Beta: orchids117

Chapter 2

"Rose Tyler, I present to you… Daikuroda!" the Doctor announced, pushing the TARDIS doors open with a dramatic flair, revealing a brave new world. She smiled and took his hand as they exited.

"So what's here?" she asked, accustomed to the Doctor's ramblings about each place they went.

"I don't know. I literally do not know; isn't that exciting? This planet doesn't exist in the other universe and the book didn't tell me much."

"So does that make us explorers then?" she asked with a playful smile.

"Kind of does, yeah," he beamed and pulled her behind him as they ventured out into the new territory.

The ground was completely covered in sand, yet the trees were plentiful. The leaves were hard to differentiate from the sky above, as they were both the same glorious shade of blue. The trunks were a light tan colour, with a patchy red moss growing up from the floor.

Directly in front of them was a giant mountain soaring high into the midday sky. It was covered in the same blue-leaved trees and was almost invisible against the wide skyline. To their right, they could see puffs of grey smoke rising into the atmosphere, a sign of the civilization.

They headed in that direction and were greeted by primitive dwellings of purple animal hides and branches in tipi formation. At the sudden arrival of the newcomers the people stopped and turned to stare. They were scarcely dressed with coverings of soft green wool and adorned themselves with jewellery of creamy white bone chips. Their skin was translucent, appearing grey under the sunlight, as did their eyes and braided hair. An older man with a walking stick approached them and loudly inquired in a throaty and garbled tongue as to who they were. It took only the one sentence for the TARDIS to dissect the language and begin translation for the pair.

"I say again: who are you, strange wanderers?" the old man repeated with an edge in his voice.

The Doctor bowed his head slightly in respect for the tribe leader and held his fist out in front of him as he spoke. "My name is the Doctor and this is Rose."

The older man appraised the couple and decided by their smiles that they were kind-hearted. He touched his fist to the Doctor's in a fist-bump – their version of a common handshake.

The people in the settlement visibly relaxed when their leader kindly gestured for Rose and the Doctor to follow him. "Welcome. I am Elder Redleaf, and this is my village."

As they were taken on a tour of the quaint little town, the Doctor immediately noticed that it was more advanced than it had first appeared to be. They had trade routes with other tribes and a large, well organized gathering system for food and supplies.

The Elder motioned for some of the workers to step forward. "Doctor, I would like you to meet some of our best workers. Bluebark, Songmaker, Undermoss, and Lakebloom."

Each of the workers bowed their heads minutely and extended their fists to the pair. The workers were all dressed thicker layers than the rest of the populous, and they all had their silver hair pulled up three long cascading braids, even the men.

"Gan'pa, Gan'pa! There you are!"

From behind them, a little girl came running, a huge flower clutched in her hand, and engulfed Redleaf in a giant hug. Her hair was loose and wispy with the occasional small flower poking out.

"Ah, Flowerpetal!" he grinned. Despite his advancing age, he was still able to pick her up off the ground and swing her around. "Where have you been all morning? You missed the excitement!"

She seemed not to have noticed Rose and the Doctor, and continued talking excitedly. "I was at the pond with Branchling and she lost her doll and then it was in the water and we used a stick and it wouldn't come so we were going to jump in but then I know I'm not allowed to without mommy or pappy but she was going to go anyways but I stopped her and she remembered that it wasn't even her doll it was Greenfeather's so it didn't matter but… then…" she trailed off, finally noticing the pair watching her with bemused smiles.

Redleaf placed a hand on her head. "Flowerpetal, say hello to our guests! They have come from far away." The young girl became shy and hid behind her flower, unsure of the aliens before her. "This is my granddaughter. She is bashful when she should speak up, but when she should hold her silence, she talks endlessly! But as I was saying about the workers…"

While the Doctor and Elder Redleaf continued talking, Rose and Flowerpetal were simply looking at each other. Former eventually bent down to the girl's height and extended her fist slowly.

"Hello, I'm Rose. You're Flowerpetal, right?"

Rose smiled warmly when Flowerpetal extended her fist timidly to meet hers and nodded mutely.

