OK, OK, I'M GUILTY, I WAS GOING TO WAIT AND SEE IF YOU GUYS WANTED MORE BEFORE POSTING CHAPTER 1, BUT I JUST CANT HELP MY SELF HER YOU GO. AS PROMISED ALL CHAPTERS ARE GOING TO BE AT LEAST 3,000 WORDS 3
Chapter 1
6 months earlier
The Doctor sat on the steps to the lower floor of his TARDIS, screwdriver in hand.
I like this one. He thought to himself I had been a long time since he had a blue Sonic. He slides the button forward, a light show of flickering lights begin, with that, a very familiar *buzz* noise bounces of the walls. To tell you the truth, he wasn't even going to get a new one. His TARDIS just gave it to him. Well, he had to get something. His sunglasses had just vanished. What had happened to them? Oh well, they were getting old anyway. He kind of missed waving his magic wand around. His old sonic had been destroyed months ago. It was a good sonic, but he no longer wanted that one.
It reminded him. It reminded him of that girl, Clara, He knows he traveled with her, he remembers all the adventures they had, he just can't place any conversations, he can't even place the face. What about that woman? The one in the Diner. The Doctor stares deep into the light of his sonic. It's almost hypnotizing. He thought to himself The Doctor, still staring intently at the blue light show, begins to remember entering the TARDIS, right after Gallifrey. Right after waking, confused, on the side of the road.
*flashback*
The Doctor, still strumming his guitar, looks up as the Diner he was just standing in begins to vanish, making that oh so familiar *whoosh* *whoosh* *whoosh* sound he had grown so used to over the years. A TARDIS? It had been ages since he heard it last. At least, that's what it felt like. What's a TARDIS doing here? He thought to himself Before he had the chance to ask, he noticed something. That beautiful blue box. Sitting there, waiting, waiting for the next adventure. But, what? There were foot prints leading to his blue box, and they were way too small to be his. Female. He thought to himself There was something on the TARDIS as well. Was that paint? Yes, paint.
At first, he thought some idiot had sprayed meaningless graffiti on his TARDIS, but no, it's more than that. There's something about it. Beautiful roses lined the blue of the TARDIS and made its way down to the handles. What? A woman? Was it? No. That can't be the woman from the diner. But it was, that IS her. But why would she be on his TARDIS, and why did she have her own TARDIS, and most importantly why was his TARDIS with hers? All these questions were buzzing in his head, which was still banged up from whatever happened earlier.
That could be her. That could be Clara. No, Clara wouldn't have a TARDIS. His memories of Gallifrey, Rassilon, the Cloisters, the Sisterhood, it all comes rushing back. He had been on Gallifrey! The Doctor just stands there motionless, he had actually been on his home planet, and he forgot about it! Something wasn't right. He wouldn't just forget about Gallifrey. Something had happened to him. Why was he on Gallifrey? How was he on Gallifrey, and why did he leave? Something happened to him before Gallifrey, he had been somewhere, but he doesn't remember why, and what happened before.
The sleep dust. Yes, the sleep dust is the last thing he remembers before entering the barn on Gallifrey, and the cloisters are where his memories end. He's pretty sure Clara told him something very important, but the memories, are just gone. The next thing he remembers he's waking up on the side of the road. That woman, she had to have been a timelord. It made sense. That's the only way he could have gotten home. Gallifrey was stuck in the pocket universe. The timelords must have found a way to travel between universes. That, and she was oddly calm with everything he was telling her. Had Clara been there, with him? Maybe? His head begins to pound, a god awful head ache is forming in his tired head. He needed to know more. The Doctor opens the TARDIS and enters. *end flashback*
The sonic lights fade out, and the noise stops. The console room is dead silent. "Where do I even start?" The Doctor breaths a sigh of defeat. *Vroosh* The TARDIS was making a noise that almost resembled electronic growling. It's like she was cross with the Doctor for giving up so easily. "Oh quit your whining!" "It's not like you now something that I don't!" It hit him. It hit him like a punch to face. "Oh stupid!" "Stupid Doctor!" he exclaimed as he slapped his head. The Doctor scrambled up the console. "Ok old gal, Open TARDIS archives section 34A1 Chapter 16 under the category of living lifeforms that have entered the console room." Just like that, the TARDIS lights up and begins flashing lights, as info pours out on to the monitor in front of him. "Ah!" "There's just too many." "Narrow the search." "Exclude all males, and alien life forms." *brshhhh* "Ok ok." "New search, just search for the name Clara under human female."
