A/N: Thanks for the reviews. But that was such a small chapter and I love to write at least a good lengthy one for good measure. Have a little more. R/R please. I am so wanting reviews. I give out free cookies to all my reviewers. ;) Oh and before I forget. Part of this chapter was inspired a lot by Gridlock. That was such a beautifully scripted episode.
Chapter 2: A Familiar Face
Paneling, wiring, and various components were strewn all over the TARDIS floor. "Ahh forget it. I'll work on it later." The Doctor was getting antsy and impatient. Although he had said to the TARDIS that he would repair her first off, he really, really wanted to know where he was. The TARDIS also seemed to be urging him to leave; he could feel her nudging him ever so lightly to go outside. Of course, it didn't help that his nature was one of curiosity. He quickly finished up on one panel and got up off the floor. Rubbing his dirty hands on his trouser legs, he opened the TARDIS door, quickly locked it and started off.
He took one step and ended up flat on his face, in a pile of mud. He spat the mud out of his mouth. He noted the composition of the soil; it was very soft and spongy in texture. That ruled out that he was on Earth. Why couldn't he remember what planet had soil like that? He was so sure he was careful wherever he went and when he got up he noted a root that had been protruding out of the ground. He frowned; he could have sworn that that wasn't there before. Suddenly his eyes went wide as the root creaked suddenly and sunk back down into the ground. A light laugh was heard, but he couldn't tell if it was close by or far away. He put his hands on his hips, "Hey!!" The laugh died away and the Doctor frowned, "It's not funny." Clearly someone on this planet had a sense of humor but as far as he was concerned it was not one bit humorous. But someone was here; he knew that, laughter meant that someone was here.
He saw a nearby river and went over to wash the mud off his face. He took a few handfuls of water and washed the mud off. A low rumbling was heard and he saw a few pebbles shake. He raised an eyebrow and he looked up to see a stampede of trees? Clearly some of the plant life on this planet didn't stay connected to the ground. The noise got louder. He began to run away from it. But he couldn't seem to out run the big graceful stocks with wavy arms that were closing down on him. He'd be crushed if he didn't move away quickly enough. They looked a lot like weeping willows but a lot taller and bigger. The trees were bearing down upon him and he suddenly grabbed one of the waving arms and held on for dear life. The tree that he grabbed a hold of swung him around as if he was a rag doll. It was determined to throw him to the ground and he was determined to hold on. And suddenly the tree limb broke off in his hands. He went tumbling his hands stilling holding onto the tree limb. He hit the ground hard and groaned as he passed out. Meanwhile smaller roots came from the ground and tied him down to the ground. The trees that were stampeding finally came to a stop by the same river and plunged there roots into the water taking a drink.
0-A few hours later-0
Waking up, the doctor groaned. Nothing seemed broken. Thank Rassilon for that. But then the horror came upon him that he could not move as he was tied down by roots. He struggled to move. But the harder he struggled the roots seemed to crush him further. He sighed, this seemed like this was going to be his end. He prepared to be crushed; he'd end up regenerating and then most likely crushed over and over again. He only had three lives left. At least the upside was that this wouldn't take too long, he was the last of the Time Lords and it seemed rather a disservice that his life was going to end being crushed by roots on a strange planet. But before the crushing from the roots got any harder, a white haired girl came peaking out from behind one of those moving trees.
He glared at her, he remembered her. It was Mala. Or at least that was what the Mala'shraians called her. He had a feeling she had a much older name. She had called herself At'atara, but names meant little to the Doctor. She probably was called something else. She was after all billions if not eons old. Names have a habit of being lost to time even to his own people. If she was here, then that meant that he was on Mala'shi. He had parted on relatively good terms with the planet. And now it seemed that she was out to get him. She smiled a mischievous smile. For a planet, she seemed very impish. He glared at her, "At'atara….let me go…"
"No…not till you apologize."
"What?" The Doctor's eyes went wide; all this because the planet had got it in her thick head that he needed to apologize. What had he done wrong this time?
She smiled seeing the clueless look in his eyes, "You haven't been back in at least ½ of a Mala'shraian year. That's 72 years on a human calendar. You have upset my daughter Ta'sheeka. You promised you would return and see her and you haven't."
The Doctor gulped, so all this brutal treatment by the planet was because he hadn't come back sooner. He wondered what he could say. He pondered all that had happened. It had been so short a time since he had seen Ta'sheeka and lost Rose and now he learned that it was 72 years later. To him, it had been at the most a couple of weeks. He muttered, "I got side tracked…."
At'atara smiled lightly and shook her head disapprovingly; "Time Lord, you are very bad at promises."
"Hasn't been the first time someone has told me that."
She looked thoughtful, "By your own people?"
He nodded.
"Then you deserve what you have gotten from me."
The roots slowly loosened around the Doctor and he was once again able to move and he got up off the ground. "Now wait a minute. I am sorry I am late. But I got side tracked. I honestly did. I ran into a whole bunch of Daleks and Cybermen. And then I lost Rose to a parallel Earth. I can never get her back again."
At'atara cringed lightly at the mention of Daleks and Cybermen and the Doctor noticed it, "I take it you are aware of them."
"They came upon me once. The Daleks. I did not want to harm them, it is not in my nature to harm anyone, but my people cried out in pain and the priests prayed to me to help them. The high priestess talked to me and begged that I strike out against them. I reached out with all my strength and crushed them. They hurt me, Time Lord. Part of the planet has died because of them. They burned part of my body, the planet, my cells, the trees, the plants, the animals. I lost feeling in part of me. It has taken at least 2 Mala'shraian years for me to slowly regain feeling once again"
The Doctor sighed, that had to have been almost 300 years ago and he said, "I am sorry. At least you were able to drive them away. I can't say that about most planets." He reached out and patted At'atara on the head. She had some feeling as he touched her, some solidness; it wasn't as if she was transparent like some psychic projections he had met. Then again, she was very unique. Her story rang a chord in him. They burned part of my body, the planet.
She seemed to note his sadness. She pondered over it for a minute and then remembered him saying he had destroyed his own planet, "Doctor, what happened to your planet? Was she like me?"
The Doctor sighed, "No. Most planets don't have a sentient consciousness to them. You're unique in the universe, At'atara. The sky was burnt orange and the trees had silver leaves, orange fields and snow covered mountains. It was amazing, but I had no choice. The Daleks came and they killed my people. In the end, I had to destroy both to save everything else. My planet burned."
At'atara cringed and tears came down her face. The atmosphere suddenly changed and clouds began to form in the sky and the Doctor watched in astonishment as rain came down in direct response to what he had said, "Don't cry…." He wiped the tears from her face. "Does any part of your planet survive?" The rain was a steady drizzle now.
He sighed, "Nope just me and the TARDIS."
At'atara looked thoughtful, "I wish to do something for you Time Lord."
"Ahh you don't have to do anything for me. I am fine. A bit worn for my years, but you don't have to do anything for me."
She smiled softly, and the rain stopped as suddenly as it had begun, "Perhaps. But now you should see my daughter. She has gotten older these years. You are a long way from her. You must travel north of here, past the groves of the offspring she has planted of which is now tended by her children. She lives humbly. She chooses not to live in the city, where she was condemned so many years ago. She lives outside of it. She fears that she will become like the elders. So she stays close to her children. Warning them of the past, she is a good…"
The Doctor smiled, "A good mother….so how long will this trip take?"
"A good three days from here."
The Doctor cringed, "Maybe I should try and repair the TARDIS."
