I'm sorry about the amount of script copying in this episode, but it's the only way I can move on with the plot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, I'm merely borrowing.
"Darling?" Her father called, interrupting the young girl's thoughts. She snapped into life, blinking at him. "Doctor Moon is going now. But he'd like a word with you, if that's OK."
The girl nodded, setting aside her colouring. "Yes, of course, Doctor Moon."
Doctor Moon muttered thanks to her father and perched himself on the edge of the sofa. Her father exchanged a look with his daughter before exiting the room. Doctor Moon knotted his hands together as the young girl toyed with a crayon. The silence was uncomfortable.
"Now, listen. This is important. There's the real world, and there's the world of nightmares. That's right, isn't it? You understand that?" Doctor Moon asked. The girl nodded rapidly in response, bewilderment apparent on her expression. "What I want you to remember is this... and I know it's hard. The real world is a lie, and your nightmares are real. The Library is real. There are people trapped in there, people who need to be saved. The shadows are moving again. Those people are depending on you. Only you can save them. Have you got that? Only you."
The girl widened her eyes, before lowering her gaze to the floor in confusion.
"The what?" Donna's brow creased together.
"The Vashta Nerada," The Doctor repeated, crouching under a table stacked high with books.
"Yeah, and they are...?" Rose prompted, regaining some composure.
"Hold on, let me just...." He peered into the darkness, "OK...I think we've got a live one!" He stood up, clutching a chicken leg in one hand, "That's not darkness down those tunnels, this is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man-eating swarm. Watch this-" He tossed the leg into the darkness. Before anyone could respond, the chicken leg was devoured rapidly, just bone by the time it hit the ground.
"What the hell?" River Song exclaimed.
"The piranhas of the air, the Vashta Nerada. Literally 'the shadows that melt the flesh'. Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive."
"But...they're not on Earth?" Rose asked.
"Yeah, Earth, and a billion other worlds. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look. The dust in sunbeams," The Doctor jerked a finger towards the lamp to illustrate his point. Donna scrunched her nose in disgust.
"When I was younger, I used to try and eat those!" She cringed; causing River Song and his team to snort with humour. She glared at them.
"But if they were on Earth, we'd know, wouldn't we? I mean, we'd be eaten alive," Rose motioned to the humans in the room.
"Nah. They mostly live off roadkill. But there have been cases where people've gone missing, under mysterious circumstances," The Doctor plucked the meatless chicken leg from the floor and examined it, "Not everyone comes back out of the dark."
Rose shivered at his tone.
"So..every shadow?" River Song interjected.
"No. But any shadow," The Doctor threw him a wary look and pocketed the bone.
"Well, what exactly do we do about it?" River enquired.
"Nothing much we can do, really. Daleks - aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans - back of the neck. Vashta Nerada... Run! Just run."
"Is that it? Just run?" River responded curtly. The Doctor arched an eyebrow.
"You got a better idea?"
"Well, no, but-"
"Very well then, we run."
"But where exactly do we run?" Anita piped up, glancing around the library.
"This is an index point. There must be an exit teleport somewhere around here..." He trailed off, clicking his tongue in concentration. Donna cocked her head around the room too, her eyes locking with the little shop tucked away in the corner.
"Doctor, the shop! They always make you go through the little shop on the way out to make you buy things," She explained, grinning at the fact that she'd figured it out.
Rose kept her eyes fixed firmly on the shop, not daring to look at either River Song or the Doctor. This was all her fault. If she hadn't received that message from River on the psychic paper, then she'd still be in the TARDIS, safe, and not being threatened by flesh eating monsters. She groaned inwardly as the Doctor bounded towards the shop. She pretended not to notice River gesturing at her to come over, instead, she glided over to Donna.
"You alrigh'?" Rose asked, in a hushed tone. Donna managed a smile.
"Been better, s'ppose. But I suppose this is what life with the Doctor's like. Expect the unexpected, eh?" She gently nudged Rose in the ribs as they watched the Doctor scrutinize the shop.
"Right then, let's move it!" Proper Dave announced happily. The Doctor paused and glanced over at him.
"Actually, Proper Dave, do you mind just staying there?"
"Uh..why?"
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but you've got two shadows," The Doctor jerked his chin to the floor, causing everyone to look in horror. "It's how they hunt, they latch on to a food source and keep it fresh. I'm sorry," The Doctor repeated weakly.
