Fictions Mentioned:
Episode 21 - ROB the Dalek
This was the weirdest day ever for the Time Lord known as the Doctor and for the Hammer of Witches known as Lady Anna Maria "Rusalka" Schwagerin. Although when it comes to their lives in general, this is the least bit surprising really.
After visiting and saying their goodbyes to both Lawrence Krafft and Holo, they begin to went back into the TARDIS, with Rusalka grabbing unto the Doctor's right shoulder, all as she and the Doctor walked through the main console room in a circle. After pulling a few switches and levers, the TARDIS begins to dematerialize into the Time Vortex, leaving the World of Spice and Wolf behind, all ready for the next adventure.
"So, which place or no place in space and time would you like to go too this time, Anna?," the Doctor asked with an honest tone, all with a smile that was both happy and sad.
Rusalka simply smiled, all as she was slowly walking alongside the man she loved for myriads of an eternity. "Oh I don't know, my Lord Doctor. The Known and Unknown Multiverse is one big place after all. I think I prefer that you should handle the destinations of our travels for the time being."
"Hmm," the Doctor was sporting a pondering expression. "Well I suppose we could travel towards the territory of the Great and Bountiful Solaris Maximus Empire, with the intention of observing the living suns who go about their daily business as usual."
"Oh, them!," Rusalka's smile was brighter, all in recognition of the nigh all powerful living sentient suns, the friendly and peaceful type of beings, equals and peers to the Time Lords, Xeelee, and Osiran race, a Type VI Kardashev Level Civilization, a member of the Temporal Powers Alliance (TPA). "That would be delightful actually. Think we get to run into Senator Rubrum Aurantius on our way there."
"Well, it is his people's home territory, Anna, so its to be expected really," said the Doctor in stride.
And as they walk in a circle across the main console, a red alert begins to sound from the main console, all with the appropriate words written on the screen.
"WARNING: CODE JANUARY. WARNING: CODE JANUARY. WARNING: CODE JANUARY."
"Huh?," Rusalka raised an eyebrow, recognizing the emergency alarm code that was being uttered in an automatic male announcer voice. She turned towards the Doctor, who was sporting an exasperated face at this point, facepalming with his left hand, almost as if he immediately recognize the code by heart by now, all because he knew what seemed to be coming next.
"Oh for Omega's sake," muttered the Doctor in exasperation. "Is it that time of the year already?"
And as he began to speak, something begin to materialize at the right side of the main console, with yellow colored particles coming forth which signaled its arrival, northeast from the Doctor and Rusalka's point of view.
It was something that seemed familiar. At the same time, it was not so.
A battle casing. Light blue in color. The casing itself has three sections in total. The top was the means of vision and communication, a dome with a set of twin speaker 'lights' (referred to as luminosity dischargers) on the upper part of the sides, and a periscope-like eyestalk in the middle. This was attached to the midsection by a "neck", the grating section. At the midsection which was the weapons platform, the gunstick and manipulator arm were attached. These provided the means of offence and operating capabilities. In later models, the midsection was capable of swiveling. The bottom, the base unit, was the means of mobility, consisting of a sturdy base with a skirt-like structure of plates studded with sense globes. This allowed movement and for flight.
It was a Dalek.
And yet, it was not so.
And this was most obvious for one Lady Anna Maria "Rusalka" Schwagerin who raised her eyebrow as her magical senses had indicated that the one being of dread for most, the one that is now standing before her, is actually not a Dalek. Despite appearances to the contrary. Rather it was a human. A teenager to be precise. Somewhere near between the age of 16 and 17. American from the looks of it if she were to analyze the soul in question. It was also most obvious to the Doctor, who didn't even react in the normal manner of the usual grimness and coldness when it comes to him and the Daleks in general, only sporting an exasperated and expected expression as a response to this seemingly random appearance of the Dalek that sounded the alarm on the system. But why was this so? What was it that was making the Doctor and Rusalka act seemingly out of character at the sight of something that should be immediately destroyed on sight. But the better question should be...
"What? Where? How? Where am I?," the Dalek (?) was rotating in movement, eyestalk and bottom, looking confused and bewildered for the first few seconds before eventually setting its sights on the Doctor and Rusalka, who was sporting simple raised eyebrows of curiosity.
"..." the Dalek (?) was silent, speechless even. For it seem to immediately recognize the individual who is standing before it. "..avid... David... Tennant...?"
"(Sigh)," the Doctor facepalms once again, recognizing this phenomenon from a mile a way. "Not again."
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Dies irae ～Amantes amentes～ 主題歌 『Jubilus』
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Super Mario Bros. Theme Song
There was silence. There was speechlessness on the part of the Dalek (?). Only a silence that seemed to pass by. Then, its eyestalk was narrowing, almost as if in close inspection or in need of clarification. Then, the eyestalk begins to widened its eye in immediate recognition. And that lead to it seemingly going... to put simply... going absolutely on "fanboying" mode.
"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! You're the Doctor! The Doctor!," said the Dalek (?), all as it begins to make its way towards him, all with a happy tone of a teenage boy, one that was very out of character for an ordinary Dalek. But the Doctor and Rusalka knew that this was no ordinary Dalek. For it isn't even a Dalek at all. Rather... "I... uh... I just... uh..."
"Young man, relax," the Doctor said simply, smiling in turn, already knowing how to handle this particular situation, having dealt with this type of phenomenon numerous times by now. Rusalka on the other hand was seemingly sporting an amused look on her face. Another young fan of yours, my Lord Doctor, she thought with a smile.
