==Chapter 6==

Nightmares from the Past

But I've heard you talk about your people like they're wonderful.

Holmes raised both eyebrows and followed the Doctor's lead, responding in French. "It would seem you are not the only one of your people with a fascination for this planet, Doctor."

"Right, and that worries me," the Doctor said quietly. "The Time Lords almost never 'interfered' with Earth—not for millennia, anyway, long before my time. And eight of them concentrated on one remote point…" That was a very scary thought.

In English, Holmes said, "Shen Ji, what is this legend?"

Shen Ji looked down at the scroll. "These eight figures, Mr. Sigerson, they are the guardians of Buddhism, according to our people. The legend tells of demonic beings that threatened to cover the land in darkness—but the guardians were able to join forces to lock them away, back into the underworld from whence they had come. This central symbol represents the sealed door which prevents their return to this mortal realm."

The Doctor went very still at that pronouncement. "What if the door were opened? What if those demons were released once more?"

Shen Ji gave him a long, meaningful, and very mute look.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, muttering, "Ask a stupid question, get a mute answer."

Lao-Tse stepped forward. "And you say you have seen this symbol recently, Doctor?"

"I have. Almost a word-of-mouth thing… Is there anywhere outside this university that someone might see that symbol?" The Doctor glanced at Shen Ji, who had a distant, remembering look in his eye.

"What you ask of me, Doctor—I greatly regret that I did not recall earlier—there was another man asking much the same questions, less than a year ago."

The Doctor frowned. Bingo. "What was he like?"

The librarian's brows drew together. "About my height, I believe, thin and pale, with black hair and brown eyes… Those eyes…"

It was always the eyes, wasn't it? The Doctor leaned forward. "What about his eyes?"

"There was a hunger in them, Doctor… There was a deep chasm in his soul that demanded to be filled, and never would be."

The Doctor arched an eyebrow, recalling the smith's memories—the librarian's description fit their man. "I've seen…" He paused, took a deep breath, and considered— "A very dangerous man, then."

Shen Ji nodded gravely. "I hope never to encounter such a one again."

"I hope you never do," the Doctor said grimly.

"But did he find what he sought?" Holmes interjected. "Shen Ji, this is very important—what did you tell him about this symbol, this legend?"

"I told him exactly what I have told you, Mr. Sigerson, no more… And if there is another place where this symbol can be found, it exists outside of my knowledge or any of the manuscripts here." He shook his head sorrowfully. "Whether he obtained the answers he was seeking, I know not—the man left the monastery that same day, and we have had no word of him since. But one thing is certain, as I said to him then: if one goes seeking shadows, one will inevitably find them…"

Which, of course, the Doctor knew was all too true.

Holmes turned to him abruptly, switching back to French. "The man Shen Ji just described, Doctor—I would assume he is the same man you saw in the smith's memories."

"That's him, all right," the Doctor said gravely. "The memories were pretty ugly, too, though that's only to be expected, given what he did to the smith…"

Holmes arched an aristocratic eyebrow. "A subject on which you have yet to elaborate, Doctor… but that is not a discussion for this setting. It would appear that we have exhausted all lines of inquiry here."

The Doctor held up a hand. "Half a mo', Mr. Sigerson. Shen Ji, might I borrow this manuscript?"

Shen Ji looked at him—really looked at him—and the Doctor felt that he was being scrutinized within an inch of his 6'2". Then the librarian nodded slowly.

"Thanks," the Time Lord said gratefully. "I'll return it soon and in top condition, I promise."

"Please do, Doctor: that is an irreplaceable document," Shen Ji said solemnly. "I hope you appreciate the trust I am placing in you."

"I do," the Doctor said with equal solemnity. Mankind had two kind of heroes: the bold, death-defying ones like Holmes, and the quiet ones like Shen Ji who would maybe never face death in their lives but were no less heroic for it. "I wouldn't be asking this unless it were… critically important."

"I believe you, Doctor." The librarian's face was grave. "I am no seer, but even I can sense the shadows that lie ahead of you. May Buddha smile upon your endeavours." Both monks bowed.

"And upon yours." The Doctor bowed, and Holmes followed suit.


