Chapter Thirteen
The Living Shadow
"I do believe you're waking up, Doctor," a man stated, sounding very amused by the situation.
"How?" she croaked, still groggy and waking up, her eyes still blurred by exhaustion.
"Oh, come now, dear Doctor," the man said with a chuckle, "do you think I'd tell you? It's so very complicated that I would be talking for whole minutes. We know how you like to try to bide your time until you form an idea that you try to pass off as a plan."
"It was worth a try," she stated with a resigned chuckle, still feeling tired and exhausted, "I'm never going to do that again. Well, to be fair, I won't be able to do that again. Mix of not enough regeneration energy and lacking a darker side. Least it's a bit of a weight off my shoulders."
"And now comes the prattling," the man said with a dour tone, "do you even have the ability to keep your mouth shut?"
"Oh, I have the ability," she replied lightly, "I just choose not to exercise it."
"We are at a rather interesting position, are we not?" the man asked, bending down to look at the Doctor, whose vision was clearing.
"I hope the position you're thinking of has nothing to do with two little facts. One involving each of us. Considering that you're the amalgamation of everything I hate about me, it would never happen," she stated, "besides, think of the kids."
"The position I'm referring to is the fact that I know you're above killing me. You'd want to try to save me. Make me better. And we both know who and what I am, yet we haven't been formally introduced since my… birth," the man stated with a smile, "I'm the Valeyard. Nice to meet you, Doctor."
"And I know what you want, Valeyard," she stated, forcing herself to stand, "the sad thing is, I don't have any regenerations left to give you. The tank's running on empty. And you know what will and must happen if you were to be brought to the Gallifrey of the past. My sixth self really did a number on you."
"That's why I think I'll just have my fun in the here and now. Our close friend the Master certainly found a multitude of methods to just keep coming back after the limit," the Valeyard stated with a smile, "but unlike him, it would simply be no fun in ruling everything. Too much work, micromanagement, and annoyance. No, I think large explosions spanning all of reality, planet by planet is more fun than conquering."
"Like I'd ever let you out of the TARDIS," she stated, "and like she'd let you out. Oh, you can run around her corridors, but I trust her to keep you well away from Allie and the control rooms."
"It would be just a matter of time until I get bored. Do you honestly want that to happen?" the Valeyard asked, "we both know how clever I am."
"I could just eject you from the TARDIS," the Doctor said calmly before frowning.
"Which one of us is the holder of the darkness, hmm? You're considering killing me. I know you are. You even delighted in teasing and tormenting lower species. You were trying hard not to laugh at them and their many, failed attempts to get into the TARDIS. I'm starting to wonder if I'm the real Doctor and you're the Valeyard."
"You're just trying to confuse me, Valeyard," she stated, glaring at the man, "because I know two very important things. One, you were saying things about turning all of reality into one big explosion, one big fireball of epic proportions. Two, I am the Doctor. I stand for the oppressed. I stand for those who want and need help. I stand against the monsters that prey upon the innocent. And above all else, I will do what I can to make everything better than it was when I came crashing down."
"Or maybe you're just saying that because it makes you feel better. Who's evil, the one who just wants to see things explode or the one threatening to eject little old me into the vacuum of space?"
"I refuse to doubt myself," she stated, leaving the room and sending a mental plea to the TARDIS to keep him away from everything sensitive and alive except for when she wants to check up on the madman.
When she entered the console room, she felt more like herself. She feared and hated everything that the Valeyard was. And yet, she doubted that nothing could spring from her which didn't have even the smallest speck of goodness within them. She knew that due to the trial on Gallifrey, the version of the Valeyard which she had faced in her sixth self had come from a different timeline. Which meant that the version that came from her is a completely different being than the one which had been vanquished. And maybe, just maybe, she could just fix him and make him better.
She was still thinking when she felt something touch her upper arm. She jumped and turned around to see Allie, standing there and giving her a worried look. She merely gave the girl a wide grin. Any doubts she had that she was the actual Doctor was wiped away that moment. Because the Valeyard wouldn't have assistants or companions. He would destroy. And she would always protect.