"Ok... ok...," the Dalek (?) complied immediately, seeming taking a breather for a moment, before eventually speaking, with its eyestalk raised in excitement and admiration, all while a hint of relief was present in the happy go lucky tone. "Its just... I'm just actually glad to finally get to meet you sir. Sorry for uh... overreacting just now. Its just that I've been having a pretty rough time lately."
"Oh, I could tell," the Doctor spoke with empathy, already knowing how to handle this particular case. He brings his left hand to his pocket. "Let me guess, you suddenly got isekai'ed from your world, a world where I'm a fictional character from some television show from England called Doctor Who, and was turned into a Dalek by some Random Omnipotent Being (ROB) out there, and place you somewhere to which you have absolutely no idea as to where and why, and have been trying your best to survive ever since, all with the forced battle casing on your metaphorical back."
"I... yes... How did you...," the Dalek (?), despite not seen from the outside, was sporting a shocked expression on its face, wondering as to how does the Doctor even know about such a thing since as far as he knows, but knowing that he could be technically wrong on his end, that isekai in general tends to be related to anime, manga, and other Japanese fictional material.
"How did I know? Well," the Doctor sported an exasperated expression, pinching his eyes out. "Let's just say that you're not the only one that got turned into a Dalek that I had to deal with for what amounts to an uncountable number at this point."
"Wait," the Dalek (?) was shocked. "Others? There are others just like me?"
"Yep," the Doctor confirmed with a smile. "All safe and sound, turned back to normal. Courtesy of myself and a few others who aren't currently here for the moment."
"..." the Dalek (?) couldn't believe it. It wasn't alone in its predicament after all. There were others before it. And from what the Doctor had told it, they were all turned back to normal somehow. That means... It could return to normal. It could go back to being human. No longer will it have to worry on getting killed by the wrong (right) kind of people. No longer does he need to hide in fear. No longer. For now was its moment of salvation. Now was its time to be free.
But...
"But... hold on a minute," the Dalek (?) wondered, all the while immediately recalling the usual relationship between the Doctor and the Daleks, which in turn made him dread in a subtle tremendous level, realizing its seemingly "epic screw up", now beginning to slightly move back in fear due to the recalling of the information in question. "But... why? Why are you so calm right now? In fact, why are you even so nice to me right about now when I look just like..."
The Doctor eyes begin to show a form of empathy, something that the Dalek (?) became intrigued and touched to its heart. "A Dalek. That's the keyword for you. You look like a Dalek but you don't sound like one do you? As a matter of fact, you don't even act like one, do you? Otherwise you would have just shouted "EXTERMINATE!" as if it isn't going out of style at this point. Right?"
"Yes," the Dalek (?) was lowering its eyestalk in a form of pondering and sadness, all with nothing but the plain truth present in its voice.
"Well then, you have nothing to worry about," the Doctor smiled. "In the meantime, I would like to begin our introductions in proper order. Introducing myself would be a bit redundant at this point considering that you know who I am, so I think I should go first in the asking department. So, what's your name?"
The Dalek (?), rotating its eyestalk to the side, before turning back again towards the Doctor, spoke in an honest tone. "My name is Richard E. Roberts. I lived with my folks somewhere in Kansas City, Missouri. I'm a second year student at Central High School."
"Central High School?," the Doctor sported an awed expression. "The same school that has such infamous alumni such as Walt Disney and Irene C. Peden?"
"Yes," the Dalek, or it is revealed, Richard E. Roberts, was eagerly nodding its, or rather his eyestalk.
"Well I'll be," the Doctor spoke with approval, recognizing the school as it was the place where his old friend Walt Disney once studied back in the day. "Fine school to attend too in my humble opinion. Has some of the best and brightest finish their studies and made world history. Good on you," he gently pats the dome with approval, making the simple noise of a hand produced sound effect that is heard throughout the main console room, something that surprised Richard considerably. "In which case, we better get you to one of the TARDIS laboratories in order for you to finally get rid of that Dalek retro look that is seemingly stuck to your biodata as it were." The Doctor was now inspecting Richard's Dalek battle casing with the eye of a professional medical doctor, all while bringing his sonic screwdriver in order to perform a scan on him.
"Yes, please," Richard eagerly nodded his eyestalk, all the while sporting an eager and relieved smile that is not seen from the outside.
"Ahem," Rusalka produced a clear sounding lady like cough, all with a close fist in turn of emphasis, noticing how she seemed to be left out of the conversation all of a sudden. One that was noticed by both the Doctor and Richard turn their attention towards her. "Excuse me," she puts her hands to her waist in a pouting expression. "I believe that I've just been suddenly relegated to the sidelines as some sort of background character with no say in the manner for some reason the more the two of you started talking. How cruel of you for leaving me behind, my Lord Doctor?," Rusalka touched her right eye with an obvious form of humor in order to get sympathy.
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Dies irae - Animation OST: disce libens
"Oh... right...," the Doctor sported a wincing expression, knowing that he must remain calm, collected, and careful when it comes to these types of situations. After all, if in Richard's world, he was a fictional character, so there might be a possibility that either A.) Richard definitely knows about Rusalka due to the possibility of her being considered a fictional character in Richard's world and reality, or B.) Richard doesn't know about Rusalka, having never heard of her, but still has the possibility of being considered as a fictional character in Richard's world and reality, or C.) Rusalka doesn't exist as a fictional character in Richard's world and reality.