The Doctor stared intently at the monitor screen. *Search complete, one result.* With a shaky breath, he said, "Open it." There was a pause, nothing "What? What's wrong?" "Open the file!" Another pause. *Error the file you have requested to open has been tampered with, and is no longer readable. Error message: Run you clever boy." "Dammit!" The Doctor angrily balls his first and slams it on the edge of the console. *wershh* The Doctor sighs, "I'm sorry old girl." It all was coming together. The oddly small footprints leading to the TARDIS, The message on the chalk board, his suit already laid out for him The new Sonic.
She had been here. That timelord had entered his TARDIS for some reason laid out his suit, wrote a message on the board, deleted the file on Clara from the TARDIS, and programed the TARDIS to make a new sonic. It takes time, and knowledge with the console, she might have even removed all the contents from Clara's room on the TARDIS. But why? What was the point? This had to mean Clara was with him on Gallifrey, why would they want him to forget her? She could still be there with them. She could be dead for all he knew.
"Please," he pressed his hand against the glass of the console. "Can you show me her room? I'm not feeling my best right now old girl. I can't remember where it was." No response. *cshhh* He looked to his left on the lower level of the TARDIS a door that wasn't there before had magically appeared and was opening. "Thank you." The Doctor scrambled down the steps reaching the door, looking in, the door led to a long metal hallway leading to more doors. he was about to ask the TARDIS which one it was when he noticed the room at the very end on the right.
It was the only door that was open, and instead of red, the lights were green. The Doctor approached the door, and very slowly entered the room. The room looked like all the other bedrooms on the TARDIS. One dresser with a mirror, a closet, a bathroom, a night stand with a lamp, and a queen size bed. All of the drawers to the dresser were open, and empty, the closet was empty, the bathroom was untouched, and the bed was neatly made.
"Are you sure this is her room?" *wooshhh* It was just as he thought, she had stripped Clara's room clean. He plopped down on the side of the bed and put his head in his hands. He rested his chin on his knuckles and stared at the wall adjacent to him. He looked over at the light stand. The light was on "hmm." he leaned over and opened it. A picture? The picture frame was facing downwards. he carefully lifted it out and slowly turned it around to look at the picture itself. The first thing he saw was the bowtie. It was him his old face. The one with the giant chin, no eyebrows, and fetish for bowties. He was smiling ear to ear, standing off of a balcony there was a giant building in the background.
It was the Shard. He had his arm around someone. He could tell it was a girl by the frame of her shoulders, but he couldn't see her face because someone a scratched it off with something sharp. He knew it was Clara, but he was angry with him self for not remembering her face, and he was mad at the timelord in the Diner for practically tried to delete Clara from his life Why couldn't he just remember her face or even anything they had said that day?
He turned the frame to the back again and noticed the right hinge holding the frame together was lose. What would it hurt? He thought. He took out the remaining hinges and took out the back to the frame. The picture wasn't the only thing there. There was a leaf? Yes, a single brown leaf, about the size of his hand. Why a leaf? He knew it had something to do with Clara in some way. He had seen this leaf before. It was obviously from Earth, but he had seen it somewhere else. Where was it? Akhaten? Yes... Wait, maybe not. Was it Trenzalore? The Doctor was lost in his thoughts.
