The River Separates

by eatingthedoctorscookies

Following the last date with Eleven, he takes her to the Singing Towers of Derrylium.

"For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one." –Gibran

Papers beyond papers upon touch pads and more lay scattered about across the floors and tables. The office room a complete mess. A busy women buried in it all sat flustered in its chaos. Pads had read, 'crew and transport ship' and 'library access codes/Cal systems.' Just minutes before, Mr. Lux, and his profoundly "dumb blonde" assistant, had just walked out for the 3rd time today, the same question each time, "We good to go?" He was excited, but his actions were very cautious. He carried the aura of a man seeking the city of Atlantis.
An abandoned library awaited them all, massive and gorgeous, but stress had snuck its way into the picture. Professor Song couldn't stand it for another moment. She picked herself up, dropped everything and walked out the back door. She passed a man downing the last of his vintage Jack Daniel's bottle through musty air of pot heads on the second floor of a nearby apartment complex.
Her venture eventually brought her to an empty park; its vines and branches clinging to every wall and bench. Drowned in it, the small square was entrancing; life all around, lifting the heaviest of spirits. An image rarely found anymore. She sat and forgot her thoughts of the real world. She found the image of a man so long forgotten. The Doctor stood in grandeur in her mind and she recollected his uniqueness. She created painting of his daily life, walking here and there, saying this and that. Her head lowered. A wave of sadness instantly hit her and lump formed in her throat. She took a second to collect herself. That was a long time ago. She rose and took her leave. Her hand slid along the grassy walls of concrete and reached the entrance.
She paused. She felt something in the air. It felt normal, yet so distant. Then it hit her along with the familiar noises of a TARDIS. Her heart stopped. Her thoughts bled into reality. The blue box materialized in the centre of the park before the dry, bleak fountain. The noises ceased and River stood erect waiting for the man she called sweetie. The blue doors suddenly swooped open and he stood in the centre, his arms extended as if he had just snapped. A smile lit her face larger than the galaxies combined. He walked down towards her and she ran to his arms. His clothes were definitely brand new and his hair shorter than ever. With his arms outstretched, she fit in them like a puzzle piece. Their embrace lasted for some time and she gave him a kiss. She looked into his eyes and he spoke.
"Hello darling." There were no words spoken in return. She just retained her smile and rubbed her hand along his hair, and then eventually down to his traditional bowtie. Her admiration of his new suit made him chuckle.
"Where have you been?" She finally said, "I tried to call."
"Oh, you know work was a pain; lots of confusing stuff, boring, unnecessary, uncooperative… people." He trailed off and her finger went to his lips. He smiled and removed it with two of his. "What d'ya say?" eyeing to the TARDIS. "I'll drive!"
River's eyes glowed. "A good way to end before I'm off to this library, I'd say"
"Ah, yes, um, any day." With no thoughts of her work, she climbed aboard the ship behind the Doctor. Buttons and knobs blinked and beeped around her. The silver interior gleamed with the unknown, bringing back even better memories than before. "Where to ma'am?"
"The Stars." She stared at him amorously.
"We don't quote the 'Titanic', that was a scary!"
"Oh, you actually saw that one!" He carried on and she sat. His eyes widen as if finding the perfect location. He looked towards her, raising an eyebrow, and winked. His attention returned back towards the panel and he pulled the lever. The ship growled to life and began to dissipate.
River never thought it would happen again, her and the Doctor adventuring yet again. Lucid and nostalgic thoughts melted into her brain. She sat reminiscing and the Doctor sat next to her and locked eyes. "Derrylium," his words were soft and sleek. "an obscure planet, known only to the best of the best, and a few custodians. It is home to the magnificent Singing Tower." River smiled, knowing she was over-impressed, and let him proceed. "Located in the outer rim of Pyus, owner to three moons, (one fake) I give you the spectacular creation of the planet, Derrylium!" He spun and whipped up his hand, snapping the two doors open.