He really, really wished that it was option C. He'd rather not have to deal with a young innocent teenager becoming completely terrified to the point of accidentally trying to shoot them with his gunstick. Well, the TARDIS safety protocols would kick in if that were to happen, but he'd rather not let the situation escalate to that point.
Richard narrowed his eyestalk, spotting on what appears to be a beautiful petite woman with red hair and a petite stature. She also appears to be German the more he looked closer upon inspection. Then there was her clothes. An SS Warrant Officer uniform! Then there was that symbol from her right arm. A familiar symbol upon inspection. A symbol that he would definitely recognize at first glance. And that made his stomach crawl in dread. "Um... Doctor...," he spoke with subtle dread. "Who is she?"
A stupid question according to Richard's opinion. Because now that he begins to look at her very closely, its seemed undeniable at first glance.
There it was, that question, thought the Doctor with grimaced exasperation.
"Hmmmm...," the Doctor sported a pondering expression. "Before I answered that question, tell me something. What do you know about Dies Irae? And I don't mean the Latin sequence attributed to either Thomas of Celano of the Franciscans or to Latino Malabranca Orsini, lector at the Dominican studium at Santa Sabina, the forerunner of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome. I meant the visual novel Dies Irae."
"I know enough," Richard spoke automatically, all the while carrying that careful expression as he was slowly backing away from Rusalka, recognizing her in immediate fear. "Um... Doctor... Is she..."
"(Sigh)," the Doctor sighed heavily, before simply sporting a sad smile. "Well, you're a bright young man so you must have managed to pieced together the answer all by yourself without my needing to tell you."
"I did," Richard responded, with the subtle fear now doubling in a row, with the casing subtly shaking, all denoting signs of a complete standstill, one of fear and recognition at the person who is right in front of him. No... Not just a person... A literal monster... And that was ironic coming from him of all people considering his predicament.
But... that didn't make any sense to Richard at all. Why would the Doctor, the Doctor, be in the same room as someone like her. Something doesn't add up. Then there's the fact that this woman that is standing right before him seemed to be a far cry to how he pictured her to be. He knows her. He'd seen her. All as he once read and played the visual novel sometime in his free time. The type of person to kill with no remorse or hesitation. The type of person to completely engulf everyone in her shadow. The type of person who tried to reach godhood.
And yet...
She was also the type of person who had a very dark and tragic past. He would know considering how the visual novel details her past piece by piece. It got even more sad when he had reached the Rea Route. In some cases, you could say that Rusalka Schwagerin was the unofficial fifth girl of Dies Irae in particular due to the many scattered pieces that one could find throughout the story if one were to look closely enough.
So at the very least, Richard has certain mixed feelings with regards to Rusalka.
For one, he couldn't condone what Rusalka had done as the blatant taking of life without any sufficient valid reason was wrong from the moral perspective. On the other hand, he felt only complete sympathy for her past, being reminded on how blessed he and many others are in comparison to her. No one should have to go through what Rusalka had to go through in his humble opinion. It was a cruel fate that pushed her over the edge. Her desire to rise up was twisted and turned all to the point of wanting to drag everyone down on the mud. From someone accused of being a witch, to being turned into an actual witch by force.
In this case, he only felt the feelings of fear, because of knowing who she is, and the feelings of sympathy, because of knowing her tragic past and backstory.
But the question still remains. Why was she in the TARDIS? And why is she with the Doctor of all people?
Truthfully, his knowledge of Doctor Who comes from the TV Show and many Expanded Universe material that he had watched and read. So he would know of the Doctor by more than a lot in terms of being a Whovian.
So... how come that the Doctor and Rusalka are in the same room together. Now that it came to this, Richard didn't even know at which point in the timeline is he currently in when it came to the Doctor. And now, it would be even more difficult to gauge where and when in this current point. He would have to hope that he isn't dealing with Waters of Mars - Time Lord Victorious Tenth Doctor as that was one of the things that he'd rather not deal with if his life depended on it.
As Richard was thinking this, Rusalka on the other hand immediately recognized the feelings of fear and sympathy that was present in the young teenager, with her senses telling her of it as it gathers all the emotive information and made her understand the young man's subtle terror in realization of what she could do to him if pushed or forced by the hand, or even in casual fashion. She sighed, knowing how this is yet another form of karma on her part when it comes to her and the relative past of everyone in the Masadaverse. For the past of Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) seemingly comes back in one shape or form from time to time. This was no single exception. Even if it was a form of fiction in some other world.
"(Sigh)," she sighed, breathing in and out in mental preparation, sporting an honest and genuine expression as she looks at the young teenager turned Dalek in the eye. "Look kid. I'm not going to do what you think I'm going to do. For as far as everyone here is concerned, Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) is over and done with. The Grand Guignol has been toppled down. The Era of the Eternal Mercurial Recurrence (Die Omega Ewigkeit) is no more. Karl Krafft no longer sits on the Throne for as of the present moment of now, that honor now belongs to Lady Hirume - The Goddess of the Dawn (Amaterasu). Its been over several countless meta-millennial cycles since then on my count. At this point, most of the L.D.O. have mellowed out at this point due to all that constant fighting that had happened in the Time War," right as she said the last part, Richard's eyestalk widened, recognizing the conflict's name. For how can he not? "And before you asked, no, the Daleks were not the only ones involved in that mess, otherwise, it would have been over far too quickly. There were a whole lot more horrors out there who came out of the woodwork. And many of them were powerful in their own right. Ones that even gave me and the rest of the L.D.O. many amounts of difficulties."
