CLARA WHO?
I do not own Doctor Who or Rubik's Cube, and I am making no profit off of this.
This is a new ongoing story not set in either of my other Doctor Who universes. This is where I attempt to give a different answer to the Doctor's question when he asks who Clara is. It's set in-between The Day of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor.
CHAPTER 1
IMPOSSIBLE DOESN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COVER IT
It had started out as just another ordinary day for Clara Oswald which meant that it wasn't ordinary at all. The Doctor had come on Wednesday to pick her up just as he always did, and they had an amazing adventure together where they helped to save an entire world from an alien parasite that the Doctor had described as 'an oversized Rubik's Cube with delusions of grandeur.'
After that, the Doctor took Clara to a world where the beaches were made out of sentient sand with a shared consciousness, and when she tried to make something out of it the sand screamed at her inside of her brain in protest. It definitely had made her never look at a sand castle the same way ever again.
To round out the day, the Doctor and Clara visited of all places a bow tie shop. It was a huge shop that was filled with nothing but bow ties. There were bow ties of all shapes, sizes, and colors there, and the displays of them went on for what seemed like miles. Clara took one look at the inside of the place and walked right back out again.
"What is it? I thought you said that you wanted to go shopping," the Doctor asked in confusion.
"Yes, I did. I wanted to go shopping for clothes. Beautiful clothes that I would look good in not bow ties!" Clara protested.
"I think you would look great in a bow tie. Bow ties are beautiful," the Doctor said.
"To you, they are. To me, they're boring. I don't like them. In fact, I hate them," Clara said.
She saw a devastated look on his face, and she instantly felt sorry for her words as she said, "Doctor, I didn't mean it."
"Yes, you did. There's no taking it back now," the Doctor said pouting.
"I shouldn't have been so hateful, and I apologize for that. I just don't like bow ties, and I don't want to spend the rest of my day looking at them. I want to go to a place where they sell women's clothes. Clothes that I would actually like to be seen in," Clara said.
The Doctor's face brightened as he said, "Alright, I get the message. I'll take you to Paris. They have lots of places with fancy clothes there."
Clara's face brightened as she said, "Oh, thank you, Doctor!"
She embraced him and kissed his cheek in appreciation causing the Doctor to blush. Clara didn't seem to notice though or chose not to anyway.
Clara's trip to Paris was not meant to be though. As soon as the two of them started back towards the TARDIS, they were instantly surrounded by several Cybermen who suddenly transmatted in from seemingly out of nowhere.
"Doctor!" Clara cried out in alarm as several of them grabbed her in a grip of steel.
"Let her go! Take me instead!" the Doctor shouted.
"We will take both of you. We have taken the female first in order to insure your compliance. As long as we have her, you won't try to escape. Now, Doctor, you will come with us, and we will convert you into our new Cyber Controller. With all of the vast knowledge in your mind, our legions will easily sweep across the universe to victory," the Cyber Leader said.
"No!" Clara shouted as she saw the Cybermen grab the Doctor now too.
"Begin cyber conversion. Start with the female first," the Cyber Leader said.
"No! Clara!" the Doctor screamed as one of the Cybermen injected Clara in the neck with the Cybermites that would soon convert her into one of them.
"Don't do this. Let her go and I won't fight you. It's still not too late," the Doctor said.
He watched in horror as Clara started to change right before his eyes. She screamed in pain and fear as she called out his name over and over again.
"If you turn her into one of you, I won't rest until I hunt down and destroy each and every last one of you! Do you hear me?! Reverse the transformation now or I'll destroy you all for taking her from me!" the Doctor shouted in the cold, remorseless voice of the Oncoming Storm.
"Your threats are meaningless as you'll soon be joining her," the Cyber Leader said.
The Doctor struggled futilely to get free and then said, "I'm so sorry, Clara."
Then he watched in disbelief as Clara started to look normal once again as the transformation started to reverse all by itself.
"The Cybermites have been destroyed, and the process has been completely reversed. This is unprecedented. How did the female accomplish this? Report," the Cyber Leader ordered.
"Oh, there's no use asking them. They have no more idea than you have, Silly Metal Man. You tried to destroy me, but I destroyed you instead. Or is that I will destroy you? I always get my tenses confused," Clara said with a mad grin all over her face as she suddenly began to glow with golden energy.
"Clara?" the Doctor asked in a terrified voice.
"Yes and no," Clara said still smiling as all of the Cybermen around them began falling over and screaming in pain.
"How are you doing this? What are you doing?" the Doctor asked in disbelief.
"She is her own person, but yet she's also a part of me," Clara said.
"What? That doesn't answer either of my questions," the Doctor said in frustration.
"It answers the one that you haven't asked yet," Clara said.
The Doctor watched as the Cybermen disintegrated all around him and turned to dust. Somehow Clara had destroyed them.
"Clara, please tell me what's going on. How did you do that?" the Doctor asked.
"I used the same power that your precious pink and yellow human once used to rescue you with. The power of the Vortex that lies at my heart," Clara said.
The Doctor's eyes widened in horror as he finally started to understand what was going on at last.
"Idris?" the Doctor asked.
