Theta ran through the long red glass, his finger tips trailing the tip of the grass as he ran. He grinned and laughed joyfully before he felt someone tackle him from behind, causing them both to fall down and fall at the bottom of a nearby tree. "Koschei!" Theta groaned, rubbing his neck as he landed badly there and his friend merely smirked down at him. "Did you have to tackle me that way?"
"Why not? You were running that quickly, I could barely grab hold of you." Koschei retorted, sitting down next to him. "Wormhole."
"Thief." Theta countered and Koschei swatted him on the head but Theta merely laughed. He had started calling Koschei a thief ever since he started stealing books from Professor Borusa about the Death Zone and it had stuck with Koschei ever since.
The two boys sat in silence for a few minutes, just gazing out over the fields of Gallifrey in Koschei's fathers pastures. They were at Koschei's House for the day as his father was holding a party and Theta's family were invited as he had been promoted by the High Council themselves. "How's your brother?" Koschei asked randomly, not taking the silence any longer as he faintly heard the drumming inside his head again and he quickly scratched his head, trying to ignore the drumming sound.
"Irving's fine. He's going to be choosing his Name soon." Theta grumbled. "He's going to be a proper Time-Lord and said he was going to leave Gallifrey for a bit to explore." Theta scoffed at the idea. "Not fair. I was the one that had the idea of exploring the universe!"
"We're only children Theta," Koschei reminded him. "We haven't even left the Academy yet! Let alone, we can't even fly a TARDIS! Father says taking a TARDIS exam is a really long process."
"I mean when we're older, stupid." Theta stuck his tongue out at him and Koschei rolled his eyes. "As soon as I finished at the Academy, I'm leaving this miserable place."
"Are you going to leave me?" Koschei asked quietly, so quietly that Theta almost didn't hear him.
"Of course not! I would never leave you behind Koschei. Never. You're my best friend." Theta stood up, looking at Koschei firmly in the eye. "No matter how many centuries we will live for, you will always be my best friend."
Koschei smiled faintly, doubting that would be true. Not with the way the drumming was going on. The drumming. It was getting worse. He had complained about it to his father but his father reprehended him instead, saying to stop making up such nonsense. "Really?" He asked softly.
Theta nodded, making a cross over both of his hearts. It was something that his mother would use to do when she was alive. A human tradition back on her planet, Earth. When she made a promise to him or Irving, she would always make a cross over her heart as though swearing on it. "Really. Cross my hearts."
"You're my best friend too Theta." Koschei admitted. "You and Ushas."
Theta looked at him, a mock expression of shock on his face. "You, you admitting Ushas your best friend? Even after all the competition you two have together about which one is better at science?"
Koschei scowled. "Yes. But don't tell her I said that, she'll never live me down. Not even until my 12th regeneration!"
The other boy cackled and wiped a tear of laughter away from his eye. "Oh I won't."
"Theta, be serious!"
Theta sobered up slightly but there was still a wicked gleam in his eye. "Okay, I really do promise this time."
"Thank you," Koschei shook his head. "Theta, if you do get a TARDIS, where would you go first?"
"I would go planet Earth." Theta replied without any hesitation. "I want to see the planet that my mother came from."
Before Koschei could reply, they heard Theta's father shouting their names at them and both boys turned in the direction of Theta's father strolling up to them through the red grass, treading carefully as to make sure the mud did not damage his robes. "There you are!" He scolded the boys once having reached them. "I have been looking around all over for you two!" He stopped in his tracks, suddenly seeing how dirty they were and he swatted them over the heads. "I leave you alone for five microspans Theta and you have gotten yourself all dirty! Just behave for once why don't you?"
Theta merely scowled but did not look at all sorry at having been caught by his father. Koschei knew it was his cue to make a conversation to save Theta from getting into any more trouble. "Afternoon Ulysses," He commented pleasantly, trying to ease the conversation.
"And you Koschei," Ulysses gave him a pointed glare and Koschei tried not to shrink back underneath his gaze. "What have you have to say for yourself mmm? Come now. I have come to gather you two as your father Koschei, is presenting a speech very soon!" Both boys groaned with despair, knowing how much Koschei's father loved to make speeches that made them all want to fall asleep and Ulysses smirked. "I know how much you both enjoy his speeches."
"Father," Theta groaned. "Do we have too? Even Irving not here!" His brother was so lucky not to have to listen to Rassilon knows how long Koschei's father speech is.
"Of course we do. We're very good friends with Koschei's family and we need to support each other do we not? And besides, your brother is busy studying for his final exams and picking his Name. He does not need any distractions to disturb him and one day, it will be you who is going to be choosing a Name." He ruffled his son's hair, looking into his eyes and thought back to how much he resembled his mother and he sighed. "Come now, let's get you boys cleaned up before the House-Keeper sees you."
The three of them treaded back towards Koschei's House, this time on the path that Ulysses had found and before Theta was the last one to go in, he glanced back at the tree that he and Koschei had been sitting under, his mind drifting back over to the conversation he and his best friend had had just before. Yes, he mused looking up at the twin suns of Gallifrey. Yes, one day he will visit Earth and one day, one day he will prove to everyone on Gallifrey that he was not a troublemaker and that he was so much more.
"Theta, are you coming?!" Koschei yelled from upstairs.
"I'm coming!" Theta yelled back before glancing back at the twin suns briefly and he smiled to himself before he closed the door firmly too.