Amelia was dizzy and falling. Head over arse or so it felt and the ground rushed up to meet her suddenly knocking all the wind out of her.
"Children are not supposed to be unaccompanied on the main planet." a voice had told her before slapping a button on her and then she was in the air falling.
"Think she's alright?" Amelia heard someone whisper nearby.
"I don't know. She looks funny..."
"I can hear you!" Amelia said sitting up. She was in the middle of a clearing that was filled with that same grass from earlier along with flowers that looked like tulips, but were a bright emerald green.
There were trees surrounding where she sat, making her think she was in a forest.
The two who had been talking looked a bit guilty. Well, she assumed the expressions were guilt.
The first voice belonged to a boy that looked, while childish, a LOT older than her. He was a good foot taller than Amelia. His skin was a pale blue colour, like a robins egg; his hands were the size of saucers! He had hair that was a deep dark blue that brushed what she assumed were his ears. His hair flowed around tiny spikes that were green in colour and arranged like a Mohawk going across his skull. They looked a lot like horns.
The second voice belonged to a girl. She was around the same height as the boy. Her skin was a bit darker blue, like the sky on Earth. Her hair was pale pink and pulled back in a braid that brushed her shoulders. She had fewer horns across her skull, but they were the same shade of green.
"Forgive me." The boy blushed and offered her his hand to help her up.
Amelia staggered to her feet and immediately felt rather short. She had to look up to see both of their faces.
"It's okay. Who're you two?"
"I am Tybre," The boy said, bowing slightly, "This is my nest-mate Kali.
"Hi." Kali smiled shyly and bowed as well.
"I'm Amelia, Amelia Pond." Amelia awkwardly returned the bow. "Where exactly am I?"
"You do not know?" Kali looked confused.
"No...I was with a man called the Doctor, we were on Demanshi 6, in a market. Then I was spinning and came here."
"Oh..." Tybre nodded, "You are not allowed without tracking or an adult on any of the big planets. You're now on Planet 2."
Amelia's brow furrowed in thought, trying desperately to remember which one was Demanshi 2, "Is that the teenaged planet?"
"No!" Kali giggled, "We're little ones still. We haven't even got to go to the 3rd planet yet!"
"Oh?" Amelia nodded, "So next step up would be for older kids?"
"Yes." Tybre said solemnly, "You have to wait here until your Ammi em and your Pasire come for you."
"Ammi em and Pasire?" Amelia repeated. After a moments thought she realized it must be what they called their mum and dad. "I haven't got an Ammi em or a Pasire."
Kali shrugged, "Your Guardian then."
Amelia considered it, "I don't have a Guardian."
Tybre and Kali both gained twin expressions of horror, "An older nest-mate?"
Amelia figured that was their term for sibling, "I don't have any nest-mates."
Tybre shook his head, he couldn't comprehend such things, "If you were alone they would have placed you in another nest."
"I'm not Demanshi, I'm human; I don't think we have nests like that."
Kali had tears in her eyes and she leapt forward and seized Amelia in a hug.
"Erm...Hi? Crushing me." Amelia managed as she was lifted off the ground.
"Sorry." Kali put her back on the ground.
"We've never heard of someone who had no one." Tybre told Amelia.
"Come with us back to the school; we will find a nest for you!"
"I've got somewhere I live." Amelia told Kali, following her down a trail anyway.
"Without a Guardian?"
"Well, he lives with me. I live with him, but I don't think he's a Guardian. Luke said I babysit him as much as he babysits me."
Tybre looked at her oddly, "Baby sit? Why would you sit on a child?"
"Er...Nest mind?"
"Ah." Tybre helped her over a fallen log. "Someone who makes sure you do not injure yourself."
"Exactly."
The walk through the forest wasn't so bad, she'd slipped in mud, but that wasn't too horrid. She could change clothing on the TARDIS or Kali said she could borrow some until the Doctor came for her. But she noticed something on her walk;
"Tybre, why are there towers all around?" She asked indicating the nearest tower that was block-like in structure and came out of a small building.
"Those are Guard towers." Tybre looked at her as if she were slow, "They protect us."
"Do you need protecting?" She thought the Doctor had said their planets were safe.
"If someone comes then yes. We are the future and need to be protected. They have a lot more towers on Planet 1 and Planet 5 though."
"Planet 5 is for the public's safety, not the planet." Kali giggled.
"Planet 5 is where the teenagers are, right?" Amelia asked watching the tower as they passed it and gaining a small polite wave from the adult inside it.
"Yup. We don't go there."
"No one goes there." Tybre snorted. "Pasire says that only trained Warriors and Warlocks do!"
"I want to be a Warrior when I grow up." Kali said, a dreamy look on her face.