"What...what do I do?" Proper Dave spluttered, his eyes wild with dread.
"Just calm down, OK? You've got to stay absolutely still. Like there's a wasp in the room, like there's a million wasps, think of that."
"We're not leaving you, Dave, don't worry," River assured him confidently.
"Of course we're not leaving him. Where's your helmet? Don't point, or anything, just tell me," The Doctor asked carefully.
"On the floor, by my bag," Dave mumbled. Anita clambered over the equipment to get it, making the Doctor more apprehensive.
"Don't cross his shadow!" He ordered. Anita handed him the helmet cautiously, "Thanks. Now, the rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got," The Doctor commanded the group. "Quickly!"
"Uh, Doctor, slight problem. We don't have helmets," Donna indicated to the three of them.
"We'll be safe."
"Really? How exactly are we safe?" Rose twisted her mouth into a tight frown.
"Well, we're not, that was a clever lie to shut you up. Professor, anything I can do with the suit?"
The Doctor and River Song began to run round, sealing up suits with the sonic screwdriver. Rose and Donna clasped hands and smiled at each other nervously.
"It's OK. We'll stop these Vashta thingies," Donna whispered soothingly. Rose sighed dejectedly, causing Donna to recoil. "What, you're saying you'd rather let them eat you? What's got you feelin' all suicidal all of a sudden?"
"I didn't say I wanted to be eaten by them, it's just....this whole River Song situation. Who is he? It's really hard not wanting to know the future when it's standing right infront of you, just beggin' to be taken. I wish we'd never come here," Rose scuffed her feet, not meeting Donna's gaze.
"I know. This whole thing's probably got you feeling really confused-"
"You have no idea," Rose muttered.
"Yeah, but that's the future. The sooner you've left River Song, the better. You belong with us, at least for the present," Donna wrapped an arm around the blonde.
"But I just feel so useless! Not bein' able to do anythin'. People are dyin' around us, and all I can think about is myself," Rose moaned miserably. Donna pressed her lips together tensely and subtly removed her hand from Rose's grip. This wasn't the Rose she enjoyed being around. She understood that the blonde was feeling upset, but moping about it wasn't going to make it any better. Donna looked over at the Doctor, who approached them rapidly.
"Right. Who's first?" He asked, pulling them over to the shop.
"To do what?" Donna replied.
"You don't have a suit, you're not safe! I'm teleporting you to the TARDIS, both of you," He explained, setting Donna in her place.
"You don't have a suit either, so you're in just as much danger as we are and I'm not leaving!" Donna protested, but before she could argue more, the Doctor flipped a lever and she disappeared with a flash.
"Oh, she's gonna kill you when you catch up with her," Rose smiled.
"Well, I should really let the Vashta Nerada devour me while I still have to chance. Much less painful," The Doctor countered, fixing his hands on Rose's shoulders and steering her towards the teleportation spot.
"Doctor!" River called from the other room. The Doctor vaulted from the shop to meet River. Rose stood in place patiently, resolving to cheer up and take a brighter outlook on the situation.
Suddenly, she felt a painful jolt of electricity run through her, sparking from the lever. She jerked away from the spot, her head throbbing. Her whole body shook as she stumbled to meet the Doctor and River, who were inspecting Proper Dave's shadow.
"It's just gone. I... I looked round, one shadow. See," Proper Dave's voice was laced with hope, "Can I move now?"
"Does this mean we can leave? I don't really want to hang around here," River laughed with relief.
"I don't know why we're still here. We can leave him, can't we? I mean, no offence..." Mr Lux shrugged to illustrate his point. River rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, Mr Lux," He spat.
"They're gone, right? So, I can move-"
"No, no, no! Don't move, stay there. They're not gone. They're never just gone. And they never give up, so stay still," The Doctor instructed, grabbing his sonic screwdriver and investigating the shadows with it. River glanced at Rose, his eyes narrowing when he saw her state.
"Rose? Everything OK?" He asked with trepidation. Rose could barley shake her head.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave asked.
"No-one, they're fine," The Doctor responded inattentively, concentrating on the shadows.
"No, seriously, who turned them out?"
"They're on," Mr Lux heaved a sigh, "Don't be so ignorant, Proper Dave."
