Rauwl and I sat on the bed in my assigned room, his head in my lap. I stroked his hair gently and he purred in response. His tears had stopped now and he seemed a lot calmer. The silence between us stretched onward as the light outside began to fade.
"Arianah and Mish," he said quietly, "those are their names."
We fell into silence again.
"Do you remember your family?" he whispered.
"No."
"Nothing at all?"
"Nothing. I don't even remember having a family. I thought I did, but the memory faded... I think I once had sisters. Lots of sisters."
Rauwl rolled onto his back and looked up at me.
"They are probably so scared now," he said, "I don't think that our mother made it. I just hope they haven't been sold already. We will never find them otherwise."
I looked down at him, my forehead wrinkled in worry.
"I hope that the Captain didn't get hold of Arianah," he whispered, "I don't know what I would do if- if-"
"If he did to her what he did to me?" I asked.
"Yes." He looked away.
"I'm certain she will be okay," I said firmly, "we will find them both."
"How can we find them? The Doctor is the one with the time machine, and we burnt that bridge."
We both went quiet for a time.
"We could... just take her... the TARDIS..." I said slowly.
Rauwl looked back at me, wide eyed.
"How? We don't know how to steer! And if the Doctor caught us..."
"TARDIS will take us where we need to go, I just have to ask her," I said softly.
We both thought for a while, not saying anything aloud.
"Perhaps we should wait for the Proclamation to sort it out..." He said quietly.
"But how long will that take? Days? Weeks? Years? By then they could be anywhere in the universe..."
We lapsed into silence once again and it stretched on longer this time.
"I think we should get some sleep, before we decide on anything," said Rauwl quietly.
I nodded my agreement and watched a little sadly as he left my room.
Light streamed in and hit my face, making me stir and wake. I sat up and found myself back in that room, on Earth. Confused, I stood and went to the wall with me drawings on it. As I watched they seemed to shift slightly, the occupants moving and warping.
Ahh, I thought dimly, this must be a dream...
I turned and saw the door to the cell was open. I moved to it and peered out. There was no one around, so I cautiously stepped out and began to make my way down the corridor. Along the walls were other doors to other cells, but all were closed. It felt as through the corridor went on forever, but I knew that wasn't possible. After what could have been hours or just mere seconds, I came to the door at the end, which sprung open at my approach.
Beyond it was a field.
I stepped forwards, gasping as the grass touched my feet. The air was heavy with the scent of flowers and there was the buzzing of busy insects all about me. The grass was short at first, but as I kept walking, it got taller, up to my waist. After a time of walking, not certain where I was going, I saw a band stand up ahead. It was stark white and in a small clearing. Distantly I could hear music, but the melody eluded me, the players were out of sight and far away. I moved towards the band stand, finding that it was deserted, though there was something small on the floor. I climbed the three small steps and stooped down, snatching up the little trinket box that was placed in the center.
It was barely bigger than a ring box and was made from dark wood with a intricate carving on its surface. I was tempted to open it, but there was a strong feeling of foreboding about it. My fingers shook as they touched the lid, feeling the pattern beneath them.
"I would not do that," said a voice behind me, making me jump.
I span around quickly and saw a young girl, watching me. She had the same hair and eyes as me, though she was smaller. She looked at me with a knowledgeable gaze that held steady.
"Why not?" I asked her.
"Because that is where the mists are hidden."
"What mists?"
"The mists."
I stared at her and she held my gaze.
"Why are they bad?" I asked.
"They aren't bad, but they are dangerous," she said, "it will hurt our sisters if you open it."
"Who are our sisters?"
She pointed upwards, towards the now darkening sky where little twinkling stars were appearing.
"Who are our sisters?" I repeated.
She smiled cryptically and pointed upwards again.
"I don't understand."
"You will. But not yet. Do not open the box, Tea, do not open the box."
She turned and began to walk away from me. I watched her disappear into the tall grass and when I could no longer see her I looked to the setting sun. Then I looked down at the box in my hands. The fading light played across its surface, throwing the carvings into greater relief. I traced the crack of the opening with my finger, but then carefully placed it back in the center of the band stand.
Once I had done this, the light faded completely.
I sat up with a start, looking about myself, frightened. It took a moment to register where I was; but when I did I sank back into the pillows with a sigh.
I thought back upon the dream I had just had. What was that box? What had that younger version of me meant but our sisters in the sky? Were they dead? Is that what she had meant? How could mists be hidden in such a small box?
I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. Pondering upon fading dreams was a waste of time, I decided.
******
When light started to creep its way across the bedroom floor, I knew what we were going to do. I rose and dressed, then strode from my room, knocking quietly on the door to Raulw's room, trying not to alert anyone that I was already awake. I waited, tapping my thighs with my hands for a few moments before Rauwl opened the door, looking sleepy, the duvet from the bed wrapped around him.
"To what do I owe this rather early pleasure?" he mumbled, then yawned.
I pushed past him into the door and the door slid shut behind me. I turned towards him and grinned.
"We are going to take the TARDIS."
He looked at me for a moment, as though he didn't quite believe what he was hearing.
"Are- Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.
I nodded and he smiled too.
"When?" he asked, breathless.
"Soon as you put your toga on, kitty," I said.
He jumped to it, dropping the duvet from his body and started wrapping himself in his toga. With a little difficulty, I turned away to give him some privacy. Moments later he tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to look at him, not realizing quite how close he was. For a brief moment we were very almost touching and my breath caught in my throat. I looked up into his eyes and felt a fluttering in my stomach. I watched his pupils dilate and his breathing quickened.
