"Fall back! Fall back!"
"Everybody out!"
"Run! Save yourselves!"
Ebony covered her ears as they were flooded with torrents of yells and screams and the sounds of heavy battle. She cowered in the corner of her animal-skin tent, clinging to her childhood toy; a tattered doll.
"Ebony!"
Her head snapped up to find a familiar face in the entrance of her tent. "Stella," she breathed out in relief, wiping a few tears from her cheeks.
"Come on, Ebony, pack your bag. Quickly!" Stella urged, hurrying in and helping Ebony to cram clothes and food into her satchel. "We need to run. I will find Seth."
"You go," Ebony nodded, pushing Stella for the door. "I will follow shortly. She grabbed a few more things as Stella ran from the tent.
An awful noise suddenly filled Ebony's ears, drowning out the sounds of fighting. A wheezing, scraping sound. Ebony panicked, running out if her tent…
"What are you doing?" a loud, perplexed voice shouted over the new sound. Ebony flinched and scampered backwards as sparks few, bumping into something solid behind her. "No, you're not supposed to do that!" the voice exclaimed.
Male. The voice was of a man.
"Stop!" the man pleaded. Suddenly all the sparks and noise and confusion ceased, clouds of smoke clearing to reveal a man with dark hair in strange clothes looking quite pleased with himself. "There," he cooed, patting the console in front of him. "Who's a good girl. There, there, sweetheart, it's over now."
Ebony stood slowly, legs shaking as she tried to take in her surroundings. She seemed to be in a large, open room full of flashing lights. In the centre was a console with a clear column in the middle that reached up to the ceiling. There was a lit part in the middle that was rising and falling, almost like breathing, and the man was now circling around the console flicking switches and pressing buttons. "What is this?"
The man spun around and stared at her for a moment. He looked to the console, then back at Ebony. "How… How did you get in here?" he asked, almost accusingly, walking up to her with a finger pointed at her.
"What?" Ebony asked, flustered.
"How did you get in my TARDIS?" the man asked loudly with a frown.
"I left my tent…" Pushing the pointing finger away, Ebony stood up straighter, trying to hide her fear. "Who are you and what have you done?"
"I'm the Doctor," the man stated happily, hurrying back up to his console.
"How did I get here?" Ebony demanded, not quite covering the shake in her voice. "Where is Stella? And Seth? What have you done with them?"
The Doctor spun around and gave her a questioning look. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, almost to himself. "Who are you?" He marched towards her again, but Ebony drew her knife from her belt and held it ready to strike. "Oh, okay…" The Doctor backed off with his hands raised and Ebony stalked forwards, her knees beginning to shake in terror.
"Where are they?" she snapped defensively.
Trying to scramble up onto the console, the Doctor replied frantically, "I have no idea! I swear I don't know what you're talking about!"
Ebony glanced back over her shoulder, then back to the Doctor. "Is that the way out?"
"Yes, but-"
Spinning around, Ebony hurried over and yanked the door open, only to stop suddenly. She found herself surrounded by dark and stars. "What is this…?" she whispered.
"We're in space," the Doctor told her calmly.
There was a planet directly in front of them, Ebony staring at it in shock. "What is that?"
"That is the planet Gardea. Its inhabitants are often referred to as savages, but are quite an emotionally advanced people. Not unlike yourself," the Doctor noted.
Turning to him, Ebony saw the Doctor taking in her animal-pelt dress and leather belt. "Gardea?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," the Doctor nodded, carefully leading Ebony away for the doors and closing them. "Your planet, I presume."
Ebony sat heavily on the floor, dropping her knife. "Stella… Seth… You must take me back," she said quickly. "Our people may be 'emotionally advanced', or whatever it was you said, but we are at war. I must go back, I must find my betrothed."
"It's not safe down there," the Doctor said seriously, a worried frown creasing his forehead. "I can't just drop you back down into the middle of a war."
"But my betrothed-"
The Doctor held up a hand, silencing his guest. He sat her down on the only seat in the room and settle beside her. "I need a few details, first. What is your name?"
"Ebony of the Hers."
The Doctor nodded slowly. "Okay, what are 'the Hers'?"
"We are a tribe. Outcasts. We have joined with the Hims in a battle against the Norms," Ebony explained.
There was a long pause. "What are you fighting for?" the Doctor asked hesitantly.
"Love."
Another tense moment passed, then the Doctor sat up more. "So, you say you're betrothed. What's his name, what's he like?" he asked, obviously trying to change the subject.
"She," Ebony corrected coldly. "She is the fighter, not I. I cowered when the Norms attacked our camp, but not Stella. Stella fought." Looking to Doctor directly in the eyes, Ebony told him, "Stella fights for our love."
The Doctor stood up, shaking his head. "That doesn't make sense," he laughed-humourlessly, leaning against the console. "Fighting for love, what does that mean?"
Ebony huffed at his ignorance. "Where are you from?"
"It's not important," the Doctor dismissed. "Why are you fighting for love?"
"Because the Norms do not believe in our love. They believe it is vile, that there can be no love but theirs," Ebony explained spitefully.
"What is 'their love'?" the Doctor asked, squinting as though it would help his see the situation better.
"Man and woman," Ebony said simply. "That is their love. The Hers' love is woman and woman, and the Hims' love man and man."