The Doctor's hand extended towards River and she placed hers in his. He picked her up and pulled her toward him. He led them both out the doors and into paradise. They stopped outside and River stood in awe. The green and pink, early sunset collided with the clouds over the city igniting it in an array of beauty. From behind, forests overthrew and dominated. Vines and branches swam down all around the cliffs, and a small bench sat overlooking it all. A small stone sat next to it reading, 'for you my love.' From the cliff, they peered over onto the city. It was vast and angelic. Various observatories stood tall, and a cute market sat in the distance. On one end, a grand mansion of pure marble complimented the sky, its colours melting into a smoky green and white. Six pillars ran up the front and held up the roof full of alluring images of the constellations of Pyus. Directly in the centre of the city sat a 130 meter tall tower. Various holes ran through the object, and a perfect circle where absolutely nothing grew, surrounded it.
"How do you know such a place?" River's eyes sparkled.
"Oh, I know a guy."
"Please, give me a history lesson." The Doctor led her to a trail, eventually taking them all the way to the city, and began to speak.

Lusane giggled uncontrollably at the joke Creed had just finished. He gave a small chuckle at Lusane. The two were pioneers, dancing along the stars forever and ever. They had been married for over 10 years now. Creed was an architect, he liked to think, and Lusane was a professor in the line of science. Having friends in high places, they persuaded their way into acquiring a star cruiser. The ship was small and metallic but sleek and easy to handle. They were perfect.
The silver screen began to bleep uncontrollably. Lusane's eyes shot towards the dash. "Wait, wait, Creed, what is that!"
He flared his body over to her. "Is… is that a planet?" He went over to slow the ship. A small planet came into view outside.
"How come this thing never showed up on our first scan?" Her question was pretty dumb to any real astronomer.
"Honey, look at the size of it." She whimpered a small, oh. He scanned the planet for anything of interest. "Readings show a stable atmosphere, interested?" Her gaze shot to his and she smiled. His face lit up and he set in the landing protocol. The ship hummed and moved forward. Upon entering the atmosphere, the ship started to jolt, almost violently.
Lusane let out a quick eep. Creed outstretched his arm from his seat to comfort her. She looked and grabbed it as quickly as she could. Moments later, the ship seemed to have let go. They were falling; their velocity increasing. Creed, with one hand, tried levelling the ship, but it was so heavy. They were suddenly in the clouds. They couldn't see a thing and were falling still. Creed's hand swished about frantically pressing buttons. They passed through the clouds and could now see everything perfectly. Beauty perhaps, but a life or death situation was more important. He kept pulling up. It was all he could do. He looked for somewhere safer to crash-land. He spotted a piece of land that looked the flattest and headed there. He pulled the ship almost parallel and then looked at Lusane. Her eyes were scared but intent. He let out a calm, 'I love you' before she closed her eyes. Their hands not separating, the hunk of metal hit the ground.
The wreck left a 30-meter streak in the ground. Pieces of the ship lay scattered about. The couple still sat in the cockpit. Creed waved his hand around finally clinging to, again, Lusane's blood ridden hand. He became terrified at the thoughts that started swimming through his head. Was she dead? Was this the last time his love would be seen? He briskly removed his straps and leaned forward out of his seat. His body slumped to the floor, his legs weak, and crawled over to his wife. He reached her and panicked. Her head faced away from him and her arm was covered in her blood. With fear and hesitation, he grabbed under her chin and faced her towards him. Her side of the window had shattered open onto her helpless body. He reached up and ejected her seatbelts. With all his strength, he stood up and proceeded to grab Lusane. He held her in his arms like a child, and carried her out the gaping hole in the front. He walked a few steps before collapsing to his knees. He sat down Lusane on the ground. He ripped the sleeve off of her and with pieces of his shirt; he cleared up the large wound on her arm, and tied it up.
She still lay motionless. Single tears began strolling down his eyes. He wiped them and lied next to her. He looked at her face, so pure and serene, and wiped her hair out of her face. The tears continued to flow, and he leaned over to the ship. It was dead. The whole underside had been ripped off and the back disintegrated. It marvelled him how they made it out. The ground underneath them was soft and almost squishy. Few spots of grass grew throughout the vicinity. They both lay in their white space garments dirtied up from the crash. The sky was grey and no sun peeked through the thick clouds. The longer he lay there, the more distant she felt. He reached over and held her hand, hoping for something. He waited, for what felt like 2 hours, until she made a hushed cough.
