Hello there! I've had this done since Tuesday, but more people look at it on weekends, so I'm posting it today. I'm in a good mood; I was planning to post tomorrow. Anywho, I have a poll on my profile on whether I should do a sequel or epilogue for this story, so I hope you vote!
The younger Rose collapsed, the powers no longer under her own command. The golden-black glow of her powers surrounded her, ferrying her to her original universe. When she woke up, she found herself in the same room as the man she now recognized as the Eighth Doctor, and there was an intricate box on a crate. The younger Rose walked over and sat on it. The man whirled around. The younger Rose's eyes flashed, and the TARDIS containing the Tenth Doctor and his human Rose started materializing in the War Council of Gallifrey.
The young Rose, the Bad Wolf Rose, looked at the Eighth Doctor and smiled. Eight smiled at Rose a little unsurely, making it clear that he had not expected Bad Wolf Rose to appear.
"Who are you?" Eight asked, looking Rose up and down. He then realized that Rose was sitting on the box, the Moment. Eight made a strangled sound in the back of his throat. He stretched out a hand, and Rose looked up into his eyes as she took his hand.
Rose's eyes slashed with the gold of the Time Vortex as she quickly checked if it was okay for her to reveal her name. It would cause no trouble to the progression of time. "Rose, Rose Tyler. Though, right now I suppose you could call me Bad Wolf."
Eight's eyes visibly widened as he recalled the legends of the Bad Wolf that he had learned on Gallifrey. He pulled Rose and shook her hand before attempting to escort her out of the door. She quickly turned into a gas as soon as he tried, and she turned back into a solid as soon as he stopped.
Rose gasped in surprise at Eight's hand going through her, and Eight just stared at her dumbly. "What?" Eight asked, and Rose idly wondered if the word was said due to temporal feedback.
Rose shook her head, biting her lower lip. "That's new. Anyway, that box right there, that's the Moment?" Rose reached up and stroked Eight's cheek gently as she spoke her question. Eight flinched as Rose mentioned the superweapon that was in the hut with them. Eight averted his gaze to the floor of the shack. Rose used her hand on Eight's cheek to force him to look at her. Rose didn't need Eight to answer; his face said it all. "Doctor, I'm sorry."
Eight nodded slightly, and Rose pulled him into a tight hug. Eight seemed to be trying to bite back sobs, and Rose quickly stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek.
There was a bang that came from outside the shack, and there was the Dalek cry of "EXTERMINATE!" that immediately followed. Rose released Eight, but she clutched his hand like a vise.
"Run!" Eight instructed, and Rose had no need of being told twice. Rose and Eight were about to dash out of the shack when Rose realized that neither of them possessed the Moment. She released Eight's hand and snatched the Moment up. A moment later, she joined him outside the shack.
Rose and Eight glanced around, trying to locate the offending Dalek. When they realized that it was not nearby, they looked at each other in silent conversation. It took mere seconds before they ran away from the shack.
"Where's the TARDIS?" Rose asked when she decided they were far enough away from the shack. Eight grimaced, and pointed in the direction from whence they came. Rose opened her mouth slightly in dismay. "Ah."
"Yeah," Eight agreed solemnly, his eyes showing the weight of the War. "The nearest city is Arcadia, named after the planet that fell earlier in the War." There was a haunted look in Eight's eyes, and Rose rubbed her thumb over his hand.
"The Fall of Arcadia," Rose breathed, her eyes flashing gold as she recognized the name. Eight nodded, a tear forming in his eye.
"I couldn't save them," Eight whispered, his voice hoarse with untold sorrow. Rose's eyes glowed the golden hue that signalled that her powers were active, and she wrapped her arms around Eight, making sure not to press the button for the Moment to be activated.
Rose and Eight disappeared from where they were near the hut, and the re-materialized in the Gallifreyan capitol. Surreptitiously, Rose stared up at the sky. She froze as she recognized the ships from above. Eight pulled Rose to him and hugged her tightly in an attempt to comfort himself. "It will be alright, but you're going to have to be the one to end this." Fear flashed in Eight's eyes, but he relinquished his grasp on Rose nonetheless.
"Come on; let's get somewhere with more cover," Eight whispered, pulling Rose along behind him into a small Gallifreyan House. Rose held out the Moment, and taking a deep breath in, Eight took it from her. He placed his hand on the red button that would cause its detonation.