"We should be going," I whispered.
He nodded slowly and reached an arm around me to press the door pad. The door slid open and I turned away from him and stepped outside, my heart racing.
After sneaking through the main complex, avoiding all the guards and wandering Proclamation members, we finally reached the TARDIS. She stood steadfast in the corridor she had landed in, jarring with her clean surroundings. I moved forwards, my fingers curling around the metal door handle, then pushed her door carefully inwards. I poked my head inside the gap and looked about.
The lights in the control room were dimmed and there was no sign of the Doctor. I gestured to Rauwl and we both entered the TARDIS as quietly as we could. I moved to the control panel and lovingly touched it.
"I'm back now, TARDIS," I whispered to her.
The lights brightened and the screen above the console flickered to life, the face of TARDIS appearing.
"Welcome back, Tea," she said softly, "and Rauwl, of course."
Rauwl stood stunned on the ramp, his fur on end, staring at the face of TARDIS.
"Tea," he said quietly, "that's- that's-"
"This is TARDIS," I said impatiently, "come on, Rauwl, we need to move quickly!"
"But Tea, she looks like-"
I huffed and turned my back on him, looking up at TARDIS.
"Can you take us to his sisters?" I asked her.
"I can. When?"
"When ever it is safe, just get us to them quickly, and quietly" I replied.
"Stabilizers on," she stated, "preparing for de-materialization. Materialization warning noise off. Please sit comfortably during our journey."
Her face flickered off of the screen and me and Rauwl grasped onto the railing as knobs and dials began to twist and spin, lights flashed and a gentle humming began. We braced ourselves, but after a few moments, the humming stopped and it felt as though we had hardly moved at all. I looked at Rauwl and he nodded.
Together we went to the screen and with a couple of presses we were looking on the outside cameras into what appeared to be a loading bay. Crates were stacked upon each other and their appeared to be nobody about.
"Should we take weapons?" asked Rauwl.
Before I could respond, there was a small whooshing noise and a click as from the console extended a sonic screwdriver. Without a second thought I plucked it from its place and smiled at Rauwl.
"Let's go," I said.
Excitement rushed through me as we ran down the ramp, pulling the door open and stepping out into the loading bay. We heard distant conversation, but the speakers were too far away to pick out their words. Moving quickly and quietly we slipped behind one of the towering crates and looked at each other worriedly.
"Do you recognize this place?" I whispered to him.
He looked about, then shook his head.
"Perhaps we should have planned this better," he murmured.
I shook my head, smiling.
"Where's the fun in that?"
He made to reply, but I hushed him, listening hard as footsteps approached us, accompanied by a strange dragging sound, voices growing louder.
"- what the LT says, I don't think we should have done this."
"It doesn't matter what you think," snapped the other voice, "the fact of the matter is that it is done now."
"But... She's so small... So young..."
"It's too late! The LT paid for her, fair and square. There's nothing you can do about it. Unless you want to offer more credits for her?"
"You know I don't have that much credit!"
"Then shut your gills."
Around the corner, backs to us, came a pair of short beings, about four and a half feet tall and slimy looking. They wore the same kind of suits that the Krisptick had worn and from the neck of their suits their large, fish-like grey heads perched, their gills flapping at they took in the air. Between them, they were dragging a lifeless form of a small, naked cat girl. Rauwl growled deep in his chest and the aliens turned, looking momentarily shocked; then dropping the arms of the girl they were dragging their gloved three fingered hands reached for their holsters.
"Don't move," I snarled, pointing the sonic at them.
They both stood stock still, hands almost on their guns.
"Rauwl, get your sister," I growled to him.
He nodded once and rushed forwards, crouching by her head, calling her name softly, trying to wake her.
"Now, boys," I said to the two fish-men, "you are going to tell me everything I want to know. Firstly, Where did you pick this girl up?"
They glanced at each other, but said nothing, infuriating me.
"Oh come now, don't play coy, or do I need to give you a little... Persuasion?"
I felt something behind my eyes begin to burn and my lips twisted in an odd smile. They both swallowed, looking terrified.
"Our-Our Lieutenant picked her up at our refueling stop," said one, "not us."
Nodding, the other one added "Yeah. He bought her for sixty credits. Said she was worth it. Half price."
"Half price?"
"Yeah," said the first, "the Krisptick were eager to get rid of them. Selling them off cheap. Said something about being caught out by an inspector."
"Nah," said the other, "they said it was a doctor, right?"
I glanced at Rauwl, who was lifting his sister in his arms, a dark glint in his eyes.
"What have you done to the girl?" I demanded.
"Just a knock out drug, it'll wear off in an hour, she was scratching and screaming when we picked her up."
"The Lieutenant wanted us to put her in the cells, so she would cool off a bit."
"Put her in the TARDIS," I said to Rauwl quietly.
He walked past me, glancing briefly at me, then moved to the TARDIS door. I looked back at them.
"And now, what were you going to do with her?" I growled, the burning behind my eyes getting hotter.
"The Lieutenant just wanted a maid or something."
"Yeah, do his laundry, keep his room clean, serve him, de-stressing..."
They fell silent under the look in my eyes.
"That girl is a living, sentient person! How DARE you think of her as a lesser being, an item to be bought! I hope that you change your ideals or I may just have to come back for you. This is illegal and as such, you will be punished for it. Now GO!"
Together the fish-men span on their heals and ran away from me without a backward glance. Panting, I turned away and moved to the TARDIS, stepping inside, planning our next move.