Creed's body shot up and she gently moved her head around. She was dazed and lost. She opened her eyes and found Creed sitting over her and gave a weakened smile. She then tried to speak, but Creed's finger went over her lips.
"I thought you were dead. I pulled you out of the ship. You had a big cut on your arm." His words sounding relieved. She turned towards her arm seeing it all patched up.
"The ship?" She said faintly. He took a deep breath and slid out of the way. She got a good glimpse of it and chuckled. "That's not gonna go over well." Creed laughed and she laughed until she began to cough. Creed squeezed her hand tighter and she spoke again. "I'm... I'm dying." Her face became that of a scared child.
"You don't say that. You're gonna be alright, I promise." He stroked his hand across her cheek and she held his hand there. Her worried eyes made Creed tear up. "You just have to hold on and be strong. I promise you'll be okay." The lump in his throat made every word harder to say.
"Please, don't let me go, I'm scared." Tears started streaming down to the ground. Creed picked her up into his arms and she held him back around the neck. She clung to him, breathing rapidly. He rocked and shushed her until she became very calm. She looked up at him and spoke in a whisper, "I love you, too."
Her hands around his neck slowly let go and she fell limp in his grasp. Her eyes became empty and she was gone. He set her down in the grass again and he let the tears flow. He leaned over her and kissed her forehead, his tears falling down in her hair and to the ground. His worst fears had just come true. Lusane was gone. What was his point in life now? He failed her. He had lied to her. He got up and sobbing, stumbled away.
He ran to the centre of the flat lands. There he fell into the dirt, clenching it in anger. He threw it around and beat himself up for Lusane's death. Not far off, a silver stone sat. He went over and kneeled above it. He was to end his life. Anger was raging inside of him. He betrayed his only lover and now she's gone. He closed his eyes, raised his head, and swung it down. When his head hit the rock, it didn't kill him, but morphed to the shape of his cranium. He opened his eyes and fell back to his bottom.
He sat there for a while just thinking. He couldn't kill himself. How he brought himself to do it the first time scared him. Lusane couldn't just die though she had to be remembered. He wanted everyone to remember her. With these new thoughts circulating, he went back to the rock. He carefully picked it up. It was almost like silly putty. It would even change to just him blowing on it. He searched around for more like it. On the nearby cliff, past the wreckage and Lusane's body, mounds of the stuff formed on it. Creed sighed and trekked off to the cliff. He made it back to the ship and went around the back of it. He went through the small valley the ship had formed and climbed up the other side. The grass by the ridge was a lot higher than everywhere else, but he fought his way through it all. It was a steady incline to the top and when he reached it, he looked over the whole plain. Smoke billowed up from the crash and in front, Lusane's body resting at peace. He turned back to the strange rocks and began to drag them out.
Hours seemed to pass like minutes to him. The substance was very lightweight and easy to handle. He had mashed together three large, individual balls and began to throw them off the hill. When they hit the bottom, they flattened out like hotcakes. He wanted to laugh, but he couldn't get himself to that point yet. He hiked back down the hill and to stones. He balled them back up and rolled them to the centre of the field. In doing so, he went into the ship searching for what he hoped still existed. In the first closet outside the cockpit there was a hover chair able to climb to one-hundred and fifty meters. He then grabbed a sharp piece of metal and went back outside and to where he laid all the stones. He began his sculpting. He was just making it as tall as he could. The base was square and quite large. Hour after hour passed again and he was at 114 meters when he noticed. His hands were a pasty black, but the rocks were silver. He disregarded it as though it were dirt.
Normally he would be terrified at heights, but making the tower made him forget all about it. He gradually climbed to 130 meters and suddenly he felt he was finished. The grand sculpture astounded him, all of it for Lusane.
He floated down to the ground and stepped off the hover chair. His neck was itchy and parts of his stomach. He rubbed the creation and set off to Lusane. Her body had turned extremely pale. He knew she was somewhere better. With a broken piece of the ship, he started to dig a grave. Sadness overthrew him whilst digging and he then placed her body in the ground. The thought of burying his own wife had never occurred to him. He knelt on her grave, said sorry, and continued to cry. He went back to the cliff and it was there he realized how hungry he was. The last he'd eaten was after leaving Forteez. He didn't like flying on a full stomach. He sat on the edge of the cliff the things he did in the last 12 hours. Lusane's sat directly in front of the monument.