Rusalka looked towards Richard's eyestalk, with both eyes locked on, speaking in a tone of genuine honesty. "I know what I did. And I know that you know as well. So its understandable as to why you feel very afraid of me, knowing of what I'm capable of. I'm not going to justify my past actions at this point. I can't apologize enough for what I've done. What's done is done. What's the past is the past. It doesn't really matter much if you won't get along with me now due to now recognizing who I really am. But," she slightly bowed her head low, sporting a contrite expression. "I've been trying... Trying to atone for my past sins ever since," she looks at the Doctor, who was sporting a concerned expression. "But please don't hold it on the Doctor for associating with someone like me. You...," her lips trembled. One that was noticed by both the Doctor and Richard. Richard was sporting a shocked expression, thinking how seemingly out of character Rusalka Schwagerin - Malleus Maleficarum - Number VIII of the Longinus Dreizehn Orden's Obsidian Round Table was now acting. "You have no idea what the Doctor had done all for my sake, and for the sake of everyone who ever lived in my multiverse."
"What he did...?," Richard was curious about that. How much of an impact did the Doctor had on her if she was acting in a way totally different from her visual novel counterpart? As a matter of fact, how did the Doctor even knew someone like her anyway? For they are from completely different cosmologies. Very complex. Very complicated. In fact, judging by the look on her face that was shown, looking at the Doctor with certain feelings, one that gave Richard a raised eyebrow of surprise and disbelief.
Rusalka...? In love...?, Richard thought with surprise and disbelief.
Rusalka smiled sadly, all as she began to explain. "Truth be told, the Doctor was actually the one who saved me and the multiverse that I came from in the end. Sticking around for god knows how long. Did you know... that the Doctor was the only person to recall literally everything that had happened, being the only person to actually withstand recalling every single detail, every single line, every single outcome that came with living through the events of Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) all due to his nature as a Time Lord."
"He did...?," Richard's surprise had increased by a lot.
"Yes," Rusalka recalled very fondly with a sad smile. "Truth be told, the Doctor, or to be more specific, the seventh face of the Doctor, stuck around and was fighting throughout those myriad upon myriad numbers of years. Just imagine it from his shoes. Imagine being stuck in a never ending silent hell where and when only you were the one who could possibly remember. Naturally, you would be the most affected out of all who ever lived in the ignorance of bliss. Being there for so very long. Stuck for so very long. Everything hits on an endless repeat. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again. All as it lasted for what amounts to an eternity. And even in spite of all this, he tries."
Some amounts of tears were beginning to form in her eyes, all as she recalls this with regret, one that made the Doctor silent and concerned, and what had made Richard sport a shocked expression at the rather genuine amount of feelings that came with someone like Rusalka.
"He tries. A little too hard for my liking. He was the most affected out of all of us who ever lived in that endless recurrence. In this case, he made one hell of a chess player for one Karl Krafft to play with. For both players may be different in terms of ranking, with Karl Krafft obviously being higher in rank than him due to being a Hegemony God, the one who sits on the Throne at that point, and that he could obliterate the Doctor if he really wanted too. However, Karl Krafft didn't do any of the sort, becoming a friend of commonality to him in particular due to the fact that unlike with everyone, including Lord Heydrich, the Doctor was the only one who could remember the loops that had lasted, and so had established a common bond of friendship in the midst of the endless recurring hell. A common ground was set for them. The chess pieces were set for them. The Doctor, after being informed of this particular situation surrounding my multiverse, accepted the challenge, all because of the rather cruel fate that was bestowed upon my multiverse. And so, that was when his fighting began. And the fighting lasted... so many years to the point of being more than an entire ocean. The worst part was that he can't get out of this hell due to Die Omega Ewigkeit (The Eternal Mercurial Recurrence) being at full effect in my multiverse at that time. And he can't call for help and assistance from anyone. Not his people. Not his family. Not his friends. No one."
Rusalka trembled with subtlety, all while as she puts her arms to her chest as if she was suddenly feeling cold.
"The Doctor knew me. The Doctor knew all of us. The L.D.O. Zarathustra. Everything. Down to the very least detail. Down to the very least insignificant thing. All this while he remains in the shadows of the background of the stage. For most of the time, he remains in the shadows, only coming out when it was the right moment of opportunity, such as minor events that seemingly have no meaning in themselves, but it was something he had treasured and valued more than anything. Just like the days of my childhood, back when he would suddenly come into town and do magic tricks for me and for the rest of the children of the village. For some reason, whenever he looked at me, there was always that expression on his face. A smile. One that was so happy and sad at the same time. I didn't understood why at the time until at the very end of it all. He..."
Tears fall down in her face, all while smiling in reminiscence.