"Aawwll right," the Time Lord drawled once they were back out in the bright sunlight. "Let's see what we've got here…" He opened up the manuscript and smiled sadly. "This is beautiful—I haven't seen Gallifreyan in a long time." He frowned, perplexed. "Although… this is recent Gallifreyan… I mean, it's the language… style… thing… that got into use after I was born."

"Why is that so surprising to you, Doctor?" Holmes wondered. "You are, after all, a millennium old." The Doctor had it on the tip of his tongue to remind Holmes that he was still fairly young as Time Lords went, especially in a billion-year-old culture. But the human went on to say, rather hesitantly: "Though I am aware that there is much you have not told me about your past… or why… Gallifrey?—is no longer your home."

"Gallifrey is gone, Holmes, all right?" the Doctor said curtly. He focused his physical vision hard on the parchment before him, trying to drown out what his mind's eye saw. "Destroyed at the end of…" He stopped as he came across something all too familiar and sucked in his breath. Not good. Really… not good.

Holmes stepped closer, laid his hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "Forgive me, Doctor. I… I cannot even imagine how that must feel." He gestured at the scroll. "It is not my wish to distress you, my dear sir, and I am all too aware that there is a great deal more to this than you would wish to divulge."

He stepped out directly in front of the Doctor and spread his hands entreatingly. "But I ask you, Doctor: how I am to aid you effectively if you will not confide in me?"

The Doctor met his gaze fully, using the man before him as an anchor to keep the memories from drowning him as they had the night before. "If only you knew, Holmes…" He smiled bitterly—he never had told Rose, either, what exactly he had done at the end of the Time War. Only that one Dalek had known… And Sherlock Holmes could never know. He would be justly horrified. He would want nothing more to do with a man who destroyed his own world. "I'm sorry, I can't… I… I just can't.

"But this…" He indicated the scroll, and fear of possibilities was replaced by fear of the past… and apparently, the immediate future. "This is part of the Time War. These Time Lords… they were holding just one of thousands of frontlines. That man, whoever he is, is trying to unleash one of the real abominations created near the end of the War. This isn't just about this world, anymore—we've got the entire universe now hanging in the balance…" He broke into a run for the TARDIS, calling over his shoulder, "Come on!"

He reached his front door and looked over his shoulder, to find Holmes just reaching him. "The man we are seeking—does he have any notion of what he is about to unleash?"

The Doctor considered that a moment. "If he does," he said in a low tone, "may whatever forces he believes in have mercy on his soul." He very much ignored Holmes's ensuing shiver and threw open the TARDIS door, striding in. "Honey, I'm home."

She chirped worriedly.

"We've got a mad scientist to find, old girl—that's what's going on."

More worried chirps.

Holmes frowned. "She sounds decidedly anxious, Doctor—is she sufficiently rested to help us track the smith?"

Further chirping, not half as worried this time.

The Doctor turned to Holmes to translate. "She's already picked up on what's happening from my thoughts. She'll push herself as hard as she has to. All her sisters are dead alongside the Time Lords—she has every reason to stop this man."

The Great Detective looked horrified, and properly so. A TARDIS as a one-of-a-kind machine could be a wonder, but a TARDIS as a last-of-her-kind machine was a tragedy.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said softly. "This is not the kind of 'adventure' I'd choose to share with anyone. This is going to be very, very ugly."

Sherlock Holmes smiled grimly. "Is this your subtle way of telling me to leave, Doctor?" He clenched his jaw and warned, "I have no intention of being left behind."

The Doctor frowned solemnly. "Oh, trust me—I'm not that subtle when I tell people to leave, and I know you too well to make the attempt in your case. But I do have to warn you, Sherlock Holmes—whatever you're about to see, you're never going to be able to… un-see it. Any war is horrific, but this one… The nightmares it spawned… you're never able to forget it."

Holmes nodded in understanding. "I have known my share of nightmares, Doctor, believe me. The human heart is just as capable of spawning horrors as great as any alien life you care to name."

The Doctor smiled sadly. "I think you'll have to excuse me for not being able to believe that latter bit."

"Work a case or two in London's slums before you call me a liar, Doctor."

The Doctor flinched at memories of mankind at its lowest… "How do you know that I haven't?"