"I like your flower. What kind is it?"

The girl slowly lowered it and blinked a couple of times, before saying softly, "It's a garobkada. They're my favourite."

Rose winked as if confiding a big secret and whispered, "I think they're my new favourite too."

Flowerpetal grinned and grabbed her hand. "Come! I'll show you where to get some!"

She began pulling the crouched Rose towards the field. Rose would have fallen over if not for the Doctor still holding on to her other hand. She carefully pulled her hand away from his, stood up, and waved goodbye to the men as Flowerpetal rushed ahead.

The little girl helped Rose pick five flowers from her secret flower patch and then helped her weave them together into a crown. In a lot of ways, Redleaf's granddaughter reminded her of Tony, which only aided in them getting along so well.

All too soon it was time for them to part ways and Rose rejoined the Doctor and the Elder in the tour of the village.

They saw some of the entertainment; the theatre, a games arena, and the children's play area seemed to be the favourites of the village. They saw some of the hunters' equipment and the farmers' crops. They eventually found themselves at a river which flowed from the top of the mountain down through the village below and beyond. There were several fishermen hard at work with their nets, so the young travellers made sure not to interfere.

The Elder smiled kindly when he saw their hesitation. "Do not worry, Doctor and Rose; take enjoyment! Here is a raft, I will meet you at the bottom," he suggested, leaving them with a weak looking yet sturdy raft of broken branches and tightly wound twine just strong enough to carry their weight down the gently flowing stream.

They lay back on the wood with a small basket of fruits from the harvesters and watched the sky, childishly seeing shapes in the clouds which were not.

"It's so peaceful here," Rose remarked after some silence. The only sounds were the fluttering of the birds and the swish of the calm brook. The Doctor hummed in agreement and offered her a juicy pink berry. She took it from his fingers with her teeth and laughed as the fruit burst and sprayed juice in every direction, staining the light wood.

"This planet moves so slowly! It's almost as still as the TARDIS in the vortex."

She looked at him with slight confusion.

He sighed heavily. "Remember when we first met, and I told you how I could feel the spin of the Earth? Well I still can. And this planet… it's nice."

Rose smiled and propped herself up on her elbows, bringing her face closer to the sun. The Doctor looked in awe at her shimmering beauty and couldn't stop the words from leaving his lips. "I could show you, if you want."

She opened her eyes and saw his hands outstretched towards her, his intentions clear.

"Um, okay," she agreed shyly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. They had never done this before, touched minds. She had always wondered…

They sat cross-legged, facing each other and he slid his fingers over her temples, eyes closed.

Rose bit down on her lip. "Is there anything I need to do? Empty my mind or somethin'?"

"Nope, this is just you entering a sliver of my mind; I won't touch yours." His voice was soft and soothing. He gave her a reassuring smile and rubbed light circles against her temples, trying to make her relax into his touch.

She finally closed her eyes, waiting for something to happen. The Doctor's telepathic connection was not as strong as it used to be, now that he was half human, but he could still maintain a strong link if he concentrated enough – which was proving difficult given his proximity to a certain young blonde.

Deep breath.

He gently pulled back just enough of his mental shielding to allow her to see what he sees; to feel what he can. Suddenly, her mind was flooded with a colossal wave of information. She was entrapped in his senses, experiencing the world through his acute receptors and hyperactive analyzers.

But there, beneath all the white noise of the passing world, was a gentle movement, a circular rotation spinning in on itself. It was not dizzying or distracting, as she had expected, but rather gentle, as a rocking crib or a soothing sway. It was strange, for certain, but lovely and reassuring nonetheless.

She could feel her thoughts numbing and her cares leaving her body, completely relaxed and comfortable. She was about to make a comment on the feeling, when a quivering heave pulled at her insides. The planet was shifting, turning the opposite direction. She could feel the Doctor's confusion and he momentarily forgot about their connection, letting his mind wander to complicated scientific places she dared not venture again; they made her head hurt. However, just as fast as the change happened, everything returned to normal and the turning was tranquil once more. The Doctor slipped his mind closed and carefully pulled his fingers away from Rose's temple, opening his eyes to meet hers

"Sorry about that. I don't know what happened. It was almost like… the planet was being pulled backwards and then released. Huh." He stared off into the distance in thought.