"I'm going to be a Warlock." Tybre bragged to Amelia, "Watch this." He stared at the ground in concentration for a minute before a tiny whirl wind appeared. It lasted only a few seconds and didn't go higher than 6 inches, but he managed it.
"That's so cool, Tybre. Kali, don't you know if you're a Warrior yet?"
"No, not until I show I'm really strong or until they test at 14." Kali shook her head sadly.
Amelia rubbed her sore ribs and thought Kali was plenty strong enough already!
The School wasn't like Amelia figured it would be. She pictured a small building like her Earth school. Their school was many thing, but 'small' it was not.
It was a tall grand building built from a beautiful white stone that seemed to glow. It had towers and turrets coming out of the structure.
"It looks like a fairy tale..."
Tybre looked at her oddly, "A fairy what?"
"Fairy tale, it's like a story that's told to you by your Parents, er your Pasire and Ammie em or your Guardians that has princes and princesses."
"Like the story of the Prince Dammi and his bride facing off against the Executioner?" Kali smiled, "I love that story!"
"It's mushy." Tybre pulled a face as he disagreed.
"You'll have to tell me that one, Kali, I don't know it." Amelia laughed.
"Kali, Tybre!" an adult came out of the school and shot them a very mumsy look, "You two are late for lunch."
"Sorry Guardian Neira." the two said contritely.
"I see you've brought along a stray again. Well, what is your name?"
Amelia stared in shock. Tybre and Kali were a foot taller than her, but this woman...She was taller than the Doctor! She had long pink hair like that fell in curls around her shoulders and wheat coloured horns that stuck out about 4 inches or so, but not in a Mohawk pattern like with her new friends, hers were a pattern of 4 around her head, two front, two back.
"I think the bengals got her tongue." Kali told the woman in a mock whisper.
"I think she's never seen a Demanshi woman before." Guardian Neira replied, crouching down - and still taller than her - she looked at Amelia, "Hello there. I'm Guardian Neira Daughter of Lias of the Scout tribe. What are you?"
"I'm..." Amelia thought about it, "I'm Amelia child of...I don't know...but I'm from Leadworth and human." She offered holding her hand out.
Guardian Neira took her hand, dwarfing it in her own, "In that case you would say 'I'm Amelia of my own self grown from Leadworth', but nice job in trying."
"Guardian Neira, she doesn't have a Pasire, an Ammi Em, a Guardian OR older Nest-mates." Kali looked distraught.
"She's human, Kali, they use the words 'mum' and 'dad'."
Kali nodded as her brother hugged her.
"Humans don't have Guardians either, or nest mates. They only have one child at a time and they're not in eggs."
"Really?" Kali sniffled, "How do you know?"
"I took courses on Planet 3, silly, they taught us all about other species."
"How do they have babies then?" Tybre asked curiously as Guardian Neira picked up Kali.
"They grow them, inside." Guardian Neira made a face, but winked at Amelia as both Demanshi children made noises of disgust.
He'd searched the market up and down and hadn't found her. He'd even tried the sonic to locate hers, but it was no use; she'd vanished.
Finally the Doctor resorted to asking random people if they'd seen a really short child.
One woman - who dwarfed him by a good foot and a half - looked at him sympathetically; "You've lost your young one?"
"Yes! She was just with me, I turned around and she was gone." the Doctor told her.
"Ah, she must have been taken by one of the Minders."
"Minders?"
"Yes. They watch the markets and our cities and keep an eye on the off worlders to keep them out of trouble. Was she wearing her wrist monitor."
"Wrist monitor?"
"They should have given you one at the station." she sighed, "If you leave your child alone for even a few seconds one of the Minders will pick them up to keep them out of trouble. Some of the younger are so little and get under foot, you know."
"Where would a Minder have taken her?" the Doctor felt a tiny bit of relief edging in.
"It would depend on her age."
"Er, she's seven."
"Ah, then she's most likely on Planet 2. Just go to the main offices and have them search for her. You'll be fine." She patted him on the shoulder and only his super-human strength kept him on his feet.
"Thanks, but where ARE the main offices?"
She chuckled, "Follow that street all the way down, then take a left; it's at the end."
"Thanks!" he took off at a run, dodging people of various species and heights as he ran sliding lightly on the dirt.
The main offices were tall. Really tall.
"Blimey…" He ran a hand through his hair. They were a good 10 earth stories tall and a deep jade against the pink sky. The doors were twice his height. As he was trying to figure out how to open them a figure around his height walked up.
"Trying to find a way in?"
The man, he assumed it was a man, was around his height with shoulder length purple hair and orange spikes in a swirling pattern across his skull; he was still a good 6 inches taller than the Doctor.
"Yes."
"Pet registry, Planet 1 placement or lost child?" He chuckled and opened the door for the Doctor.
"Lost child." He replied then paused, "Why would I be wanting Planet 1 placement?"