The Doctor's eyes filled with understanding. "Ooooh," he drew out. He shook his head. "So you feel you have to fight for your right to love Stella?"
"We must fight, or the Norms will take our love," Ebony stated with a rigid nod. She ran her fingers over the tattoo on the inside of her left wrist. "This is my promise to Stella," she murmured, gazing at the symbols. "It is her name. When we are wed, I shall have the same on my other arm."
The Doctor was silent for a long time, staring into space. "I had friends who were engaged," he hummed absently. "I went to their wedding. I wore a top hat." He smiled to himself. Eyes flicking to Ebony, he murmured, "Love is definitely something worth fighting for. But there doesn't have to be bloodshed."
Ebony tipped her head to the side curiously. "Do you have love?"
"In a way," he smiled. "I'm married, even. My wife's in prison at the moment, but I have my old TARDIS," he explained, patting the console affectionately. Looking to Ebony, he suggested, "Let's go save some love."
The Doctor was suddenly flipping switches and turning dials, Ebony snatching up her knife and clinging to her seat as they were flung about. "What is happening?" she shouted over that grating, whooshing sound.
"I'm taking you home!" the Doctor grinned, grasping the console as they were flung about.
The room came to a sudden stop, Ebony stumbling to follow the Doctor out the doors. She stopped dead when she found them in the middle of two armies charging at each other.
"Stop!" the Doctor hollered, his voice ringing out across the massive space and stopping the converging armies. His eyes were angry, sending accusing looks to both sides. "Look at yourselves! Waging a war over the gender someone fell in love with."
"Who are you?" a short, stocky man holding a pink and blue flag demanded.
"I'm the Doctor. I'm a one-thousand-year-old Timelord from the planet Gallifrey, and I believe in love." The Doctor's voice echoed around them. "Why are you fighting? Love, of all things, surely should bring life, not take it." Looking to the side with the mixed-coloured flags, who he had assumed were the Norms, he asked, "What makes their love any different to yours?"
"The women love other women, and the men love other men!" one woman shouted. "It's disgusting!"
"No," the Doctor said angrily, "it's different. You know, I once knew a race called the Daleks. They killed everything that wasn't like them, anything that was different. But you know what? They had no emotions. They couldn't feel love. All they felt was hate, and disgust, and anger. They don't know how it feels to be in love." Looking around himself once again, he shouted, "But you do! You're fighting for your love! But why fight? Why can't you just accept your differences?"
No one answered, the two armies standing silently.
"If you cannot accept the differences between you, then you're no better than the Daleks. You'll end up just like them. Bitter and twisted and vengeful… and without love. What you're fighting for is being destroyed by your war."
Ebony had been standing silently beside the Doctor, but the sound if her name being called drew her attention. She searched for the source, tears welling in her eyes when Stella finally came into her view.
"Ebony!" Stella ran over to her carrying a boy no older than three on her hip, flinging her free arm around Ebony and holding her tightly.
"Stella," Ebony sighed in relief, hugging her back with both arms.
"Ebony, I thought I had lost you," Stella sniffed, surprising her betrothed when her tears hit Ebony's shoulder.
"I am here," Ebony assured her, capturing her lips in a kiss. "I am sorry I was gone." Pecking the forehead of the boy in Stella's arms, she whispered, "I'm sorry I left, Seth."
Seth hugged her neck as Stella kissed her cheek. "Mam," Seth murmured.
The Doctor smiled at the exchange, looking to the Norms. "You see? How is that any different to how you feel when you've been apart from your loved-one? How is that disgusting?" There was a clattering sound as the Hers and Hims all dropped their weapons. "You don't fall in love with a gender, or a colour, or a species, or a social norm. You fall in love with a person; their gender is irrelevant. They are all still people." The Doctor cast his eyes over the Norms, watching many of them beginning to lower their weapons. "What makes them people is not who they fall in love with," he continued, more weapons hitting the ground. "It is their ability to love!"
A cheer went up from the two joined tribes as the last of the Norms dropped their arms. Ebony stepped forward to the stocky Norm at the front and held out her hand. "It is my hope that we will make peace between our tribes."
The Norm man considered her hand for a moment, then smiled and gave a firm nod, clasping their hands in an agreement.
After Ebony and Stella's traditional wedding, a great feast was held, attended by Hers, Hims, and Norms alike to celebrate a union of love. Ebony searched out the Doctor, who was leaning against the TARDIS on the edge of the celebrations.
"Congratulations," he nodded with a smile.
Ebony grinned at him. "I am glad you stayed." Looking over the group of people gathered, she added, "Thank you, Doctor. You have brought peace to our world."
The Doctor shrugged and waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about it."
Ebony was about to leave, but she paused. "Do you have someone to love, Doctor?"
"Oh, yes," the Doctor smirked, patting the TARDIS door. "Never loved anyone more."
Shaking her head, Ebony gave him a quick hug. "Goodbye, Doctor."
"Goodbye, Ebony." With a wave, the Doctor disappeared into the TARDIS, that horrible grating, wheezing sound starting again as the large, blue box faded from sight.
Ebony spotted the top hat the Doctor had been wearing sitting on the ground. She smiled and picked it up, dusting it off.
"Ebony," Stella whispered over her shoulder, kissing her neck. "Come and dance with me."
Ebony grinned and sat the Doctor's had on Seth's head before letting him play with the other children while they danced away the night.