Rose smiled. "That was amazing. Is that what you feel all the time?"

"Well, different planets have different rotation speeds, but essentially, yes."

She leaned her head back against the raft once more and slipped into an almost-sleep state, resting happily as the waves carried them down to the base of the mountain where they were reunited with Elder Redleaf.

Abandoning the raft, their tour brought them to a cavern near the bottom of the mountain. Embellishing the walls were massive cave paintings depicting scenes of wondrous salvation. In an intricate weave of colour and detail there were drawn massive circular discs descending from the sky, shooting a disintegrating beam of blue and green. Farther down the wall there was a picture of a man in a box who sent the ships away with all the authority of a presence to be feared. He stood tall with a small, glowing metal instrument in his hand and people ran to him for protection.

"This is the story of the Grand Healer," the Elder explained. "There was a time of war among the universe, back in the times of my forefathers' youth. The gods were enraged with the battle-bringers and sent down flames from the sky. People were being reversed to dust by demons. Until one day, the promised Healer came and stopped all the death. He sent the wicked ones away, saving the planet from destruction.

"It has been long foretold that he will come again, but with another face, from another time, and save us again from fire. However, his bravery will come at great cost. He will experience pain of heart. He is our Rescuer; our Mender; our Physician. He brings hope to every generation, yet we know not whether he will survive the power of his great foe."

The Doctor's hand went to his hair. There was something so familiar about it all, but what? Could it be that there had at one time been a Doctor existing in this universe? Was he still alive? The Healer with another face from another time, could it be referring to him? And what was that about him not surviving his enemy? Were the Daleks coming back? Again? If not, then who was this 'foe' who would undoubtedly kill him? He ignored the premonition for now, not wanting to spoil a perfectly good day by worrying Rose.

They joined the tribe around a massive bonfire and enjoyed their delicacies that evening. Admittedly, the prospect of fried fish eye and berry soup garnished with slug mucus coated bark did not sound very appetizing, but they'd both had worse.

The night carried on and the sky was beginning to darken. Soon it was evening and they would have to return to the TARDIS. Through their laughter, they announced their departure to the kind people and stood to leave the village.

"Nonsense! You will stay here with us tonight! I'm sure we can find a family with space for you!" Elder Redleaf declared.

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand, intertwining their fingers, and came to a non-verbal agreement to stay.

Redleaf clapped his hands. "How wonderful! I will find a female to house you, Rose. Doctor, you can stay with me. Unless…" He looked down at their joined hands and his eyes widened. "Oh, how rude of me! I should have noticed earlier! You are waiting for Unification? Flowerpetal, come prepare these two for the ceremony! I'm sure they would like it done as soon as possible." He then grabbed the pair's other hands and smiled sheepishly. "I apologize; I assumed incorrectly, though I now realize my mistake! Do not worry about the sleeping arrangements; I will have the Sacred Tent readied."

With a wide grin, Elder Redleaf hurried through the now bustling crowd. They were all murmuring excitedly about the upcoming Unification; there hadn't been one since Lakebloom joined the tribe. The Doctor and Rose looked at each other for answers, but they were pulled away in separate directions by the excited throng. A group of young girls came in and pulled at Rose's hair, twisting it into a beautiful braid adorned with little pink flowers. The Doctor had a long necklace draped around his neck and soon the two were re-united in front of the Sacred Tent.

The Elder returned and looked at the pair. "Lovely! Now, join hands," he directed and they did as they were told, utterly confused. "It shall begin."

From the crowd, three additional older ones stepped forward and they joined hands with the Elder, encircling the pair. They muttered a chanting song while a young boy played a drum somewhere in the distance. A few of the women shed tears of joy at the beautiful occasion and everyone was very enthralled with both the ceremony and the lovely couple. Except of course the very confused Doctor and Rose.

Soon, the chanters parted and pushed the pair to the entrance of the small tipi.