He grabbed two extra clumps of the rocks and combined them. He started to draw out letters when he, again, noticed his hands. His whole arm had turned a dark black. He started to figure the rocks he had been handling were poisonous. He remained calm and thought it necessary. The wind began to pick up and his masterpiece started to move. Now he was scared. He didn't want it to fall; but instead, the wind started making little divots. The wind swept through in little pockets and had began to create holes in the stone. Thoughts of food and barking dogs ran through his mind. Clips from movies and sadistic thoughts came sweeping through. He couldn't help them. Something else was provoking them.
It took nearly 2 hours, but once the holes were complete, small whistling noises blared and the whole tower began to sing. Creed sat in awe. He had no intention of this, but some things just work out perfectly. His mind was running away from him. His legs and arms started to feel funny, as though they were weightless. The rocks had gotten to his mind. He remembered he had to finish one last thing, the stone next to him. He wrote out as best he could, 'For you, my love' and then he leaned back and listened to the tower. Another ship landing soon cut it out. His mind was deteriorating. He took no notice to it right away. It was a rescue ship all for them. Creed smiled and began laughing excessively. A group of men exited the ship running towards the crash. Creed lifted himself up and shouted; "HELLO!" The multitude of men looked up at him and watched as he fell off the cliff. Three men ran to his body. He was dead before hitting the ground. No one touched him; he was black and blue all over.
The tower fascinated the other men, not touching it for fear of ruining it. The gleaming silver tower held mystery over all of them. The others returned telling their captain of Creed's body.
"He's obviously been messing with these rocks. They aren't poisonous if you were to touch them once, but if you were to stick your whole hand in one, or face, whole 'nother story."
"You think he did that?" one of the troops questioned.
"Who knows what he did." He gathered everyone back onto the ship and saved the coordinates in the ships log. He had all intentions of coming back.

The Doctor finished his story and faced River. Her face was still curious. "So what happens next?"
"Next? Well, Captain Haas comes back and explores some of the woods. He has a home built for him and a small city forms between various family and crewmembers. Two months later he finds that the tower sings every 3 months and wants to share the phenomenon with everyone. He is then secretly assassinated by his own brother before sharing his secret with everyone else and now, Derrylium has remained one of the galaxies greatest, well-kept secrets."
"And no one else bothered to tell?" River fired back.
"No, they liked the idea of a whole planet to themselves. More of a family tradition, I suppose."
"Selfish much?"
The Doctor didn't answer back, but sort of shrugged his shoulders. They were nearly to the city. It had been named after Haas' grandfather, Jüseius. Their stride was slow and it took them nearly a half-an-hour to get there from the peak of the cliff. The history of Derrylium was sad, but had its loving undertones.
When they reached the city, the Doctor led her to the large market. He continued to guide her to the restaurant in the back. "When's the last time you sat down and ate a meal?" The Doctor smirked.
"When did you?" River shot back with intensity. His eyes swam off in the other direction, looking for something else to change the topic with. "Precisely."
A whole meal was free. Everyone working on the planet was paid in hefty sums of money for just being there. They were hired servants that could not leave nor tell others of the place. A young woman came over and placed them at a small, square table far off in the corner. Immediately, they were given an appetizer and tea, ground from the leaves of the nearby forests. A single candle sat in the middle and a white tablecloth draped down the sides. The place was like eating in a pavilion, a magnificent one. The entire perimeter was laced with white lights and a matching white curtain hung down each pillar. The roof was made of remarkable stone and the floor of marble. Two other parties sat distanced away from each other and a single waitress served each one. When the server got to their table, the Doctor ordered a plate of stir-fried yancers and a side of chips. River thought it peculiar and gave a small chuckle.
"Yancers are an exquisite delicacy, only found on this planet, derived from the fungus of young saplings in red area!"
River stared with a raised eyebrow. "And, chips."
"Oye!" He interjected. "They are remarkable! How you're the only ones who thought of it is amazes me!" She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
He sat upright with his hands folded, and River leaned forward and asked, "How's the good 'ol boy been?"
"The days have been different. Things have been quiet and dull, almost empty."
