Hello again! So now the adventure's really starting. I fixed chapters four and five after gabbygirl89 pointed out that they were mixed up and what was formerly chapter five had the same stuff over again. Sorry about that! I've also decided to add a quote before each 'episode', so I went back and added one to the first chapter. You can go read it if you want.
As I'm sure you noticed, I have a cover image now! That's the Huntress. It's not the best; I didn't spend too much time on it, and also I had to crop it strangely because FF only accepts a certain size. If you want, there's a better version on deviantart; just search 'succedaneous' and it will be one of two photos.
Growing up, I was taught that a man has to defend his family. When the wolf is trying to get in, you gotta stand in the doorway.
B. B. King
Joss took one last look at his old life, and then ran, laughing, into his new one.
He glanced at the impossible console room of the TARDIS before once again focusing his attention on the Huntress.
"Right then!" The Huntress said, sounding business-like. "Where do you wanna go? Backwards or forwards?"
"Oh, I don't know." Joss thought of it, all the world open to him. He could go see people who had already died, anyone in the world, and the entire planet's history was open to him. But then again, its future...
He decided that he already knew at least a little about the past, but the future would be entirely new.
"Future. I mean, forwards." He said, slightly flustered.
The Huntress pressed a few buttons and spun a few wheels. "Okay, how far?"
"Uh..." Joss grinned nervously. "You decide." He had absolutely no idea.
"Alright, random it is! Give us something good, old girl." The Huntress said.
More buttons were pushed and more dials were spun. The TARDIS began shaking and making that strange grinding sound – Joss decided to call it a 'vworp' sound, although that wasn't it really, just for something to call it. It went on for what felt like quite some time, though Joss was sure it couldn't really be that long. Then again, what did he know about traveling through space and time?
"Outside, that's..." The Huntress consulted a particular dial. "Strange, we've went quite a ways. We're about five billion years in your future. You lot are calling it 5.5/apple/26."
Joss blinked. "Apple?" He said slowly, trying to comprehend the rest of the statement and absolutely failing.
"It's a month. Good choice, too; glad we're here instead of banana." She said.
"Hey, what's wrong with bananas? They're much better than apples, anyway." Joss defended.
"Apples are the best fruit. Or, no, no, forget I said that! Pomegranates, definitely pomegranates. Did you know that there's a place in the Lisica System that's got pomegranate-flavored fruit as big as your head? No little seeds or inedible bits, either; pure pomegranate."
"But that's half the fun!" Joss protested, getting into the argument. "See, pomegranates are challenges. You've got to work at them. It makes them taste better." He nodded knowingly.
The Huntress shrugged. "I guess. Are we going out or not? Ready for five billion years?"
"Oh, yes, right!" Joss said, rushing for the door.
~-!-~
Joss was beginning to think there was no way to either exit or enter the TARDIS without becoming completely gobsmacked.
The Earth was... a bit ravaged.
In specific, there looked to be abandoned ruins just about everywhere. Plant life had taken over most everything, and the only thing moving was the wind.
"Oh." The Huntress said softly.
"What? What happened?" Joss said, looking wildly around as if expecting to find the human race lurking in some undiscovered corner. "I mean, isn't there supposed to be towering cities, smog everywhere, stuff like that? I was expecting flying cars, not a jungle. Are you sure this is Earth five billion years from now?" He accused.
"Joss, I forgot. The Earth is about to be demolished."
Joss stilled.
"Wh...what?" He said, not sure he had heard her correctly. "But... where is everyone, then? How are they even going to do that? It's not like they can just bring in a wrecker." He snorted.
"We've got to get out of here. C'mon, Joss." The Huntress said, practically him back to the TARDIS. "We can watch from the moon, if you want, but we can't stay here. I don't know why she brought us, but we're gonna have to find something else to do."
"Wait." Joss said. "I thought I saw something..."
"It doesn't matter! Probably just the wind! Now come on!" The Huntress demanded.
"No, but..."
"Hello."
Joss started violently, and the Huntress whirled so fast she could've been a top.
"I'm Serla Strashun!" The little girl commented brightly, looking absolutely at home among the ruined landscape. Her clothes were mismatched and obviously home made, and she was barefoot, but she seemed not to mind at all.
"You shouldn't be here." The Huntress said, almost accusingly.
The girl – Serla – nodded seriously. "My mommy says that too. Wanna come meet her? I've never seen anyone like you before!"
"No, but the Earth is about to be destroyed. You can't be here, you really, really can't." The Huntress said.
"Huntress?" Joss said. "Umm, I don't think it matters if she can't be here, because obviously she is. I think we should probably follow her. I mean, we haven't seen anyone else here and if the world really is gonna be destroyed, maybe we she warn them? She said she had a mom, right? I'm pretty sure she said that. By the way, how can I understand her? Wouldn't language patterns have shifted? I don't think I know any future languages, anyway – "
"You're funny." Serla giggled.
"Yes, he is." The Huntress knelt to talk to the little girl face to face, smiling encouragingly. "But he's right. Can we come see your parents?"
"Yeah! Our house is over here." The girl practically skipped through the city-turned-forest, seemingly unimpaired by the pervasive vines and the uneven footing.
"Just this way!" She called encouragingly, when Joss fell behind. The Huntress wasn't having any trouble either, an entirely unjust situation. He didn't really have the energy – or the concentration – to be properly outraged, though, mostly because he had just tripped on a root.
For the rest of the trek, he focused mostly on his feet, trying not to trip again. He did anyhow, but Joss decided to call it a success because at least he had reached their destination, which was apparently a populated-looking clearing, at all. Though he was panting by the time they made it, unlike both Serla and the Huntress. Unfair, he thought. Serla couldn't be older than ten, and... well... admittedly, the Huntress probably was much more fit than him. Well, fine then. He pouted, thoroughly outclassed.
"This," Serla gestured dramatically, "Is the last remnant of the human race!"