The Elder addressed the audience with upturned hands. "The ceremony will soon be complete. We may now disperse in silence and leave the Newcomers to partake of the final step," he said, and with knowing smiles, the villagers began to leave. "Do not worry; the Sacred Tent is prepared specifically for your needs. You will disturb no one," Elder Redleaf whispered quietly as he pushed them through the cloth doorway.

Near the far end of the round structure was a small burning candle which only let off enough light to make out the basic shapes around them. Sprawled across the floor were layers upon layers of large pillows, covered with beautifully scented petals.

Rose looked to the Doctor with confusion clearly written across her features. His face was away from the candlelight and his expression was completely shadowed; no emotion could be seen.

"Um, Doctor? What just happened? Were they welcoming us to the tribe or somethin'?" she asked, stroking her thumb along the back of his hand.

He shifted uncomfortably. "Erm... Well… In some cultures, holding hands is a sign of engagement or a way of, um, declaring the desire to be, uh, wed and, well, I think... I think we just got married..."

Rose's eyes widened and her hand stilled.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"And this 'Sacred Tent'...?"

His face turned a deep shade of red. "Uh... honeymoon suite..."

She blinked slowly. "... I see."

Rose's hand suddenly felt awkward in his, but pulling it away seemed like an even worse option. They had been married once before, back in the other universe. They had laughed at the situation and made jokes, but this time it was different. She was blushing furiously and she knew the Doctor was pulling his ear nervously. She tried to think of a way to lighten the mood, but the only thing registering in her mind was the sensation of his lips on hers back on Bad Wolf Bay.

They were married. This was a honeymoon suite. For 'completing' the Unification.

On the petal covered pillows.

In the dancing candlelight.

Her heart stopped and she sucked in a breath.

"Rose..." he murmured and a shiver ran down her spine.

"Yes?" she squeaked.

He was about to step towards her, but hesitated. He swallowed loudly and changed his mind, turning towards the mass of pillows instead. "Well... we might as well... uh..." Rose tried to see the expression on his face but it was still too dark. "W- we might as well..." He hastily let go of her hand and jumped onto the 'bed'. "Sleep! Isn't sleep brilliant? I never needed much sleep before, but it's so relaxing. And the dreams! Dreaming is wonderful! Come dream with me Rose!" he said, forcing a nervous grin and patting the spot next to him.

With a worsening blush, she tried to rid herself of the direction her thoughts had inevitably been heading in, and she lay back next to him, innocently, much to her dismay. Despite his declaration of love back at the beach, there was still much uncertainty in their relationship. The Doctor hadn't been together with someone in that way (well, any way, really) for centuries. Rose was still unsure over his true intentions. He hadn't made a move on her since they'd been stranded. Was his love merely platonic? They had resumed their travels in the same friendly way as before, sans the closeness they both craved. Did he not want to be with her in the way she wanted them to be? Either way they would stay with each other forever, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

They turned on their sides and faced each other; the Doctor moved the candle closer so they could see the other better.

"Rose," he sighed, wholly content.

"Yeah, Doctor?"

He stroked his knuckles down the side of her face and mapped every feature with his eyes. Her breath hitched at the way he was looking at her.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed tenderly. She wasn't sure she had heard him right until his hand turned and cupped her cheek, gently pulling her face closer to his own. Perhaps now was the time. Maybe they would at last make the final jump towards the unavoidable.

Their noses bumped and brushed delicately, a teasing preview of what was to come. Breaths mixed and combined into one. Eyes slid closed in expectancy. Fingertips tingled in anticipation.

Their spell was broken by a tremor so profound it left them both momentarily dazed.

From somewhere deep beneath the earth, the ground began to quake violently. Screams of terror came from the surrounding tents and the peaceful citizens of Daikuroda fled in terror.

"Doctor!" Rose's voice shook as she held him to steady herself. He jumped to his feet and whipped out his sonic screwdriver to scan everything: the ground, the air, the mountain. The mountain. Something was stirring beneath the earth's crust that was threatening the stability of the planet.