"Is that why we're together right now?" He looked at her for a moment. He wanted to scream it at her. The library was her end, but he couldn't have her changing things. What was to happen was to happen. Finally, he forced himself to produce a smile.
"Most certainly." The Doctor knew exactly why he was there. Tomorrow he would meet River Song for the first time. She would die in that library, but his thoughts in mind were to save her in the library database. He still loved her like no other. From his jacket pocket, he pulled out his old sonic screwdriver. He had edited to her hand size. A perfect fit he thought. When he placed it on the table, her eyes followed it and bounced up to his.
"What's this?"
"It's yours, you've earned it! And you really get to keep it this time." River sat stricken by the suddenness. She slowly put out her arm and picked up the metallic piece of wonder. She cradled it in her palm and it fit like a glove. A pinkie ring was added and a red setting for stronger frequencies. He went by mostly what he remembered from last time. With this, he had River synced to it. For once, the Doctor knew all the spoilers instead of her.
River was still in shock but replied, "You are quite the character, and you know that?" He nodded.
"I may not always be there to help you, but you know what, you've got a sonic screwdriver. It won't be like that time on Vestruga!" Her face simply went to pure anger, and frustration began to radiate from her body.
"Do you know how long I waited on that wretched rock, with those nasty bugs surrounding all of us?!"
"It was the TARDIS! She goes crazy sometimes and just doesn't go where I want her to! Plus, I was fashionably late..."
She shook her head and said, "I can't believe you sometimes." The Doctor just chuckled at her. "It's not funny! I could've died." He then stopped laughing and dwelled on the sentence. River took no notice to his change of thoughts, but to the waitress with their food on a tray. He pulled himself together and prepared for his meal.
The lady came over and set down a plate of yancers for two and a plate of chips with a salt shaker. He said thank you and began to chow down on the fries. With his mouth wide open, he exclaimed, "So good!" River hit him playfully to close his mouth and he did with a laugh. He swallowed and began instructions.
"Now, these boys can be a nuisance, but once you learn the way, you're going for gold." He picked out one of the smaller ones and grabbed a knife and fork. With them, he began carving his way around the outside of the fungus. He peeled a green layer of the outside off and inside was a slimy grey mush. He stuck the spoon and dug it in and pulled it out onto her plate. Steam rose up passed her nose and she jolted back. "I know, I know, they smell like death, but you have to get passed that. They're marvelous trust me." He said trust him, now she had to do it. She reached out for her fork, which he so kindly left for him. With a stab, she picked up the slimy mess and pulled it near her mouth. She closed her nostrils and pulled it into her somewhat ajar mouth. The Doctor's eyes sat intently on her for every second. He neither blinked, nor moved a muscle. Her face squeezed together and fell back to normal. She was chewing and her face was pure surprise. She finally swallowed and looked to the Doctor.
"Eh?"
She instantly gave sound of satisfaction. With her mouth full, she shouted to him. "Oh wow, why is it you waited to bring me here?!"
"Oh, you know, I like to save the best for las- later." He quickly recovered a sentence that could ruin his mind if he thought too long on it. He had delved too far, and began retreating from his own mind. He put other thoughts in the way, and casually sat back in his seat.
She had taken no notice to the words or his awkwardness about it and continued to talk. "How such beauty forms." She let out a sigh and basked in her surroundings once again.
They both shared the remaining yancer delights and River talked about her life and what she had been doing lately. She brought up the library, but he quickly changed the subject. He brought up old memories of their past dates and they laughed and reminisced on the thoughts. When they finally finished, nearly an hour and a half had past. They slowly exited the pavilion with River wrapped around him and him holding her. They had been the last ones to leave and they could've cared less about anybody else. When they left the restaurant, they walked straight into the nearby market. Few people walked around looking at some normal and abnormal fruits and vegetables.
The Doctor, upon nearing multiple fruits, rushed towards them and adored them. He gave a brief history on dozens of them. River then let out, "If I'd got the message earlier, I'd've known you'd leave me for fruit." He stopped, faced her, picked up a random orange forcefully, and ran off. "No! You can come back, its okay!" She chased after him and caught up with him at the end of the market. She took the orange from him and set on the nearest table. The Doctor then took a moment and looked around at the empty marketplace.