"Well, Demanshi women are very beautiful…" The man smirked, "You'll be wanting the last door to the right, there." He pointed towards a door that was done in a tie-dye of colours.
"Thank you, very much."
"If you need anything just holler for me; Student Esuz son of Finley of the Ipbix tribe." He winked; knowing very much how off worlders considered their names long, odd and hard to manage and disappeared towards his door.
The Doctor stared after the man for a minute then shook his head and went up to the door, shoving it open and looking around inside.
"Can I help you?" A woman with white curls asked politely.
"I need to find a lost child." he replied making his way up to the tall desk.
"How are you related?" She asked pulling out forms.
"She's my..." he frowned trying to find a term to sum up exactly what she was to him, "ward?"
"Okay," she made a note. "Species?"
"Human."
"Age?"
He frowned trying to remember, "Erm...I'm not...Seven?"
"Hmm." She wrote something down, "Gender?"
"Female."
"Height?"
This was going to take forever...
"What is it?" Amelia asked as she looked at the bowl in horror.
"It's the best dessert EVER!" Tybre said enthusiastically taking a big bite.
"It's Chokar cake with Kyreberrie sauce with swimming minnows." Kali smiled happily, "With the real cream!"
Amelia made a face.
Guardian Neira laughed, "Here. Without minnows, give it a try."
"Why would you not want minnows?" Tybre demanded clearly outraged, "They feel so neat swimming in your tummy."
"Humans can't eat raw meats, minnows included." Guardian Neira told them.
"Humans are weak." Kali observed sadly.
Amelia looked at the bowl with a bit of distrust but sucked it up and tried to open her mind. She dug her spoon in, getting bits of everything and took a bite, expecting something horrid.
She chewed. Paused, swallowed and opened her eyes, "It's good!"
"Yes, it is!" Kali agreed enthusiastically digging into hers.
It tasted like carrot cake, but with chocolate bits and some sort of almond. The sauce was like strawberries crossed with celery, but much sweeter.
"You know one of the best ways to experience another culture is to eat their food, wear their things and talk with their people." Guardian Neira said, "Speaking of…" She reached out and poked Amelia in the shoulder, chuckling as dried mud crumbled off.
"Sorry." Amelia blushed.
"Don't be. At any given time there are about 100 to 500 children running around here, 30 under my direct care." Guardian Neira laughed, "You're not the first to fall in the mud and you won't be the last."
Much to Amelia's embarrassment the only clothing they had that fit her belonged to Kali and Tybre's youngest nest-mate, Dex.
It was a long crimson coloured tunic that reached her knees. The fabric looked quite coarse, but was soft and light. It was tied at her waist with a white braided belt. Underneath it she had jade green trousers that were loose (Yet another thing the children laughed at) and fit so that the flared out over a pair of leather boots that were laced up and still big.
"Alright, story and rest time." Guardian Neira proclaimed, "Tybre, go to the rec room and alert the others?"
"Others?" Amelia inquired.
"Yes, currently I have 25 under my watch, but over all there are 245 under the age of Nine and over the age of three in this school."
"Wow, how many schools are there?"
"On this continent? 63. But there are seven different continents. There are around 400 schools working at any given time." Guardian Neira opened a door to show off a dormitory style room with several circular beds filled with fluffy pillows and blankets.
"That's a LOT." Amelia said in surprise, following Kali to sit in one of the beds, Kali hadn't let go of her tunic yet.
"Not really. You have to remember we take care of 90% of the children between three and nine for four planets." Guardian Neira shrugged, "There could be more or less depending on the clutches."
Within minutes Tybre had arrived, baby Dex in his arms and a giant group of children with him.
"Are they all your family?" Amelia asked a bit overwhelmed.
"No." Tybre laughed as he helped his brother snuggle into the blankets. Dex was a cute little child, he only had two horns- the same green shade as his siblings - and long green hair around his shoulders. He hadn't stopped smiling since she'd met him.
"Our dorm covers three tribes: the Halir, the Scout and the Exscons."
"Oh."
"We're Exscons." Tybre informed her.
Once every child was situated in a nest - She noticed that those sharing a nest tended to have the same horn colour. She guessed that horn colour must show what tribe you belong to.
"Shhh, hush now children." Guardian Neira cooed to one of the whining ones, "It's rest time. Of course you get a story, don't worry little ones. Now, what one shall we hear today?"
"Tell the story of Prince Dammi and Princess Hasre, please?" Kali begged, "Amelia doesn't know it."
"She doesn't?"
The children murmured in disbelief.
"Okay, just for our guest we'll hear the tale of Prince Dammi, despite how many times it's told before." Guardian Neira laughed.
Kali tugged a blanket up over herself and Amelia and smiled happily.
"Once, many, many cycles ago Prince Dammi son of King Esmal of the Roccal tribe started his rule of the Nine Planets."
