose answered.
"That's grand! Simply grand," it told her.
"Yeah? Why's that?"
"Because no one will notice if you go missing!" The tin man leapt forward, but luckily Rose was more agile than it was and she jumped back, turning herself and running before the evil incarnate of tin could grab her. She could hear it chasing her though - it's welded joints creaking and groaning. And it was getting closer. Rose ran into a crop of woods, not caring where she was heading as long as it was away from that thing chasing her. She screamed though, when she felt it's metal hand clasp her shoulder.
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The Doctor jumped, literally, when a scream tore from Rose's lips out of no where. It had been so quiet in the med bay that her yell startled him. Her breathing was increased and her pulse was throbbing quickly from the wrist he now held.
"Rose? Can you hear me? What's wrong?" he asked, but got no response. She simply lay where she had been on the gurney, her eyes remaining closed. "Rose?"
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Rose was standing completely still, the hand on her shoulder stopping her from moving forward. If it wasn't for the moan of pain she'd heard that wasn't hers, she would've been terrified.
Ducking herself down, she was able to release her shoulder from it's tinny fingers. She moved out of the tin one's reach and turned around, wondering why it was frozen in place and in agony.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked, seeing the pain etched on the shiny face.
"Need lubrication," it began, trying to move itself to stand up straight, the sound of protesting joints like that of fingernails on a chalkboard. It couldn't budge more than a couple of inches. "The rains - they've rusted me up. Help me," it asked, looking at her sorrowfully.
"No way. Not after what you just tried there. No way I'm going to lubricate you, anywhere."
Rose looked at the tin man one last time then turned away, walking down the path that she'd run upon. 'The nerve', she thought, it chasing her like that and then asking for help. "You've got balls, I'll give you that," she said under her breath.
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The Doctor had just placed his sonic screwdriver back in his pocket, having checked over Rose thoroughly in case something else was wrong other than her concussion. He was relieved when he found nothing, but worried for the same reason. After all, she had just screamed well enough to wake the bloody dead. He pulled a stool up and sat beside her, noticing her hands clenched into fists - her body tense.
"No way I'm going to lubricate you, anywhere," she spoke, though her eyes didn't open.
"Rose?" he asked, looking her over carefully. "Are you talking to me?" He was truly perplexed at her statement. He looked at her face, and stared at her closed eyes. "I don't really think that lubrication would be an issue," he stated under his breath, hoping for any kind of response. Instead her breathing evened out and her body relaxed. And the Doctor continued to watch over her.
"You've got balls, I'll give you that," she said evenly, much to the Doctor's surprise. He watched as her facial features relaxed. His eyes, however, where still a bit wide from her statement.
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Rose found herself a bit lost, thanks to the horrid tin scarecrow thing that had chased her. It would just be swell, she thought sarcastically, if she were to get lost and the Doctor would end up having to stop what he was doing to come find her.
Topping off her wariness of the Doctor saying 'I told you not to wander off', again, Rose was feeling a bit guilty for leaving that thing when it had asked for her help. She shook her head, trying to clear that thought. When she did, something fell from her hair. And something was snickering at her.
Looking down she saw the twig that had been nesting in her hair, but looking up, she saw the source of the giggling. It was a monkey. A very sweet looking little creature, that she instantly smiled at as he sat watching her from a high branch in one of the many trees she'd gotten herself lost in.
"Come here little fella - I won't hurt you," she spoke softly. The monkey tilted his head sideways at her, his face curious. "Come on, you can keep me company," she said, holding out her hand to him. He stood then, ready to join her.
How could she have forgotten what the Doctor told her? The little beast of mischief jumped from the branch he was on and flew - wings spread like a bat - right at her. She ducked down quickly, then looked up as many, many of his kind came flying out of the tree. They weren't attacking her, but they'd scared her plenty, that was for sure. The one she'd been talking to had gotten the closest - she'd felt the breeze of his wings against her back as she crouched down to protect herself. When they'd finally cleared the tree, she was amazed at the silence that came in their wake. That, she realized, was because they were all carrying on and screaming when they'd left - deafeningly loud, in her opinion.
Standing straight again, she felt something heavier than her shirt on her right shoulder. Slowly turning her head to the side, her face squinted at the sight. Monkey poop. She immediately grabbed some leaves from the forest floor and commenced getting the offensive bile off her person.
"Stupid little bastard," she said to herself, wiping away the crap.
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The Doctor stood over Rose, noticing her heavy breathing and rising heart rate.
"Rose? It's time for you to wake up, now," he said gently, hoping to coax her from her concussion-induced sleep.
"Stupid little bastard," she said right on cue.
The Doctor stood back, an offended look on his face. "You're very lucky you are unconscious, young lady," he said, folding his arms across his chest..
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To be continued...
(On to the next chapter!)