"I can't see-"
"Dave, turn around," The Doctor ordered silently. Proper Dave did as he was told, his face invisible in the helmet.
"What's going on? Why can't I see? Is the power gone, are we safe here? Am I the only one...?" Dave trailed off, his mind clouding. His body stiffened.
"Dave, I want you stay still, absolutely still. Dave, Dave? Dave, can you hear me, are you all right? Talk to me, Dave," The Doctor demanded frantically.
"I'm fine, I'm OK, I'm, I'm fine. I can't... Why can't I? I... I can't... Why can't I? I... I can't... Why can't I? I..."
"He's gone. He's ghosting," River announced sadly, staring at Proper Dave's blinking communicator.
"Then...why is he still standing?" Mr Lux pointed out.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave's voice called loudly, "Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?" The light on his helmet flicked on abruptly, revealing a skeleton. Rose managed to croak a gasp, reminding the Doctor she still hadn't been teleported away.
"All of you, back away from it!" River pulled his group into the corner. Proper Dave began to stagger towards them, several shadows reaching out from him and moving towards the group. Rose found it hard to breath, cramped with everyone. She was still shaking, the dizziness rapidly becoming stronger. She keeled to the floor with a soft whine, knocking her head on the wood. River threw a gun at Mr Lux and swiftly scooped a lifeless Rose into his arms.
"Use the gun. Aim at the wall, do it!" River shouted over Proper Dave's repeated words. Mr Lux did as he was told and blasted a perfect square through the wall. "Everyone, move!" River clambered through the hole, careful of his passenger.
"You have a squareness gun?" The Doctor observed," Where did you get that?"
"There's no time for explanations now, Doctor, if you hadn't already noticed," River reprimanded him.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave called, following them.
"You can give Rose to me," The Doctor told River as they sped through the aisles of the Library.
"Nah, I've got her."
"I need to make sure she's OK."
"I've got her!"
The Doctor froze and ran to a lamp, reaching for her screwdriver. The team flopped against the bookshelves, panting. River gently lay Rose to the floor, checking her pulse rate and hovering over her.
"I've got a pulse. She's not dead. Just shocked, maybe?" River suggested.
"Rose has seen worse things than a skeleton in a space suit. Probably hasn't seen anything weirder, I'll give you that, but definitely worse," The Doctor mused whilst fiddling with the lamp. River bent over, breathing heavily.
"What're you doing?"
"Trying to boost the power. Light doesn't stop them, but it slows them down. I teleported Donna back to the TARDIS. If we don't get back there in under five hours, emergency program one will activate. But I'm sure Rose has already told you that," He added spitefully. River beamed.
"Jealous?"
The Dotor didn't answer, instead studied his screwdriver anxiously.
"That's weird. She's not there. I should've received a signal, the console signals me if there's a teleport breach. But nothing could go wrong, could it?"
"Famous last words," River remarked, "Besides, maybe the co-ordinates have slipped. The equipment here's ancient. She's probably fine."
"'Probably' isn't good enough for me," The Doctor commented, running over to a Node. "Uh, hello, Donna Noble. There's a Donna Noble somewhere in this Library. Do you have the software to locate her position?"
The Node turned to expose Donna's face, expressionless and cold. The Doctor's hearts turned cold with grief.
"Oh, Donna. Oh no."
"Donna Noble has left the Library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"No way!" River groaned, spotting Proper Dave stumbling down the corridor towards them. "C'mon, Doctor, we've gotta go!"
But the Doctor was glued to the Node, his friend's face plastered on it. River hitched Rose into his arms again and nudged the Doctor in the ribs.
"I'm sorry about your friend, I am, but the only way you're gonna save her is by getting out of here, no come on!" River bounded.
"Donna Noble has left the Library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, who turned out all the lights?"
"Donna Noble has left the Library. Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, who turned out all the lights?"
The Doctor glanced at the Node bearing Donna's face, Proper Dave's space suit hurtling towards them, and Rose's unconscious body in River's arms. He absorbed the scene, no matter how much his body rejected it, before turning away from the Node and running to catch up with the rest of the team.
I'm not sure whether to leave it here, or continue on with 'The Forest of The Dead'. I have other fic ideas and I've still got to finish other stories that are in progress, so I don't really know what to do. I'd appreciate any advice!
Please review.
