THE RETURN OF MIDNIGHT
Part 3

A ghostly figure dragged itself out from beneath the bed. It seemed to more a person that had been, and although it didn't have the same glow of ghost, it was extremely faded and almost transparent. It was slightly tattered and broken, and when a small wave of pity hit the Doctor, he quickly pushed it away.

It looked as if it had come from a horror movie.

It continued to drag itself forward and finally stopped at the Doctor's feet. The Doctor crouched down to be at its eye level.

"What are you...?" the Doctor thought aloud. The ghost grinned the most frightening grin he'd seen.

"Midaxtrom. From the planet Midnight. Distant relation to the Krilitanes. Perhaps you've heard of them?" the ghost crunched between labored breathing. Its a see-through saliva dripped to floor and fogged up its speech. "Only difference is that we seem to get all the worst features. And how lovely it is to finally meet the Doctor in the flesh." The Doctor's face hardened.

"How have I not heard of your species before?" he asked, more of a thought to himself than a question to the so called Midaxtrom.

"Our kind keeps quiet. Never making a sound."

"Until now." It smiled.

"Of course! Forgot to introduce myself. My name is Feracsh." It leaned on its ribs and lifted an hand that couldn't be gripped to shake. The Doctor refused and grimaced its deathly appearance.

"Before we get to first name basis," the Doctor said sarcastically, "I need to know what you are, how you got here, and the hell you're doing to Rose." Feracsh laughed venomously.

"So impatient, Doctor. Thought we would be having a nice conversation over tea but you just want the basics?" it laughed.

"Oh. And that's another thing. How do you know who I am?" Ferasch frowned darkly and put its head in its hands.

"One question at a time. Let's start with question number one. I'm a shapeshifter. Can't really shift into much but two forms, but it's certainly worth it. My first and most basic form is this and my second form is what you see inside possessed people. Problem about this earth is that without the extonic sunlight, I have to continually switch back and forth so I don't drain either form. It wasn't a problem until recently, which shows that I won't last much longer. But nevermind that. Everytime I pull out of someone, I damage myself, hence how faded I am," it said, motioning at itself. "We're not meant to pull out. Once we're in, we're built to simply pass on and leave pieces of ourselves within people. But when the original carrier, meaning the first person that's been occupied, dies, we die with them. It's unfortunate and far from promising process, really."

This part of their conversation explained most of his trip to Midnight, but his quizzical expression easily showed that there was still missing information. And why was this ghost giving away all of this information? Was it secret? Or was it simply telling him because the Doctor literally had no way of stopping it?

"But why? Why the possession and the passing on, and the killing?" he questioned, thoroughly frustrated.

"But Doctor. We don't kill. We change. We change them in ways they'd never believe. New ideas running through their heads, Doctor. New life!" Ferasch explained excitedly. The Doctor frowned.

"New life? You call possessing someone and filling their head with someone else's thoughts, 'New life'? I'd call it identity theft," the Doctor snarled. Ferasch gurgled a dark laugh.

"Charming, you are Doctor. But if you want to know why we do it, it's so that we can gain information."

"For what?"

"To share. With our kind. Never know when something could be useful. Our species deals with the trade of secret information," Ferasch said. The Doctor put his free hand to his temples, trying to process its words.

"However, our generation decided that our quiet life was better than dying to occasionally get a few secrets out of a stupid human. So we kept to ourselves. Until you came, Doctor." The Doctor looked up in suprise. "So...full of them. Teeming with secrets and information that could help the whole of mankind."

"And create a generation of theives like your ancestors." The Doctor eyed the pitiful creature. "You'd be selfish. Helping only your kind."

"And you would be one to talk, dark Doctor. Rescuing the dispensable lives of insignificant humans but in the process killing off so many others. Just to save the ones that meant something to you. But they're all gone now anyway, right? Except her. Lucky you." The Doctor put a stoic expression on.

"That doesn't matter. You were saying something about my thoughts?" he said, distracting Ferasch.

"But all that knowledge. You didn't have it for nothing. It was protected. Locked up. One of our brothers saw everything in your head but he was unable to retrieve any of it. Because you, Time Lord, know much more than the whole universe." The Doctor looked at Rose, who was still damgerously motionless on the ground.

"And even after that you've come back to try again, even when you failed?" Ferasch gave him a menacing grin.

"Never stopped you," he pointed out, "but that was not our reasoning. Now, Doctor, you are no longer Time Lord. But human, and vulnerble. An easier access. Your thoughts are worth every universe in existence and now that we can get inside your head properly...oh yes, Doctor. Things look brighter up ahead." The Doctor's face grew dark.

"It isn't as easy as it sounds."

"But poor, poor Doctor. How can you resist such a young, pretty face..." Ferasch rambled, dragging a nail across Rose's blank face, drawing blood. Obviously being faded didn't make you untouchable. The Doctor grabbed Ferasch's wrist.

"Don't."

"Or what? Doctor, we know you. What will you do? Offer us a place to live in peace? An alternative? Zap me senseless with a screwdriver?" Ferasch worked at him. He could see the Doctor growing angrier. His knowledge made it possible for Ferasch to push the right buttons.

"Sooner than later, Doctor, you won't resist her anymore. You'll have to speak to her eventually. Or are you so selfish to keep her locked in a dark room to spare your own brain?"

"You don't understand. If this information is known to anyone but myself, it could destroy the foundation of time. Even you know that. You'd be destroyed."

"But you're the one who is forgetting. Only the universe in which we stand will be destroyed. This parallel earth and solar system and space will be demolished but the true world where we both come from, will be safe between the gaps. Untouched."

"And you'll die."

"A suicide bomber." The Doctor had no other opposing words to offer. "It's for the good of mankind. Once this world has perished, my brothers create a precedent. And it is from that they will base your head off of. Everything that brings the destruction of this universe will he avoided, bringing another Golden Age. We aren't stupid," Ferasch said matter-of-factly.

"So you have your 'Golden Age.' But what about Rose? You're not exactly pocket-sized. Everytime you pull out, you're not just damaging yourself, you're-"

"Damaging her in the process. She's dispensable. Unimportant. So someone dies. What's it to me and my brothers?"

"But if she dies, you die." Ferasch grinned maniacally.

"See, I highly doubt that. By the time she dies, what kind of lover wouldn't be at her side, talking, heaven forbid, sweet nothings into her ear? And so, Doctor. Our human; so SO human Doctor, you become so vulnerable. So open. So...helpless," he whispered the last word teasingly. The Doctor grabbed Ferasch's shoulder, digging his fingers into the almost unnoticable flesh.

"You can't."

"Oh Doctor! Offer us peace. Make us a pact. Species united," Ferasch joked, trying to keep from laughing madly. The Doctor loosened his grip and looked back at Rose.

All the times he had found himself helpless, every pivotal moment when he thought the world was crashing around him, he always had a last minute plan. He'd always come out alive. He would have some ridiculous idea that saved the day and every stupid ape on planet earth, but right now, he was clueless. He really felt absolutely helpless. Without his TARDIS, he was trapped with the thought of knowing that Rose was about to die at the end of the world and he would die watching it all unfold?

And just much as he hated the thought of traveling alone, he didn't want to die alone.