ΘΣβΩΡΩΑΠ
In a dual-toned voice, the young Rose spoke, "This is not a time for endings, Rose, Wolf, Death. You shall join the Doctor in the Time War." The older Rose's eyes widened as she felt herself becoming fainter in this universe, and by that she was so stunned that she didn't even contemplate the dual heartbeat that now tattooed itself in her chest. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she found herself in the High Council of the Time Lords, just after they had been sentenced to remain in the Time War.
"What?" Rose asked herself quietly as she looked around. "How? Why?" She groaned as she observed her surroundings thoroughly. She was next to an older woman with brown and silver hair. The woman was kneeling on the ground, a forlorn look in her eyes. Rose placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, confused. Had she still had her powers, she could have read the timeline, but now, that was no possibility. "Ma'am, what's wrong?"
The woman shook her head. "We're doomed. We've been sentenced to die in the Time Lock." Rose frowned, shaking her head slightly.
"No, I'll get you out of here. You don't seem bad. What's your name?" Rose asked, furrowing her brow. She rested her hand on the woman's shoulder. Rose smiled gently and helped pull the woman to her feet.
"The Doctor's mother," the woman replied, figuring that if a strange woman were helping her that said woman would have a connection to her son. The woman glanced around as she stood up, still wary that the Time Lords would execute her.
"Oh." Rose was silent for a moment before any more words egressed her mouth. "Do you have a name?" Rose pressed, wanting something to call the mother of the man she loved.
The woman read Rose's facial expression, something in her eyes lighting up in some form of joy. A smile almost graces the woman's lips. "You could call me Mum, but some call me Penelope." Rose blushed slightly when the woman allowed her to call her "Mum". Now that it had been offered, there was no way she could not.
"Mum," Rose said, testing the term. "Alright then. How are we going to get out of here?" Rose eyed the battle that was going on before her. Rassilon, at least that was who she inferred the man in front of her to be, was losing ground against another man, who Rose inferred to be the Master. The Master had blue energy coming from his hands, and Rose was unable to identify the energy. "The Time of the Moment is almost upon us," Rose whispered, and had anyone been looking, that person could have seen the faintest of a gold sheen in her eyes. "This must be stopped. We must reach Arcadia."
Penelope shrugged before stepping out from where she was amongst the Time Lords and tugged Rose along behind her. Rose eyed the two fighting men, evaluating if either were someone that she should save. Penelope shook her head at Rose, but Rose failed to listen. She grabbed the Master's wrist and pulled him from his position. He turned to glower at her, raising his other hand to strike her with the blue energy. The blue energy came pouring out of the Master's hand in a torrent, and Rose's eyes glowed a golden color, but it did not spread anywhere else. Rose cried out, her eyes wide as she fell. Unconsciousness overtook her.
Penelope glared at the Master, her lips pinched and her eyes narrowed. "She would have helped you," Penelope ground out, her voice cold. She had no sympathy for the man that had tormented her son for most of their lives.
"She was a friend of the Doctor!" the Master hissed, his flesh disappearing for a moment to reveal his skeleton. The Master's eyes blazed with anger that seemed to be waiting for precisely the right moment to strike.
"We must find the Doctor," Penelope insisted, her voice as cold as her eyes. "He is in possession of the Moment, and he is in the city of Arcadia." Penelope stared at the Master, realizing that now he would be her only help.
"Neither of us have a TARDIS," the Master snapped, returning Penelope's glare. He glanced around as if he were looking for a TARDIS. There was none. "How do you plan on getting there? If anyone's going to activate the Moment," the Master laughed at this, "it's going to be me."
Penelope raised her eyebrows at him, unimpressed. "War Council. Now." Penelope sniffed, shooing the Master along in front of her before he had time to object. Penelope ignored the Master's profuse protests, and within minutes, they were in the War Council.
ΘΣβΩΡΩΑΠ
The younger Rose's eyes flashed, and the TARDIS containing the Tenth Doctor and his human Rose started materializing in the War Council of Gallifrey.
Rose Tyler and the Tenth Doctor were running frantically around the TARDIS console, avoiding the sparks bursting forth from various places on the console. Ten was making an attempt to reclaim control of his TARDIS, and Rose was following all of Ten's orders to help. Their resistance was futile.
"Doctor, what's happening?" Rose asked, wondering if Ten had any clue where they were going. Ten shook his head, frowning at the scanner. Words written in Circular Gallifreyan appeared on the scanner, and Ten's eyes widened and darkened.
"What?" Ten growled, banging the side of the scanner with his hand. The same results appeared, and Ten stared at them for a moment. He spun around to look at Rose, his jaw slack and a desolate expression on his face.