"He was so very kind. Despite everything I've done, he smiles. My past didn't mattered one bit to someone like him. He didn't grew bored of me. He was just flashing that smile. Always waiting for me. Even to the very end. Even to the finish line. Even to the finale. And in all that time, he was planning with so much effort, despite not being apparent, for the eventual day when I and so many others would finally be free. All the brutal murders. He didn't care. All the atrocities. He didn't care. All the people dying. He didn't care. For he had already seen it so many times over and over again. For most people, they would have either gone completely insane or completely bored. But not him. No," she shakes her head. "There was just pain. There was just suffering. There was just sadness. But that same pain, suffering, and sadness had been made into his drive for determination to ever strive forward. He kept focus. He kept track. No time to rest. No time to sleep. He couldn't intervene for me when the moment of my witchdom came, or in other important events surrounding the events of Dies Irae. He had to keep everything right. He had to put the chess pieces in the right place. He had to keep as if the script is still running and going, but is actually doing some editing from the little bit of space between the details. He put in the effort to the utmost best with regards to his role. An editor par excellence. Playing along but not really playing along. Looking through each element of every single route, looking and sifting through the myriads upon myriads of timelines, probabilities, and outcomes. Beginning - Middle - End - Repeat - Beginning - Middle - End - Repeat - Beginning - Middle - End - Repeat. Like an uncontrollable repeat of a movie from a DVD Player in automatic mode. Remembering every single detail. Every single line. He knows all of it. He experienced all of it. He grew numb to the violence. Only sadness forever remains. Only guilt remains. All because of countless acts of inaction that had to be done for the greater good. And after what amounts to so many uncountable set of years, he finally managed to topple all of it down. The entire script, through the major help and assistance of one Ren Fuji, considered as one of the closest of persons to the point of being a son to him. And all that planning finally managed to pay off in the end."
Rusalka sported a sad face, with a smile, all while seeming crying.
"I... I... I didn't know... I always thought that he abandoned me. I always thought that I was being left behind by the one man that I cared far more than anything. That was why I took the power that was offered to me. To be a witch who dragged others to her shadow. I wanted to never be left behind ever again. I wanted him to love me to eternity. But I couldn't be more wrong. I was so very stupid. While I was enjoying myself, he was suffering from the inside. I used to asked: Why are you always this kind to me whenever I try to kill you? Why are you always this kind to me no matter what I've done to other people, whether if they were innocent or guilty? Why are you always smiling at me with the same type of smile that you used to smile for me since my childhood? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?"
At this point, Rusalka was looking at the Doctor in tears, one that the Doctor would notice with concern, muttering "Anna," in a concern tone.
"Why were you always so very kind to everyone, including someone like me? Always kind. Always the man who keeps moving forward in spite of everything. Always the man who loves to travel a lot. To be someone who would carry the problems of others and solve them to the best of his ability. To be someone to whom people would give their shoulder too. I always asked myself, what drives you in spite of all the darkness. in spite of the pain, in spite of the suffering? You never gave up. You never gave in. You kept your promise even to the end. And I..." she trembled, all with a smile and with tears. "All I did to you was completely unforgivable in my eyes. I wanted nothing more than to take everything back. I wanted to atone for all that I did by showering you with the love that you had lack for so very long. I wanted to be the woman who would always be there wherever and whenever you feel the need to unburden one's problems. I wanted to be the woman who would always be there wherever and whenever you needed me. And I would be more than happy to oblige. All with a smile of happiness and satisfaction. Being your eternal moment. That was all I could do... That was all... And I... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
At this point, the Doctor heard more than enough, and, with a determined expression, didn't waste any time to come near to her and embrace her gently, patting her back gently, shushing her, saying "Shhhh. Its alright, Anna. Its alright. I didn't hold that against you. I would never hold that against you. And I wouldn't hold that now. Not now. Not ever.".
Richard was just watching from the side in silence, touched at the scene that was right in front of him, all with feelings of admiration that was directed towards the Doctor, and feelings of sympathy directed towards Rusalka, with fear having been dissipated completely.
He had to wonder. If the Doctor was involve in the events of Dies Irae, then... how much did things truly change? How much did he truly know regarding the Doctor was even canon at this point? Did the events of the Waters of Mars really did happen exactly as it is shown on TV? Or did it change just like everything else? For at this point, he had to reevaluate the situation. Like for instance, the fact that Rusalka was here at this moment is a testament to the fact that the Doctor at this point in time has the capability to still travel the multiverse with ease despite his people being no more at this point in the timeline as the Time Lords were the ones who kept the walls of reality open for all to travel the multiverse. But with the Time Lords gone, the Doctor shouldn't even have been able to do that with seeming ease. And yet... looking at this scene, it would appear to be far from the case.
How much of what is spoken of the Doctor in the fiction of his world really applied to this situation? How much knowledge was valid? And how much did things changed?
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Dies irae: The Animation 『Walhall(Piano)』
Richard was now standing on a grey metal circular platform, located somewhere in the bigger on the inside TARDIS laboratory, one of many as a matter of fact, all as he watches and observes the Doctor, who was currently working on the controls that connect to the platform that he was standing on, and Rusalka, who had by now seemingly calm down since the past hour ago, only watching in silence and with a simple smile, and yet he could still see that her eyes were still a little red from all that crying.
There's the alien word right there. Crying. From Rusalka Schwagerin of all people.
That was the part that got him concerned.
For Rusalka Schwagerin, the type of person to never bat an eye when it comes to killing, crying because of the Doctor. That was something that made him try to work and sift through his brain, trying to piece whatever information he could find. Find out on what exactly happened. A desire to know so that he may not get lost as it were. For he knows just about any Whoniverse junkie that knowledge is power when it comes to travelling with the Doctor. And that same knowledge would actually save his life from a random instant death if the situation presented itself. It would not be different this time. For every Whovian who knows their lore and stuff would know that in a setting like Doctor Who, the body count tends to be far too high for any sci-fi show. Even surpassing the likes of any sci-fi show such as Star Trek or Star Wars by a huge wide margin of variety.
Speaking of which...
"Alrighty then," the Doctor sported a satisfied smile, pressing the final flip from the control panel, turning his face towards Richard with a smile. "Now Richard, I'm going to need you to be perfectly still. You're body is about to undergo a change, from Dalek back to normal in no time at all. Which is why you should keep yourself calm and don't try any unnecessary movements as the process that would be initiated from that platform does all that is currently needed."