Holmes took the question for what it was, rhetorical, and moved on. "Nevertheless, Doctor, I chose to involve myself in this affair well before you arrived here, and would have continued to do so even had we never met…" He paused thoughtfully. "Though had that been the case, my body would most likely be lying under a pile of rocks in the nearest burial ground at this very moment."

He smiled warmly—the expression suited him. "I am under no illusions on that point, my dear sir—you saved my life, for which I am profoundly grateful. But the decision to remain and fight is mine to make, and I make it gladly. The Earth is my home also, and, for the sake of my people, I will stand with you."

The Doctor found himself tearing up a bit and managed a watery smile. "Okay. Then. Okay." He gave a slightly hysterical giggle. "You humans. I just… heh." His smile turned into a grin. "I never get your limits." He happily clapped both Holmes's shoulders.

The detective chuckled. "That sounds extremely familiar."

The Time Lord grinned wider. "Told you—fan." He winked. "All right, then… we've got to find that laboratory."

"Indeed."

The Doctor fired up the TARDIS and said, "Ah, idea. You've got some idea of what you're looking for—think you can tackle that yourself? No heroics, you understand—just get the location." He held up his manuscript. "I've got some homework to do."

The human's grey eyes gleamed in a way that made the Time Lord feel as if he was looking into a mirror. "Simply get me back down to Lhasa, Doctor; I can track the smith from there. I am certain his assistance will be invaluable."

The Doctor glanced at him wryly, trying not to laugh. "You do not miss a trick, do you?"

Holmes arched an eyebrow. "Very seldom, my dear Doctor."

The Time Lord snorted in amusement. "Let's at least be clear that the idea is very much against my better judgement."

"Your objections are noted, sir," said Holmes, eyes twinkling. "Let us be off."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, exasperated—still with the "sir"… "Humans! Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Right, then—allons-y!" He threw back the lever. "C'mon, sweetheart!"

Holmes grabbed for the railing and hung on tightly. The ride this time was even shakier than before, with more short-outs. "Come, madam," Holmes encouraged, smiling: "the game is afoot."

The twittering this time was strained.

The Doctor kept his eyes on the monitor, more than a bit worried. "Ohhh, come on, honey!"

He heard rather than saw Holmes's anxious frown. "What is it?"

"Third time in less than a week in our timeline that she's strained herself like this! She's old, and there's only so much even she can take! C'mon, darlin', don't die on me now. Come on…"

They shuddered to a stop, and much of the equipment immediately powered down.

"What happened, Doctor?" came Holmes's voice. "Is she all right?"

The Doctor swallowed hard. "She's still okay. She… stopped herself before she got to a danger point." He grinned weakly. "My clever girl." He exhaled long and slow.

When he glanced at Holmes, he found the detective looking deeply concerned. "Doctor, are you all right?"

The Doctor nodded shakily. "Yeah. Heh, would have been bloody awful to get stuck in the 1890s—so many years 'til you lot even build a proper spaceship…" He stroked the console appreciatively.

Holmes looked intrigued but apparently thought better of inquiring further. "How close are we to town?"

The Doctor glanced at the monitor. "About two klicks out…" He glanced at Holmes. "Ah, two kilometres. Or… blimey. Over a mile. Sorry, measurement conversions aren't my strong point."

Holmes nodded. "I had anticipated a longer trek, to be honest. It will serve."

The Doctor clapped his hands together sharply. "Okay! Anything you might need before you go… well, just focus on it in your head. The TARDIS will help you out from there." He pulled his glasses back out and put them on before picking the manuscript back up.

Holmes shook his head in aggravating amusement. "I shall certainly be needing some equipment. The wardrobe room, I assume?"

"Yeah, probably. Like I said, the TARDIS can help you out." The Doctor flopped onto the jump seat and settled in. "Give me a ring when you find anything out there."

Holmes looked bemused. "How am I to present you with jewellery while in the midst of tracking, Doctor?"

Oops. The Time Lord peered guiltily over the top of the scroll. "Blimey, I usually don't make that mistake. Ah, 'give a ring'—a call on the telephone. Or mobile phone… prefer those…" He dug around in his pockets with his free hand. "Hold on—I'll find my extra and show you…" He stuck his arm far in and groaned. "Ohhh, not again!"