"I asked if you were okay," Allie stated.
"I'm fine," she stated before laughing, "better than ever! What do you think about Shece. A planet that is a mall. That is what girls do, right? Shop? Can't say that I'm even remotely interested in that, though."
"Something's wrong," Allie stated before taking on a horrified expression with a gasp, "are you dying?"
"What? I'm not dying! Just thought to ask you for what kind of things you want to go see and do and naturally, I thought that you'd want to go shopping. I know how some girls are like. Give them an infinite credchip and they'll find a way to break the bank…"
"You're acting a bit odd. Is there something wrong?" Allie asked.
"There was," she stated lightly, "it's horribly complicated and I don't quite understand how. I do understand the why. Barely. I think."
"What happened?" Allie asked.
"It's nothing, I assure you," the Doctor said, "the TARDIS doesn't have any weapons in her and she'll keep us safe."
"You're hiding something. Again! Why is it that you keep hiding things from me?"
"The more you know, the more danger you'll be exposed to. Plus, I figure that if I keep the worst from you, there's less of a chance that you'd panic and neither of us wants you to panic."
"Then maybe you can keep me from panicking by telling me what's going on," Allie stated.
"It's nothing," the Doctor said, "you could say that I'm in lighter spirits now. Where do you want to go?"
"To get you to see a shrink," Allie stated.
"I'm not insane!" the Doctor exclaimed.
"You don't even trust me, do you?" Allie asked.
"Take a look at that key I gave you. Remember what I said about it. Ask yourself if I'd give something that precious to someone I don't trust," the Doctor stated.
"But you refuse to tell me what's bothering you!"
"There are things out there that are almost outside my grasp of understanding. This is one of them. Now, keep in mind just how much more knowledgeable and clever I am compared to most of the universe. That's what's going on. Something big and complicated and I don't even know how. But we're safe. I locked the door and that should be enough."
"Give your ego a rest!" Allie exclaimed, "I think I need a break from you!"
With that, Allie ran into the corridors, causing the Doctor to let out a sigh as she sat down on a jump seat and pulled a paperback novel from her jacket pocket. She knew that Allie just needed to calm down. She wondered if she should've told Allie about the Valeyard but then shrugged. The Valeyard was harmless as long as he was locked in that room. There was just no way he could break out of one of the TARDIS' rooms. Until Allie returned and picked their next destination, she resolved to just sit and wait while reading the book. It should keep her mind occupied for the time being at least.
Author's Note 3/13/13
So, this is the second chapter written today, mostly because I finished my homework before I wrote the previous chapter. So yeah, I pretty much announced the baddie which I'm starting to doubt that he'd be a one-shot character. I could see 13 weaponize the crazy guy who loves explosions. Oh and how she would manipulate the crazy madman. And the scary thing is she threatened to eject the Valeyard from the TARDIS not out of sheer anger or hatred but to warn him that if he proves to be too much of a risk, she would do so for the greater good. It wasn't out of sheer evilness, but just practicality. She just seems to be a fairly practical girl.
And I just love how the Valeyard took some of 13's way of speaking since he was a part of her and to drive home how he was always right under the surface up until the end of the last chapter. Of course, a driving part of how I'm doing the Valeyard is a mix of foreknowledge of his possible fate mixed with an intrinsic part of the Doctor that he had gained this time around – the desire to have fun. I'll probably throw some Dream Lord into the Valeyard, but right now, he's just so much fun. A sophisticated baddie who just wants to have fun… by creating the largest explosion ever.
I fear for everyone if or when 13 learns how to pull his strings and use him as an explosion waiting to happen. Because, going off how she seems to be practical, if it's easier and more practical to toss Mr. Mushroom-cloud-waiting-to-happen into a problem, she would. It would mean that two forces of evil gets killed in one explosion. Worse, she might go "hey, these guys want to detonate this place. Do you want them to blow this place up before you could?" O_O My mind is terrifying. 13, stop being creepy!
Stay tuned and stay awesome!
~Gregora