"Right," Richard nodded his eyestalk, understanding clearly on what he has to do.
"Good man," the Doctor spoke with approval. "Now then," he begins to put his right hand near the red button. "Time to push the red button," he said with an excited smile, beginning to press the red button, which in turn begins to activate the metal platform that Richard was standing on.
At that moment, there were flickering white lights, spreading from all corners of the platform, all as yellow, blue, and red colored particles begin to engulf Richard's entire battle casing. Seconds would seem to pass, all as little by little, starting from the bottom to the top, Richard was changing. The battle casing's base unit was now changed to one of ordinary human feet, with the change eventually leading up to the top, all with new clothes automatically worn for the sake of modesty and appropriateness. From Dalek to human indeed, all as Richard begins to immediately feel different, seemingly no longer confine to a Dalek battle casing, but was rather able to walk like a normal person once again.
By the time the process was over, Richard begins to inspect himself.
Human size feet. Human size hands. All of them were of the number five for fingers and toes. A physically build and appropriate body for a teenager of his age. Wearing ordinary clothes fit for a teenager, noticing the words on the blue white colored shirt that have the words "Learning is cool!" written in appropriate size letters from the center, and with blue men jeans.
Could it be...?
And as Richard was sporting amazed expression on his face, the Doctor begins to automatically press one of the buttons that made a holographic mirror appear, all for the sake of Richard's convenience and use.
Richard takes note of his appearance. He begins to sport a surprised expression. He begins to slowly walk towards the mirror which was about two meters from his position. Slowly. Slowly. Slowly. Still getting use to the feet that he hadn't felt for so long. Slowly. Slowly. Slowly. Until... he finally reaches the mirror, touching it with his right hand, feeling a temperature of coldness coming from the mirror. He looks at himself. All from front to back, twisting and turning his arms and legs, simply waving his hands from the left and the right, all to make sure that what he was currently seeing was no trick or dream or illusion, even to the point of pinching oneself in order to ensure that what he now has is a real human body and not a Dalek battle casing.
As the seconds pass by, Richard begins to realize that this was the real deal. That he was human! He was finally free! That he can finally breathe the fresh air that comes from the nose in a form of respiration. He smiles. Excitedly. Relieve. Overjoyed. Knowing that the nightmare of being stuck as the most hated being in existence was truly and finally over. All as he begins to cry. Both cry and laugh with happiness and joy.
"...Hehe... Hehe...Hahahahahaha..."
He was smiling. He was overjoyed. He was free. All as he begins to bounce and hop like a normal human boy of his age. All as he begins to test his legs, sprinting back and forth. All as he begins to realize one thing. That he was human. That he was free. Finally. After what amounted to so long from his perspective, being stuck on a deserted wasteland. All with nothing but junk everywhere. A junkyard planet that was just like the planet Jakku from Star Wars. All with no one but himself, stuck as a Dalek for what amounted to a year. Not needing any food, but devoid of human affection and company. Not a single amount of contact with the outside world. No one. Nothing. For the junkyard planet of no name was a prison to him. The Dalek battle casing that he wore was a prison to him. He once asked himself: Why? What did he do to deserve this? All he ever wanted was to come back home. All he ever wanted was to see his family once again, if only to make sure that they were alright while he was gone.
And now, after what amounted to about a year from his perspective, he was truly and finally free.
And all this had made one Richard E. Roberts smile, cry, and laugh with joy, relief, and gratefulness, all as the Doctor and Rusalka watches with a smile on their face.
After the overexcitement, Richard finally begins to stop from his over induce enjoyment of his now less bleak situation, looking towards the Doctor with grateful brown eyes. Richard takes a step towards the Doctor, and when he finally reached him, he sported a trembling smile, one that was full of outpouring joy, all because he was now a man once again. "Thank you, Doctor."
The Doctor smiled. "You're welcome, Richard."
And with that, the Doctor was suddenly hugged by Richard the moment he said the words "You're welcome" as if it weren't a big deal, as if in simple response to freeing and lifting the burdens and sufferings of someone else. Naturally, the Doctor responded in kind, all while as Richard begins to cry. For he cries on the fact that he is now finally human. For he cries on the fact that he is no longer in the body of what amounts to no amount of feeling, forever stuck in some kind of claustrophobic space, all while stuck as a mutant with tentacles, all with one eye instead of two eyes. And it was truly a lonely and terrifying existence. As he recalled the Doctor once said to one of the Cult of Skaro, if that event in Canary Wharf is even canon at this point considering all that had happened regarding Rusalka Schwagerin and everything that happened in Dies Irae, or maybe... even the entire Masadaverse at this point.
"Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do. Touch. Sealed inside your casing. Not feeling anything ever, from birth to death, locked inside a cold metal cage. Completely alone. That explains your voice. No wonder you scream."
That was the life of a Dalek. They can never ever touch. Not feeling anything. From birth to death. Inside a cold metaphorical cage. A life bred for nothing but hatred and a desire to purge all life from its very beginnings.
And that lead to him contemplating on what Rusalka had once said back at the main console room.
"At this point, most of the L.D.O. have mellowed out at this point due to all that constant fighting that had happened in the Time War, and before you asked, no, the Daleks were not the only ones involved in that mess, otherwise, it would have been over far too quickly. There were a whole lot more horrors out there who came out of the woodwork. And many of them were powerful in their own right. Ones that even gave me and the rest of the L.D.O. many amounts of difficulties."