Holmes's entire being radiated curiosity. "A portable telephone… I suppose it is too much to hope that they shall be invented within my lifetime."

The Doctor grimaced sympathetically. "'Fraid not—won't be available to the public for another century…"

Holmes nodded his resignation.

The Doctor, meantime, sighed in exasperation as he continued to rummage… "Ah-HA! 'Ere we go!" He whipped out the mobile and proffered it to Holmes, who accepted it gingerly. "Easy to figure out, really—you shouldn't have any problems with it. I've got a spare, and this one has that one's number. All you have to do is go to the Contacts list and pick the number labelled 'Doctor,' hit the green button, and voila!

The Great Detective looked quite impressed, tucking the phone carefully away in his pocket. "I shall return momentarily, Doctor."

The Doctor gave him only a silent wave and turned his full attention to the scroll.


When Holmes returned, it was with a loaded rucksack and snowshoes, but the Doctor did not notice that right away. He was too busy frowning, though he did feel Holmes come up on him. "I… honestly don't know how we're going to pull this one off," the Doctor said seriously. "These things are… literally evil spirits. They're shadows, incorporeal, malevolent, possessive… Like the Vashta Nerada served up with a side of Time War Dalek, which might be what actually happened."

Holmes seemed deeply worried but thoughtful. "And these… shadow beings, Doctor… you believe they have taken possession of the scientist?"

The Doctor shrugged with his eyebrows. "At this point, just about anything's possible. So, yeah, could be that he got in too deep and they got a hold of him…"

"Which still leaves the question of what he was seeking in the first place before he encountered them," Holmes mused.

The Time Lord shook his head, angry at the sheer unfairness of it all. "Why can't you people ever leave things alone? But, nooo, you see some big black hole gaping at you or something shiny and you just have to check it out…"

Holmes's expression was entirely sympathetic. "Curiosity is one of humanity's greatest flaws, Doctor… but one of its greatest strengths, as well. You must surely have discovered that about us by now."

The Doctor glared at him, upset—he just didn't get it, did he? "What, greatest blessing/greatest curse deal? Yeah, sorry—brilliant lot, mankind, but… Somewhere out there, there's a man who's been turned into an animal and the man who did that is probably himself possessed just 'cos he couldn't keep a lid on his curiosity. So, yeah, I'm just a bit not happy that there's more than likely going to be at least one death because of that."

Holmes glared right back. "Do you imagine, Doctor, that I do not share your sentiments? What was done to the smith was monstrous, and as to the fate of his poor wife… I dare not even speculate as of yet. But you desired a companion who could keep his head in an emergency, which is what I am attempting to provide! Or would you prefer me to pace up and down, wringing my hands?"

"Not at all!" The Doctor felt his eyes blaze. "So sorry—you want me to pull my cold and really emotionless Time Lord act? I can do that." Then he stopped, horrified with himself for losing it like that. Never again… "I'm sorry." He massaged his eyelids, feeling old and tired and heartsick. He could not forget the shadow of his future self, the twisted parody created by the Time Lord Council long before the War…

Holmes looked chagrined. "I, too, Doctor. You were correct about this battle being ugly—but I still do not regret my part in it… or the company." He smiled tentatively.

The Doctor smiled back, sadly. "Right, then. Off you go—and remember the phone." 'Cos, at the end of the day, Holmes was still a Companion now and still the Doctor's responsibility… so he was feeling more than a little fatherly towards the Great Detective.

Holmes nodded as he strapped on his snowshoes.

"And good hunting!" the Doctor called after him as he reached the door.

"And you, my friend."


Author's Note:

So much to this chapter—you can't possibly even know! The K'vir are Ria's creation, and the idea to invoke the Time War was mine, really brought on by the Eight Guardians being Time Lords.

I think that the final conversation was my favorite bit—I think I love Ten the most when he's upset. Of course, we all know that Holmes has seen his share of horrors, but that part of the Doctor's world is still beyond his ken… And that will be important later!

Next up… well, golly, Ria and I need to tear our attention away from the finale! But it's so much harder to write the Doctor and Holmes split up! Anyway, stay tuned!

Please review!