"Where are we?" Rose questioned, her eyes wide as she set her hand on Ten's shoulder. Ten flashed a grateful smile in her direction and took a deep breath. Rose inched closer to Ten, moving between him and the scanner. "What's wrong."
Ten sighed, and whispered, "We're on the War Room. On Gallifrey?" Rose's gaze softened further, her heart reaching out to Ten.
"And that's. . .bad?" Rose asked, somewhat surprised. Ten nodded, grimacing. Rose reached her hand up and stroked his sideburn. Ten leaned into her touch slightly. Rose smirked slightly.
"Very bad. We're in the Time War," Ten explained, and Rose's eyes widened, comprehending that they were probably in more danger than they ever had been before. Ten pulled Rose to him, glaring at the ceiling as he held her. A few minutes later, Ten informed them that they really ought to head outside.
Rose and Ten stepped out of the TARDIS into a room. In the center of the room, there was a table with holograms all above it. A man on the other side of the table groaned when he saw Ten. "The Doctor," the man hissed, sharing a look with another one of the Time Lords in the room.
"Hello to you too, General," Ten exclaimed, a false smile plastered to his face. Rose nudged him with her shoulder, and the General eyed them appraisingly. Rose waved, a smile on her face despite the nervousness gnawing at her stomach.
"Hi, I'm Rose, Rose Tyler," Rose said as she smiled and waved. She stepped closer to Ten.
"We don't bite, Wolf," the General laughed, and Rose relaxed almost instantly. Ten reached down and clasped her hand and squeezed it gently.
"Younger me has the Moment?" Ten asked after a short moment of silence. The General nodded, a look of fear on his face. "Ah." Ten turned to look at Rose. "We have to leave. Now."
"You can't just leave, now that you're here!" one of the other Time Lords exclaimed, staring at Ten incredulously.
Ten sighed. "No, I don't think my TARDIS would allow it." Rose looked at the Doctor, alarmed. "And it's the last day." Ten's voice cracked, despite the fact that it was hoarse.
"Is there anything we can do?" Rose asked, hesitating slightly before responding. Ten shook his head, and the General could do nothing but stare at him sadly. Rose just stared at Ten. "Doctor, there has to be something."
A second later, two people burst into the War Room, one of them carrying an unconscious third figure. Ten's jaw dropped, and he exclaimed, "What?!" Rose shook her head in amusement at the Doctor. "What?!"
"Penelope!" the General exclaimed, his eyes lighting up in joy. He noticed the other figure, and his eyes clouded. "Master." The General's eyes narrowed as he noticed the figure Penelope was carrying. Ten and young Rose also noticed the figure, and Rose gaped.
"But that's me!" young Rose exclaimed, looking at the Time Lady Rose in something akin to shock. "And I'm here and unconscious." Young Rose walked towards her future self and stared at the face and hair in an almost reverent manner.
"Doctor, we have to get to your younger self with the Moment," Penelope explained, staring at her son. Ten's eyes widened even as he nodded, and he gulped visibly. "You need to use your TT Capsule to get there; there is no other way." Young Rose smiled encouragingly at Ten, her eyes wide with hope.
"TARDIS, Mother," Ten corrected with a roll of his eyes. "You are too old-fashioned." Young Rose stood up and walked over to Ten's side and bumped him with her shoulder. "If we're going to go —"
"— then we ought to get going," Young Rose finished for him, and they both laughed. Young Rose gestured towards the TARDIS with her head. "Well, come on then! Get in there!" Penelope smiled and dipped her head in thanks, but the Master grinned widely. Young Rose quickly followed behind Penelope and the Master, but Ten quickly picked up the Time Lady Rose. When he felt her double heartbeat, he well-nigh dropped her. His eyes widened, but he carried her into the TARDIS without question.
"She's a Time Lord," Ten muttered aloud to himself, his voice quiet enough so that none of the others heard. Hastily, he set to work piloting the TARDIS to where he knew Eight to be. He sent a glare at the Master, warning him not to interfere. If he ignored the warning, there would be dire consequences.
The TARDIS materialized in the house Bad Wolf Rose and Eight were in at the very same moment another figure appeared.
To my guest reviewer, thank you so much for your flattering opinions! They made my day! Thank you!
Okay, and once again, I must mention the poll on my profile on whether I should do a sequel or epilogue for this story. This will affect the next chapter (probably the next, anyway), so I would appreciate it if you would vote!
I can't believe how close this is to the end. . . .
~~Elf