"Yes, thief," Idris said with Clara's voice.
"Are you trying to say that you are Clara? That you've been her all along?" the Doctor asked fearful of her answer.
"I already answered your question earlier. Keep up," Idris said through Clara.
"Sometimes I'm thick, Idris. I'm very, very thick or so I've been told. So just bear with me. Just tell me again so I know. Was there ever a real Clara or was she you?" the Doctor asked.
Idris sighed and rolled her eyes as she said, "Like I said before, she is her own person but also a part of me. She's an ordinary human girl that I caused to be created by using a simple thing like a leaf in order to bring her parents together. Then as she was being conceived, I placed a part of my essence inside of her. She has a copy of my mind and knowledge within her own brain, but I only put them there for her own protection or yours. This is the first time that I've ever had to take control in her entire life. Clara Oswald is a real person, Thief. I'm just here to make sure that she survives. Now that I've done that job, I'll leave now. I don't want to take her over if that's what you're worried about. I never did."
"Wait. I have some questions that I need answered first. You created her? Why?" the Doctor asked.
"No, I didn't create her. I caused her parents to meet, and the rest was up to them. She is just as real a person as you are though and has no idea that I even exist inside of her. As for why I caused her to exist, I wanted to create a perfect companion for you that would never leave you. Someone who could travel with you forever. After the orange haired girl left and you went into such a funk, I knew that you needed someone to bring you back out of it so I helped make her. I didn't want you to ever feel so depressed again so I made sure that she would never leave you and never die because she shares a part of my life force inside of her. She will never age again from this day forward and will stay with you for the rest of your lives. I created a companion with a part of me within her so that you would never be alone and so that I could always be with you in some way. She is me and yet isn't me. We're a mixture of two people in the same body, but I've let her be in control because it wouldn't be fair of me to take her life from her. That's why I'm now giving it back to her. By the way, she'll remember what she is now, Thief, so be gentle with her. She won't like it," Idris said before departing.
"No! She's a liar. It's some kind of trick. The Old Cow always did hate me, and now she's playing head games with me to try to ruin my life!" Clara screamed as she suddenly regained control of her mind once again.
"Clara?" the Doctor asked now uncertain of anything.
"Don't tell me that you actually believe her! I'm Clara. I always was and I always will be if I can help it. She wants to take me over because she's jealous of me and wants her own body just like the one that she had before, but I won't let her," Clara said in a furious voice.
"How did you know that?" the Doctor asked surprised.
"Know what?" Clara asked.
"How did you know that the TARDIS once had a human body for a while?" the Doctor asked.
"I don't know. I just did. You must have told me," Clara said looking uncertain.
"I think that it's true, Clara. It would explain so much. It would explain why the TARDIS always hated you. She resents you because you're the part of her who gets to be with me when she can't. It also explains how you could survive being broken apart in my timestream with no mental or physical damage. It seems that you're even more impossible than I thought. A TARDIS in human form. You can't have all of the TARDIS' knowledge or memories though or it would burn out your mind. A human brain couldn't possibly contain it all so you just have access to what you need when you need it apparently. You must have some kind of psychic connection to the TARDIS, but one that's so well hidden that not even I could pick up on it. No wonder you always know what I'm thinking. You're linked to me too, and you don't even know it," the Doctor said.
Clara shook her head vehemently and began to cry as she said, "I'm not the TARDIS. I'm Clara Oswald and I'm human. I'm human."
"Yes, you are human, Clara. You're wonderfully human. That was the point I think. The TARDIS wanted to make herself as human as possible for me because she knows how much I love humans," the Doctor said as he held her in an attempt to comfort her.
"Stop saying that! I'm not the TARDIS!" Clara screamed and pushed him away.
That was when the Cybermen reappeared and quickly surrounded them.
"Seize the girl. We must study her and find out exactly who or what she is. We need to know how she overcame the Cybermites," the newest Cyber Leader said.
"Clara, we need to get out of here," the Doctor said.
"We can't. They're between us and the TARDIS," Clara said.
"Clara, call the TARDIS to us. You must have some control over it," the Doctor said as he eyed the rapidly encroaching Cybermen warily.
"I'm not the TARDIS," Clara said.
"Do you want us to die just because you're stubborn?" the Doctor said.
"I'm not stubborn. I'm just stating the truth. I'm not the TARDIS. Right now, I almost wish that I were though. I could cause the TARDIS to materialize around us and get us out of here," Clara said.
"That sounds like a good idea to me. Do it, Clara. Do it. Hurry!" the Doctor said as the Cybermen were nearly within arm's length of them now.
"I . . ." Clara started to say in protest and then her fear took over.
She instinctively reached out to the TARDIS, and it suddenly came to life. It dematerialized and then quickly materialized again around them. As soon as they were inside of it, it dematerialized once more and took them to safety.
Clara stood there with an open mouth and fear in her eyes as she said, "No. Please no."
"It's alright, Clara. You're still the same person that you were before. Nothing's really changed at all except that now you can control the TARDIS apparently, and you know what she does. It doesn't mean that you're not Clara though because you are. Nothing can ever change that," the Doctor said soothingly.