"I say, we're gonna be late!"
River looked at him with confusion. "Late? Late for what?"
"It's been three months since the tower last sang." River sank. She made a face of a child on Christmas morn. "It's time to seem the singing tower of Derrylium." The Doctor extended his hand and she grabbed it. He then led them to where the others had gathered. They found a spot to stand behind everybody. There was nothing to watch, so there was no point to be as close as possible. They stood for a few moments before a man came out to speak. He stood behind a podium with a microphone in his hand.
"Generations ago, a man by the name of Carter Haas ventured to this planet finding this magnificent sculptor arisen from the ground, for whom, we do not know. This towers remains as a sign of love, devotion, and hope. With it bringing us together, we are pleased to have to these people present and we ask that we keep this marvel between us. It is with great honour, that I present the singing tower of Derrylium." Everyone began applauding and a few folks whistled from across the way.
River was standing, anticipating the wonders of the tower. The Doctor slowly turned his head towards her without her noticing. Thoughts of pure joviality swam into his mind. Times she saved his life. Times he saved hers. Each time they kissed. Each time they were together. He had never felt so much love for someone. He couldn't help himself. He was drowning in memories. At the same time, the tower began to make noises and eventually turned into a symphony of wind. It flowed through each hole with such grace and perfection. The soothing sound flowed through everyone, comforting even the worst of people.
The Doctor's eyes still stuck on River, he finally let it go. Tears started to flow down his face. He didn't want to let go, he couldn't. He hated goodbyes, especially the ones that meant forever. His tears were unstoppable. He raised his sleeve to wipe them from his face when River eventually noticed. She quickly asked him what was wrong, and he just shook his head and hell onto her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and held him there. The tower, in the background, continued to sing. They remained in the spot until the singing stopped. He had collected himself in her arms and finally rose up from her. He stared her in the eyes and gave her a kiss.
The sun had now fallen under the horizon and the clouds had run away from the sky. The stars showed brightly over the city and people began returning to their homes and ships. The Doctor looked her in the eyes and finally spoke softly. "I think it's time we've gotten you home now. You've got a big day tomorrow."
"Oh, you know, because I love paperwork!" She responded sarcastically.
He shook his head and answered. "Don't you worry about it!" They then began their long walk back to the TARDIS. River never did ask why he had cried, nor did she want to know at the time. She just held his hand all the way back. The walk up the mountain was the same beauty as before, just in the dark. Bugs, like fireflies, zoomed through the air and through the trees. She remembered familiar landmarks from earlier, a crooked tree, a sign pointing to the city, and others.
Before reaching the top, River spoke. "I had an amazing night. One I will always remember. Plus, a sonic! Did I mention I love you?"
"You're always reminding me!" He replied with a grin. They had gotten to the top and he began to unlock the TARDIS. Before opening it, he paused and spoke. "Now, you don't lose that sonic. It could very well save your life." The words came out ironically and he made himself laugh inside.
"I wouldn't dare." She reassured.
"Goody-o!" He swung the doors open and invited her onboard. He set coordinates back to her office and they flew back Earth. When they reached their destination, he looked to River. She was laying the chair, sprawled over the whole thing. He let out a huge chortle and she burst into laughing. She finally controlled herself and got up. She went and gave him a hug and a kiss.
"I'll see you around!"
"Till next time, love." River began to walk out but quickly spun around to him. She ran up and kissed him just one last time. She walked out into her office room. He had landed right inside the building. She turned and gave him a wave goodbye. He waved back, and smiling, she closed the doors and returned to her desk.
With that, the Doctor had spent his last day with River Song. She had just walked out of his present and into his past. He had vivid memories of the library and her last words. One last tear formed and went. Depression overtook him and he thought he just set off to the late nineteenth century. He had friends to comfort him there. Just so he didn't have to be alone. He slowly strolled in circles for awhile till he could bring himself to land somewhere. He was in London in the 1890s. He walked out into the snow, as if in slow motion. He had no smile to give. He needed the comfort of a friend. When he reached a large house, he knocked on the door. A woman named Jenny came and answered the door.
"Your master, is she in?" As he finished his sentence, Vastra came down the stairs. Their eyes met, and she stiffened her body.
"May I enter?"
"Most certainly."