Chapter 4:

"Is this planet suitable, Doctor?" Lady asked with a strange look on her face. It was of sadness. I could almost definitely guess that she was thinking about her planet. I knew that face, I'd worn that face. It was as normal to me as regenerating to a new body. I realized I enjoyed seeing it as much as wearing it. "Where are we, Lady?" I asked. She pursed her lips. "Kara sevde in the Razblituo Peninsula Galaxy. Home of the Saudade," she spoke quietly either out of sadness over what she was contemplating or embarrassment over what she was saying.

"Interesting choice of venue. I haven't been here in...in years. I was still a budding Time Lord the last time I visited." She blushed vividly and I narrowed my eyes. "Do you...come here often?" She grinned and I laughed playfully. Looking down, she answered, "I have always visited here. It brings me some emotion in a place devoid of that...What can I say? I'm a sap." The pure misery I saw in her smile and in those strange eyes, that misery broke my heart wholly. How could one so young have experienced so much to cause such pain? Also, I couldn't understand why her needing emotion was so...emotional. Smiling back, I answered, "This is brilliant."

I took her hand and we walked to the door together. Lady puffed her chest out and sucked in a big breath preparing for what I assumed to be overwhelming nostalgia. I pushed the door open and stepped out to meet the romantic landscape facing me. "You're a high-class date aren't you?" She nodded with tears in her eyes. Finally, she croaked, "Yeah, I suppose...I am...Crazy too. But a crazy lady for a mad doctor I suppose..." I smiled understandingly and we walked silently to a French couture restaurant and sat down at a table. Wine and bread were brought out. I got a glass but immediately spit it back in the glass. A bell rang from across the table at me.

"See, the thing is, I get all these new bodies, and I'm bound to like wine in at least one of them, but not yet. But enjoy. I'm sure it's the finest." She poured herself a glass of the gourmet red wine before exhaling deeply. "Doctor, tell me about your life." I shook my head in the same fashion that she did to me oh so often. "You tell me what you know about my life." After taking a long drink, she answered, "Last of the Time Lords, originated in Gallifrey. During the Time War you stole a TARDIS and ran away with just a Sonic Screwdriver and Psychic Paper. You've continued on finding different companions that will always...that will always leave. They always leave."

She slammed her fist onto the table knocking over the wine glass but not caring. "I'm so, so sorry, Doctor. I...you have much more tragedy than I do. I'm assuming. Sure we're about the same age, but you've gone and explored and experienced. And here I am dragging you around all bossy and up in arms giving you nothing." She wiped her eyes of tears as I gazed at her in wonder. "The truth is, Doctor, I was so scared before you visited me. I just figured you could get me back sprinting like I used to." Glancing about frantically, she ran away from the table.

I shook my head knowing she needed time. Time could help her. I debated letting her go. But the TARDIS said that I required her and she obviously felt the same towards me. Finally, I managed to pry myself up from the table and walk slowly in her direction. As I walked along the beautiful scenes, the vines stretched elegantly along the curving walkway and the flowers budded of all different sizes, shapes, and species. I found myself enchanted and humming to myself as I slowed slightly in speed. Lady can wait, I thought. Then I stopped in my wondering track. "Lady," I whispered. I suddenly began sprinting in the direction I thought she went to.

I found myself in a garden that the Greeks would describe as Aphrodite's and Persephone's lovechild of nature. The flowers grew large and attractive, the stones for the walkway gladly welcomed the brightest green moss imaginable, and the sky melted into the vivid crimsons, flaming oranges, and golden yellows notable of a sunset. I found her sitting there in her blank white dress pretty as a picture. From her strange, violet eyes fell glistening tears. Slowly, the sunset dripped away its colorful, blazing fingers and was replaced by the quiet presence of a lovely night. Billions of stars and planets aligned in the space above the planet we were on to create an ideal of both light and darkness. Finally, I turned to the crying maid in front of me. She'd been alone long enough.

"Lady," I spoke as I placed myself beside her on the ivory bench carved eccentrically by the best sculptors I'd ever met. Her hands met her face as she covered her sadness up. "Lady, look at me." I placed my hand under her chin pulling her gaze towards myself and removed her hands from her eyes. "Lady, listen to me..." She finally began to mind me. "What is it Doctor? I'm pathetic. Unraveling on my own just by being in a familiar place." Her face was still covered in the tears she continued to shed. "Lady, listen. Just a bit ago I was in about the same position as you."

I assessed myself before breathing in deeply. I stood up dramatically before launching in, "I murdered the entirety of my race. The great Time War. The Daleks and the Time Lords fought against each other destroying planets and races in their fight for control. And I had the ability to stop it. I pressed that button and...genocide...genocide it was. And I must live with that fact for the rest of my regenerations, Lady. Now, tell me how we are so similar. Are you a murderer as much as I am?" She sobbed softly and I regretfully observed that it sounded quite similar to her laugh in a bell-like way.

"Doctor...my story is much longer. But I'll start with the basics about why I'm here in tears. My people were in war divided into seven groups." She made a humorless laugh, opposing her typical bell one. This one sounded like someone was torturing a hundred innocent bells. "Seven groups of immortal beings. They fought for a millennium at least. Oh and it was horrendous. I saw glimpses of the Time War and this was nearly on the same level. But no one died. No other planet was destroyed. But the fight was of power. They would steal another being's power just to have that being steal from someone else. And it never made sense to me. The fight was over not sharing power and yet they fought by doing just that...

"And I...I had to do it. I had to destroy all of them. Because some of them realized that the rest of the universe, I had to destroy them. One of them in particular. I knew her. Hullanta was her name. She tried to take all of the power and rule over all of the species. And I was the only one to stop her. I was the only one who wasn't...who wasn't able to fight. So I ended it all. I destroyed them all in clumps. Star by star. With this weapon..." she pulled out her dagger from her dress. It looked peculiar. She tossed it over to me and I cautiously took it. "It won't cut you, I promise. If it does, you're in a lot of trouble."

I pulled out my Sonic and examined it. Things finally started clicking. But only some things. "Lady...this is Sonic and...whatever else it is." She nodded and placed it back where it belongs. She got up slowly with the weight of an old woman in her stature. Cautiously, she sat down on a swing and began steadily propelling herself forwards and back. I eventually sat down beside her and murmured, "Tell me everything. Tell me everything from the beginning." She nodded and started to gather herself. Understanding, I spoke, "This garden can get into our mind and process whatever we think is the most beautiful. And we'll never fully be able to understand how it looks to anyone else." She nodded tearfully before stating, "Here goes, Doctor. Here goes my life of turmoil."