"We have to get back to the TARDIS! The planet's rotational axis is starting to slip and…" But as quickly as the earthquake started, it stopped. Sometime during the shocks the candle had toppled over and extinguished itself, leaving the pair in darkness. Their hands found each other instinctively and they exited into the night. The bonfire was still alit and most of the population was gathered around it for comfort. The Doctor was still busy with his screwdriver, perplexed by the readings.

"What is it?" Rose asked as the young Flowerpetal took refuge in her arms.

"I don't understand. How could this be happening? The rotational axis of the planet is changing! It's being pulled away from its regular elliptical turn, causing the planet's crust to destabilize and shift. But how? The only explanation is…" His eyes widened. "No. It can't be! Something is overtaking its gravitational orbit! We need…" Another wave of shocks began. "We need to get back to the TARDIS. That mountain is going to erupt!"

Rose gave the Doctor a horrified look. "But we can't just leave these people!"

He grinned wickedly. "C'mon Rose! Don't you know me at all? I just need to make a gravitational singularity with an infinite space-time curvature, causing gravitational collapse in the plane of rotation of infinite density! The magma's internal pressure will be insufficient to resist the planet's own gravity and there will be too little thermal fuel left to maintain its temperature through stellar nucleosynthesis!" He bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly. "Oh, that's brilliant!"

"English please," Rose answered, completely confused.

"A black hole! My people invented them, you know. It shouldn't be that hard; the angular momentum can be measured from far away using frame dragging by the gravitomagnetic field. Then it'll collapse in on itself and the mountain will be empty! No more volcano!"

The Doctor dragged Rose back to the TARDIS, where he spent ten minutes putting together the black hole creating and stabilizing device using odds and ends. Rose argued that the plan sounded dangerous, but in a very Doctor-like fashion, he proceeded onwards, completely confident in his superior Time Lord brain. They moved the TARDIS to the base of the mountain and the people ran to it, taking sanctuary at the comforting wheezing and groaning.

The ground shook again, throwing down trees and launching people in wild directions. With an ear-shattering explosion of fire and rage, the top of the mountain blew off and thick black smoke emerged from the hole, followed by a blinding white ash and a steady stream of thick red lava digesting the cerulean trees.

Elder Redleaf fell to his knees, crying out to the sky for the Healer to come save them from the fire.

The Doctor was in a panic. He was too late. He had to save them. He turned to Rose and took her desperately by the shoulders.

"Rose, listen to me. Please. I need you to help these people. Bring them all into the TARDIS; the shields will protect you until… until I get back. Can you do that for me?"

Tears prickled her eyes.

"Where are you going? Where are you going that's so dangerous? You can't leave me again!"

He lifted his eyes to the top of the volcano and hung his head in shame.

"Rose, there isn't much time. I have to activate the black hole or we're all going to die. I have to run up to the top. Please, Rose, save these people. And I promise… I'll be back for you." Tears fell down her dirtying face and she held onto him for dear life. "Rose, I… I…"

She pulled his face to hers with shaking hands and kissed his sweating forehead. "Shh, it's okay. I know. Go. Go save the world, my Doctor."

With a final squeeze, he turned and ran; he ran for the lives of every being on Daikuroda; for every life he had ever failed to save; for every moment with Rose that was yet to come. They would all survive this; he would make sure of it.

His legs ached as they were whipped by the passing branches and foliage. He struggled against the fallen trunks and against the dips and valleys in the obscured woodland. He allowed himself no moment of pause until he reached the illuminating wall of steaming ruby and scarlet dripping ever closer. The hot vapour burned his skin and restricted his breathing. The smoke burned his lungs, every breath a shot of poison to his being.

He gathered the device safely in his arms and jumped from rock to fallen bough, crossing the perilous molten rock and volcanic emission. At last, he peered down into the bubbling abyss that was dooming the innocent and young. These people had so much life ahead of them, so many years yet to live. They were on the brink of advancement; who was he to let this nightmare limit their potential?

He took a deep breath, pressed the button, and threw the device down, as far down into to the bottomless chasm as it would go. In the span of only a few seconds, a small circular void appeared and grew, grew into a spinning fissure of obscurity.