The way she said it. The Time War. Rusalka Schwagerin - Malleus Maleficarum - Number VIII of the Longinus Dreizehn Orden's Obsidian Round Table. Had fought in the Last Great Time War.
Contrary to what many would seem to hold in his world with regards to the Last Great Time War in terms of fiction, according to actual perspective and proper information, it was a disasterous war that spread from one end of the space and time to the other, and into other universes. Millions died every second, merely to be reborn and fight on. Time itself was stretched to the breaking point due to the actions of the Time Lords and Daleks, and by the end of the war both sides were endlessly stealing weapons from each other to add to their arsenals. Sure, there were other players in the mix, if you were to count all the proxy powers and Temporal Powers that might have possibly got dragged into the mess, all described somewhat on TV and shown in the Expanded Universe, but it basically boils down to the Time Lords and the Daleks by the end of it.
At least, that's what he thought originally.
When Rusalka said that other horrors, beings that were powerful enough to either stalemate or give a thorough beating of the L.D.O., were involved in the Time War, then he needed to reevaluate due to the alarming current information that was presented to him with a honest tone, with no amount of subtlety or lies whatsoever, speaking nothing but the plain and simple truth. Information that came from a Time War Veteran no less. One of many who had no doubt seen the worst that the conflict had to offer.
And that was a very shuddering thought. For in consideration of the fact that the Doctor could seemingly travel to different cosmologies that have nothing to do with each other, and Rusalka Schwagerin was living proof of that, then it would be safe to assume that other beings and powers from other fictions would have possibly become involved in the already inconsistent mess that was the Time War.
The question now would be... What could be worst than the Daleks that would warrant the response of the entire L.D.O. to get involved in a fight that couldn't have lasted more than a second when it comes to them, and even more so to the Hegemony Gods that are above them in rank and stature. That question made him shudder in dread.
The Daleks were already a gigantic pain in the ass to deal with, spanning infinite numbers of universes and multiverses even according to some experts from a certain website. But then here comes this. The Daleks were not the only ones anymore. It would appear that a whole bunch of others got involved one way or another. How many is anyone's guess.
Just how much did the Last Great Time War had reached in terms of scale than what was described in canon at this point? That was a question that was brewing from the heart of one ordinary teenager between the ages of 16 and 17, turned Dalek and isekai'ed to a remote junkyard planet, being stranded by what amounts to about a year from his perspective, then suddenly teleported inside the main console room of the Doctor, the Tenth Doctor to be precise, and finally managed to become human once again.
It was a question of utter dread. For if the Last Great Time War became far worst off than what had actually happened in canon, then... it could be possible that his universe was not spared at the very least. Whether if it was blatant or subtle. And that made him very anxious and concerned.
Which then leads to another question. Deeply considering the fact that the Doctor had experienced the events of Dies Irae first hand in his seventh incarnation, the one who was played by actor Sylvester McCoy in his world, the more that he looked at it, he found to his surprise on how totally in character would this version of the Doctor seemingly have done with regards to Dies Irae, sticking around for what amounts to what appeared to be a multi-complex layered chessboard. One that had complex pieces for the play. All with two players on the ready. The Doctor being the player of the white chess pieces while Karl Krafft would be the player of the black chess pieces. The game starts. The script had now accepted a newfound player. And so the game was on...
How long did that game lasted? A stupid question in Richard's opinion. For he of all people should know that when it comes to Die Omega Ewigkeit (The Eternal Mercurial Recurrence), the measurement of numbers are already lacking in that department in order to truly gauge how long it truly lasted.
Insert Random Numbers x Nayuta (a word derived from via Middle Chinese, from Sanskrit, either from नयुत (nayuta) meaning "myriad" or नियुत (niyuta), referring to a very high number) years.
That was how long it really lasted. If lasted could even be called for such a term. For the Doctor to stick around for all of that, and remember all of it. That was a thought that shocked him more than anything. And this would in turn made Richard realize on how much of an effect it truly had on the Doctor.
If he were to scale the Last Great Time War in Masadaverse terms, likened to that of Die Omega Ewigkeit (The Eternal Mercurial Recurrence), then considering how unknowably long the Time War had lasted in canon, and now with the current information that was provided to him, might have lasted even longer than what canon had now prescribed. And he wouldn't put it pass the fact that Die Omega Ewigkeit (The Eternal Mercurial Recurrence) would be an appropriate measurement for the lowest of levels when it comes to the Time War. Now that was a truly terrifying thought to ponder and behold for the mind of one American teenager from Kansas City, Missouri.
If he were to be giving an honest comparison, compared to what Rintaro Okabe from Steins;Gate and Touma Kamijou from A Certain Magical Index, and many similar characters from fiction (or are they also real at this point considering that Rusalka is here in the TARDIS) had to go through in many infinite loops, they are, to put in a blunt perspective, far too small and insignificant of a scale when compared with the likes of the Doctor at this point.
If Die Omega Ewigkeit (The Eternal Mercurial Recurrence) had managed to majorly develop the character of the Doctor, an iconic figure of British popular culture, all to the point of becoming a major factor, one of many in the Doctor's life, how old is he truly now?
The Doctor's age tends to vary a lot in canon. It was difficult to determine the Doctor's life expectancy, given their ability to regenerate, along with other factors such as time travel. Random numbers that pop from 900 to 2000 for the New Series. Random numbers from at least 90 to over whatever number the plot gives of it was stated in droves throughout the Classic Series. And the less that was said of the Expanded Universe regarding the Doctor's age, the better.