"When you were little?" One child called out impishly.
"No! My Father was barely drying out of his egg!" Guardian Neira laughed, "His rule was very strict, but it was a rule that led to much prosperity. Many began to think after one hundred years that he would always be Prince, and never a King. For to be King you must take a wife. But then one day he met she who would be his Queen. She was a very beautiful and powerful warrior from the Exscon tribe called Hasre."
"Exscon?" Amelia whispered, "Like you?"
"Great-grandfather's fifth brother's eldest's hatchling's eldest cousin." Kali said eagerly.
"The King and Hasre were very happy and very much in love and soon a huge wedding was planned. Such a lovely wedding even the scribes couldn't write. Not too long after they had an announcement; there was to be a hatch! King Dammi and Queen Hasre were to be parents."
"Lots of babies." Dex giggled.
"Uh huh." Kali smiled.
"Then on the day of celebration where the gifts are given something horrible happened. As the Queen, eggs in arm, opened one of the packages she found a necklace, as she touched it both she and the egg disappeared in a flash of white light."
"Bad!" Another child called out.
"Very! Now, the King searched high and low for his bride and finally they found her on a planet far far away from here called London. King Dammi was filled with fear for his wife and eggs and casting aside all rules he went himself with 1000 of his best Warlocks and Warriors, nearly a whole generation of our people! The planet was full of strange primitive beings. They wanted to keep the queen all to themselves for her kindness and beauty."
"She was really beautiful." Tybre said, he'd seen photos his Grandfather had.
"King Dammi went to the leaders of the people and offered a trade; All the gold and gems in his treasury , just so long as he gained his wife and eggs safety. The primitives did not understand so the King had no choice but to go to the planet with his Elite Guard to where the Queen was being held."
"Kick their butts!" A boy yelled, punching the air.
"He found the Queen to be guarded by primitives who held strangely shaped weapons and threatened her. But worse than this, oh so much worse, though he found his eggs, but they found on to be hatched. He couldn't find the hatchling though. In a fury he fought and defeated Hasre's guards' singlehandedly. They searched high and low for their hatchling and in their search he encountered her: The Executioner."
There were several shrieks of terror as many children hid under their blankets.
"She was dressed in armour they'd never seen before! She wore animals skin over her arms and feet, with the fur of another wound around her neck still red with the blood of its defeat. She bared her legs and neck, as if daring them to hurt her. Her hair was stained a deep red from the blood of the thousands of enemies she'd slaughtered. Her nails were long and blunted, but a deep red with long green streaks of venom! She put up a great fight when the King tried to take his family home. The Kings best fought valiantly, killing many primitives who tried to keep the Queen. Unfortunately the Executioner took many of them down herself. The Warlocks, upon seeing the King was in trouble, placed a spell on the Executioner and lead her to the ship to lock her up."
"In a cage." Tybre said fiercely.
"Exactly. The ship took off, the Executioner still on board so they could find the location of the hatchling by extracting information. King Dammi sent the remaining eggs to be guarded in his room by no less than four Warriors. When the evil Executioner awoke from the spell she was enraged. Her vengeful wrath spread as she killed her guards using magic even they could not understand. She escaped her cell and once out she made the ship stall. She disappeared in a white light like that that had taken the Queen. When they tried to go back to find their hatchling the ship was consumed by a roaring fire!"
"Boom!" Dex said seriously.
"She didn't account for the fact that two of the mission were on their way back to the ship when it exploded. They had great news, they had located the hatchling! Those two were the only survivors of the generation on board. One young warrior, newly graduated and one young Warlock, the first of her tribe to be selected for the King's army. Both were seriously injured, but survived. They were found over a day later by a rescue craft, the young hatchling held in-between the two, unscathed."
"They got our Queen." Kali told Amelia.
"They had saved the hatchling, the only remaining member of the Royal family. A distant cousin, no longer considered royal, took control and declared that one day we would kill the Executioner, but until the hatchling Princess was old enough to decide upon the best course of revenge we would leave the planet of London alone."
"So the Executioner is still out there?" Amelia asked in awe.
"Yes," Guardian Neira said, "She's killed several more in battle since that day, but the Queen has declared if she ever sets foot on this planet she is to be killed and that no Demanshi is to set foot near London."
"Not till we've got a BIG army." Tybre told Amelia, "Then we can go and kill her to revenge all our fallen family."
"Wow." Amelia breathed in shock, "I don't blame you."
"That's enough for now, rest yourselves." Guardian Neira said, dampening the light.
Amelia slept and dreamed of what she'd been told.
[AN: Well, 'A Good man goes to war' just made RA Take a sharp turn AU. RA's ALWAYS been AU. Yeah, but now its gotten even AU-yer. Is that a word? It should be]