After of few moments of thought he jumped up, and rushed back into the console room running over to the controls. "This leaf, I know this leaf is connected to her somehow!" he said while mashing buttons, and turning levers. "So, I need to go to the first place I remember seeing this leaf." He jerked the main lever down, sending the TARDIS flying through space and time towards the Doctors destination. suddenly it was all quite. He had landed. the Doctor walked towards the doors out of his ship, opened them, and walked out.
The first thing you will notice about Akhet, is the busy streets covered in markets, and tourists from all edges of the universe. The Second thing you'll notice is the noise. Languages of all species in one concentrated spot. the Doctor walked into the busy street and was about to try to communicate with a Hooloovoo to ask where he could find a high command. After all, there had to be a leader. With the old god dead, there was no reason for there to be a festival of offerings, and the people probably just formed a government of their own. Just as he approached the creature, he heard a voice behind him, "Ahem!" "The Queen of Years wishes to know who trespasses in her kingdom. We have enough thieves as it is.
The Doctor turns around to face the voice. Ahh, a guard. He was a tall older looking man, in long red robes. With a sidearm on his hip. "Ah, hello." The Doctor walked towards the man. "Step back!" The man exclaims The Doctor stops. "Ok, your not a hugger." "That's fine!" he chuckles "Neither am I." "basically, I'm a grumpy Scottish alien from a planet far away. I've had twelve different faces, and I have two hearts, and I'm looking for info on a lost friend." "But you can call me the Doctor." The man just eyes him up and turns, to look around the corner at something. He motions for them to come over. The Doctor curiously peers around to see a woman, and two more guards approaching them. The guard who stopped to Doctor faces the woman, and bows, "My Queen."
The woman, was young barely old enough to be an adult, she had long curly blonde hair, and had silky red robes covering her, with a jeweled crown on her head. That couldn't be, could it? "Zephia, who is this man." "I was just asking that my Queen." the man said as he stared the Doctor down. The woman looked over at the Doctor. "You there, have you passed inspection?" "Show me your stamp of passage." The Doctor just stared at her, realization hitting him in the chest. "Merry, Is that you?" he said. "The woman looked puzzled, "I'm sorry, do I know you?" Now it was the Doctors turn to be puzzled.
"Wait, you don't remember me?" "Oh, right, stupid me!" "The face I have a new face." he said as he ran his hands down his cheeks. "I'm the Doctor, you know, bowtie, tweed jacket, huge pointy chin." The woman just stared at him. "The sonic, do you remember the sonic?" "You know pointy metal stick, with a green light bit." 'It looks kind of like this. The Doctor takes out his new blue sonic. The guards jump into action "Drop the weapon!" They aim their pistols at him. "Ok, ok, calm down." The Doctor throws his arms up. "Wait!" Merry walks up the Doctor. "Prove it." "Prove you are the Doctor that saved us oh so long ago." The Doctor just stands there for a second.
"Oh! The box the big blue box, remember!" "My ship it's right over there." He points down an alleyway. Merry walking over and looks where he is pointing. Sure enough at the end of the alley, sat the TARDIS. *flashback* Young Merry and Clara hide behind the Tardis *end flashback* Realization smacks Merry in the face, and a large grin forms on her face. "It is you." She lunges out and engulfs him in a hug. "Like I said, I uh, I'm not a hugger." "I don't think you have much of a choice" Merry said. A confused look forms on the Doctors face. "Doctor? Are you alright?"
*flashback*
The Doctor and Clara are in London, she hangs up her cell, and stares at him, even though they are both talking he can't hear her words, or even make out her face. He still can't remember her face! Then, he hears a distorted voice, as she lunges at him. "I'm not much of a hugging person" It was him! Then, another distorted voice he can't place. "I don't think you have much of a choice." Clara! it was Clara. He couldn't place the voice, but he knew she had said it.