The constantly ebbing thick matter slowed and abruptly halted, suspended in a gravityless bubble of electrical energy and fields. There was a moment of immobility, of quiet. The calm before the storm.

And like the suddenness of a clap of thunder the world began to be pulled in. Leaves swirled in the air around him and his hair whipped his forehead. The magma was pulled into the barren darkness where nothing could exist. As the movements of the eruption were pulled to a climactic rise, the singularity vanished into a vacuum of oblivion. Just like that, it was gone, leaving an empty cragged precipice in its place. No magma; no light; no death. In the dim heavenly light the only things seen were the trails of a devastation that was no more.

From the monitor, Rose had seen it. Through the awe and panic of the people, she had seen it all. The fear and panic in the Doctor's eyes while staring down into the mouth of the volcano while the impossibly hot, blood-red fluid of desolation swirled around him in ribbons descending to their death. And now he was running back home, safe and sound as promised.

She ran to meet him halfway and as unstoppable forces they collided, gripping each other in relief and dread over what might have been. They were in their own world of life and victory, barely recognizing the grateful people surrounding them with cheers. Elder Redleaf's proclamations eventually drew them out of their stupor.

"… and so fall to the ground my people, and praise the mighty Healer, who as prophesied, has come to us in his impossible box to eat the fire and destruction!"

Rose giggled at the Doctor's startled look as the tribe all bowed to their god of protection. The Healer; the Doctor.

"So, remind me again... how many civilizations worship you?"she teased, giving him her trademark smile.

The Doctor scratched his head in mock-thought.

"Including this one? That would be, uh, all of them?" he stated with a smile.

He could have easily complained and convinced them otherwise, but why disappoint them? They had just met their idol, their saviour. They were beyond elated. So, puffing out his chest and giving off an air of importance, he walked through the crowd back towards the TARDIS.

"Yes, people of Daikuroda, it is I: the Great Healer! Now, if you don't mind us, the goddess Rose and I must depart! We thank you for your hospitality."

He bowed in a final goodbye, ushered the wildly giggling Rose into the TARDIS, and dematerialized before wide and dumbfounded eyes.

Once the pair were safely floating in the vortex, they turned to each other with matching grins.

"That was quite impressive 'Great Healer'. Emptying a volcano in less than five minutes? Definitely praise-worthy."

The Doctor adjusted his tie and waved off the compliment.

"I try," he snobbishly replied, but failed in keeping his tone serious. He began to laugh again as the adrenaline dissipated in his system. Rose simply bit her lip and stared. He could have died, yet there he was, with her, perfectly fine.

"Thank you, Doctor."

She gazed at him with such tenderness that another hug was implicit. As they held each other happily, Rose stifled a yawn and buried her head in his neck.

"C'mon Rose, you should get some rest."

He held her hand and walked her to her bedroom door in silence. He knew he should leave her to her business, but he didn't feel like leaving just yet; not before he gently moved some hair from her eyes and brushed his lips across her smooth cheek in a sweet goodnight kiss.

"Goodnight. I hope you sleep well, wife," he joked.

"Likewise, husband," she blushed and retreated into her bedroom to revel in the feel of his mouth on her skin.

He made his way to his own room with a satisfied quirk to his lips and a yawn of his own. Before sleep overtook him with thoughts of Rose, however, he opened his precious book and read a few more pages.

The bloodbath spanned across the universe and through the Time Vortex itself. As the Daleks penetrated Gallifrey's superior defences and overcame Rassilon's technologies, the superiority of the Time Lord race was tested like never before. Arcadia, Gallifrey's second city, began to fall. The Skaro Degradations led to the destruction of Arcadia's sky-trenches, leaving the city defenceless. The High Counsel of Gallifrey desperately used every weapon in their possession, including the long sealed and thought lost Omega Arsenal. The destruction was great and the Daleks were quickly becoming the victors. As the Time Lord's plans failed, Rassilon, the founder of their great society, named himself Lord President. He manipulated the High Counsel into implementing the Ultimate Sanction, a genocide scheme which threatened all of creation…

Thoughts would be much appreciated!