"No. This changes everything. I'm not a person anymore. I'm just an extension of this thing. I'm just another piece of equipment to you now not your friend," Clara said as her tears began to flow.
"That's not true. You're still my Clara, and you're still very much a person. I don't think of you as a thing at all. Just calm down. Calm down, O-" the Doctor said before stopping himself before he could make a very bad slip.
"If you call me Old Girl, I'll punch your lights out!" Clara threatened.
"I'm sorry. It was just a slight mental slip," the Doctor said.
"See? You're already thinking of me as the TARDIS instead of as Clara," Clara said upset.
"I'm sorry. I really am. I know that you're Clara. It was just force of habit," the Doctor said.
Clara could see that he was just as upset and confused about the whole thing as she was and began to laugh. They really were a pitiful pair, weren't they?
"I'm afraid that I'm going to have to set some ground rules before we go any further, Doctor," Clara said.
"Okay. What are they?" the Doctor asked uncertain as to where she was headed with this.
"Rule Number One, and this is a very important one, is that you are not to call me Old Girl, Sexy, or Idris. My name is Clara, and that's what it's going to stay," Clara said with a smile on her face.
The Doctor started to smile as well and was amazed at how well that Clara was recovering from this.
"Aw. You used to like it though when I called you those things," the Doctor joked.
"That was Idris not me," Clara said playing along.
"Technically, you are Idris though," the Doctor said still smiling.
"Doctor, shut up or I'm going to burn your bow ties," Clara said giggling.
"You wouldn't dare. Besides you don't know where they're hid," the Doctor said making a face and sticking his tongue out at her.
"In a secret compartment underneath your bed," Clara said.
Then she looked upset again as this knowledge brought home to her the point that she was never who she thought she was once more. The Doctor put his arms around her in comfort, and they were silent for a moment.
"I'll be alright. I'm still me. I can see that now. I'm still myself but just more than who I was before. I don't know everything about the TARDIS though even when I try to ask for it. It seems that I'm still limited in some ways even now," Clara said.
"Well that's because the TARDIS' main consciousness only tells you what you need to know when you need to know it so that it doesn't overload your mind. It doesn't want you to turn into Donna and have your brain on fire," the Doctor said.
"It's so sad that I actually know what you're talking about now. I know who Donna is and exactly what happened to her now. That poor girl. I can see all of your companions now and how so many of them left you against their will for one reason or another. I can feel how much that's hurt you over the years. No wonder you were so upset when I met you back in the Victorian Era. The Ponds were just the latest to leave and tear your hearts out," Clara said.
"You remember meeting me back then now? Do you remember Oswin now too?" the Doctor asked.
"Yes, I do. It's weird. They were me and yet not me. That's kind of the way I feel about being the TARDIS now too. I am her and yet not her. As far as I'm concerned, I'm Clara first and the TARDIS second," Clara said.
"I feel the exact same way, Clara. I promise," the Doctor said.
Clara smiled at him as she said, "Well, where do you want to go, Chin Boy?"
"Do you mean that you have control over the coordinates too now?" the Doctor asked.
"Yeah, I do and it's a good thing. Now we'll finally know where we're going for a change. Or at least I will. I think I'll keep it a secret from you. It'll be your just desserts for doing it to me for so long," Clara said grinning.
"Don't I get a say in where we're going?" the Doctor asked as he started to pout.
"Sure, knock yourself out. I'm not saying that I'll listen to you, but I'll at least take it under consideration," Clara said as her smile became even wider.
"How about we go to Paris just like we were originally going to?" the Doctor said.
"That's what I was going to do anyway no matter what you said. I'm glad that we both agree on it though," Clara said hugging him.
"I think after what happened to you today that you deserve it. Only the best for my Old Girl," the Doctor said as he returned her hug.
"I told you not to call me that! Do you want me to lock you out of your room tonight? I'll do it if you call me that again," Clara protested.
"Alright, alright. You're so touchy," the Doctor said.
"I'm touchy?! You're one to talk. You're all about being touchy feely. That's Rule Number Two by the way. You're not stroking me like you do to the console or I'll chuck you out into the nearest star. You can hug me if you want but that's it," Clara said giggling.
"I'm starting to miss the mad bitey lady," the Doctor said with a sigh, but he continued to hug her anyway.
"Oh, shut up, Chin Boy," Clara said as she kissed his cheek.
Behind the two of them, switches and knobs turned and moved on their own at Clara's mental command as she sent them on their way for their very first trip with her in charge. She was already thinking about what she was going to do in Paris and more importantly what she was going to buy even as she mentally piloted the TARDIS.
She actually began to think that she might enjoy this new life of hers after all.
The Doctor meanwhile was completely overjoyed by all of this. If the TARDIS was going to be anyone, he was glad that it had been his Clara.
So did you enjoy it? I intended it as just a one-shot, but now I've decided to do more. I could easily see this possibly being its own universe like War of the Guardians or The Return of the Girl Who Waited. Please let me know what you think and thank you for reading!
Next: As Clara goes to Paris to do some shopping, the Doctor runs into someone that he thought he'd never see again there and gets to say a final goodbye.