*end flashback*
"-octor, Doctor!" "Hello? Doctor!" He snaps back into reality "Doctor, are you alright?" Worry in Merry's face. "yes, I just..." "Never mind it" he still looks a bit confused. "Merry I need to speak to you in private." "Please." A curious look forms on her face, "Follow me." She leads them past the markets, and the tourists of Akhet, and eventually makes it to a large door guarded my more Sun-singers of Akhet. She nods and one of the guards presses a button on his wrist, and the doors, slide open.
There is a long white hallway followed a giant fire pit it in the middle of the room. The smoke venting out of a hole in the roof. There are two more guards at the end, and finally, a throne made of gold and some other exotic jewels. "Zephia, you and Makär stay here." Merry looks at the Doctor. "Come with me." "My queen I insis-" "It's ok Makär!" He backs down, and they enter a room to the left, its a small room with nothing but a single table, and two chairs, surrounded by stone walls. "Please, sit." Merry takes a seat, and the Doctor walks over and sits adjacent to her.
"I knew you'd come back." Merry smiles "How long has it been since I was here last?" the Doctor said "fifteen years." The Doctor seemed satisfied enough. They both eyed each other and stared each other down. "What's that look in your face Doctor?" she asked curiously "Regret? no, sorrow." He remained silent. "Doctor." a very slight look of sadness started to form on her face. "Where is Clara Doctor?" He still said nothing "Doct-" "I don't know." He finally said in a defeated hushed voice. "What do you mean?" "Tell me something didn't happen to her!"
There was a deep hushed sigh bellowing from his tired face. Merry, I have a lot to explain. I'll explain what happened to my old body, I'll explain everything I remember." "Wait!" "Everything you remember?" she interrupted "It is a very very long story." "Where do I begin?"
"And that's when I decided I had to learn everything I could about her, the leaf, I knew, I just knew it was connected to this place, somehow." It had been a lot to take in, but Merry was one hundred percent focused on what she was hearing. "So you can remember the things you did with her, you just can't remember anything about her, the conversations you had, and her face?" Merry asked curiously "That's correct" The Doctor leaned over the table. "Merry I have to find her. I just have too." "I need your help, tell me everything you remember about her. Please"
"Well, she-" There was a loud bang and a guard stormed in, it was the one who stopped the Doctor earlier, Zephia. "My queen!" Merry turns "Yes Zephia, what is it?" "The singers are growing tired of waiting. They are rallying the people. We have to do it now!" "Do what now?" The Doctor chimed in "There have been thieves hitting the markets, and we've captured their leader." "This is his third offense in Akhet, and the punishment, is death."
" The Doctor just stared back "Is that wise Merry? Killing a man." Merry simply responded with "We have to make an example of him. If we kill the leader, his filthy minions will scatter." She left, Zephia following, then the doctor right behind them. They followed Merry down a corridor to the left, and up a flight of stairs, out onto a balcony in perfect view of the town bellow. A crowd had begun to gather bellow. "Citizens of Akhet! Sun-singers of Akhaten!"
"As you know we have had a string of thrives in your markets! The crowd let out an angry roar "But, we have recently captured the leader of these petty lowlifes!" The roar of anger turned into a roar of cheering. "This is his third offense against us, and the punishment is death!" The roar became louder "But what kind of leader would I be if I didn't let my people choose?"
"Should he live?" The cheer became angry again "Or shall he perish?" A roar of cheering began again "The people have spoken!" she turns to Makär "Bring the prisoner out ." The Doctor jumps in "Merry think about what you are doing" He placed his hand on her shoulder "Taking this man's life won't fix your problems." he said with a stern look She simply looks at him "The people of Akhet have spoken, I can't stop this, not now." Makär returns bringing a handsome beat up man with dark brown hair, and a ripped up black over coat. The Doctor takes a step back in shock "Jack?"
YAY FOR CLIFFHANGERS, AND YAY FOR CAPS LOCK! I'M NOT SURE WHEN CHAPTER 2 IS COMING OUT, BECAUSE OF CHRISTMAS, AND ALL. BUT IT WILL I PROMISE! SPEAKING OF WHICH... Merry Christmas everybody! :)