Considering all of the information that he managed to analyze with care and deep thought, he could only look at the Doctor, the Tenth Doctor, with a current new pair of eyes. Perhaps... the Tenth Doctor might not have been as accurately portrayed as he thought. It was possible. For just like history, fiction could be revised, leaving out things that might have been true. The same could also apply to works such as Marvel's Civil War comics storyline, which was a major mess that cause a major uproar and controversy at the time of the mid 2000's, to which might not even have happened, or is actually due to the Time War once again, to no one's surprise considering how utterly inconsistent Marvel Comics has been lately with regards to its characters.
Once again, he needed to think of all possible options and thoughts too deemed impossible for some, but possible for others, considering the fact that impossible just flew right out of the metaphorical window, all in order to survive considering the rather infamous death rate of the Whoniverse and in order not to be a burden to the Doctor, especially when he realized the fact that the Doctor is now so very old that the numbers could never be measured anymore. The same would also apply to Rusalka as well. One that made him needing to reconsider his opinion regarding her as the Rusalka Schwagerin from the visual novel Dies Irae would logically be no longer the same as Post-Time War Era Rusalka Schwagerin considering how totally different she is the more he compares the two, almost to the point of being two separate people, and yet was also not so.
"Right then," the Doctor slightly let go of Richard, ending the hug, with Richard already managing to calm down. "Now that you are finally back to normal, how about I give you a little exploration tour of the TARDIS. Free of charge of course."
That sparked an interest on Richard, sporting an excited expression, nodding. "Really! I get to explore the TARDIS!"
"That's right," the Doctor nodded. "Its the least I could do after everything you've been through no doubt. After all, one person such as you deserves to know about something that I've been doing ever since my first incarnation, and one that I think would be perfectly fitting for someone like you."
That raised an eyebrow on Richard. First Incarnation = First Doctor = Actor: William Hartnell. Which meant that whatever the Doctor was doing back then, he's been doing it until now. "And what's that if I may asked?"
Rusalka could only smirked in knowing fashion, with crossed arms. The Doctor however smiled tremendously, speaking in a simple tone that would hammer it all. "TARDIS School."
TARDIS School. Otherwise known as TARDIS Class. Or other known terms that are known by such as the Relative School of Space-Time or Multiverse Learning for Higher and Lower Grades and Newcomers among other terms.
That was... quite surprising and awe inspiring to the young American teenager from Kansas City, Missouri.
He would figure that the best way to describe TARDIS School could be likened to that of a more complex version of the Magical School Bus, with the Doctor being the equivalent of Miss Frizzle. And he wouldn't be surprised if Miss Frizzle is an actual real person at this point.
Richard, the Doctor, and Rusalka were just walking through hallway after hallway, corridor after corridor, room after room, court after court, all to inspect the places where the students, staff, and other peoples of importance would usually go to, all in seemingly endless recurrence. Although technically from Richard's perspective, its only been about an hour at most since this tour had started. And he have to say, the show, which is expected really considering the tight budget, doesn't do absolute justice to the actual size of the TARDIS considering the vastness of it. Practically an entire universe at this point. And people would have the inane opinion to say that the Time Lords don't travel in style. Ha! Not a chance in hell.
As they pass by one particular hallway, they saw numerous pictures in the making. Many people and individuals that were depicted were very familiar to Richard, all as his eyes widened in surprise and shock.
There was one picture that depicts the Doctor, the Eighth Doctor to be precise, at the very center. Accompanied to his right side is none other than the man, the myth, the legend, the main protagonist of Dies Irae, Ren Fuji, or as he is appropriately called by that point due to noticing the clothes that he wore, might as well have gained and earned the names Tenma Yato and Setsuna by that point in his life. Accompanied alongside them would be Shirou Yusa, Eri Honjou, Kasumi Ayase, Kei Sakurai, Marguerite "Marie" Breuil, probably known as Tasogare at that point due to noticing her clothing, and Rea Himuro. All of them were smiling for the camera, as befitting their personalities.
There was one picture that depicts the Doctor, the Fifth Doctor to be precise, all with a young Professor Oak and Agatha in tow. The background seem to be a wide open grassland, all as far as the eyes could see. All of the mentioned individuals were smiling for the camera.
There was one picture that depicts the Doctor, the Ninth Doctor to be precise, raising his bottle of whiskey alongside Yuko Ichihara, who was also raising her bottle of whiskey, all as Rose Tyler was sporting an amused look on her face while Kimihiro Watanuki was facepalming somewhere in the background.
There was one picture that depicts the Doctor, the Tenth Doctor to be precise, at the very center. Accompanied alongside him were Touma Kamijou, Conan Edogawa, Kyon, Sota Mizushino, and Lelouch vi Britannia. All of them were smiling for the camera.
There was one picture that depicts the Doctor, the Eighth Doctor to be precise, sitting on a chair at the main center of a rather large rectangular table, raising his tea cup in a tone of humor, all with a smile on his face. Accompanied to his left would be Shinga - Mithra, who seemed to sport a flirtatious smile towards the Doctor, Muzan, who was sporting a raised eyebrow, and Nerose Satanael, sporting the subtle smile of a scholar with his eyes closed. Accompanied to his right would be Ren Fuji - Setsuna, sporting a simple smile, Marie - Tasogare, sporting a happy bright smile, Mercurius - Suigin, sporting a subtle smile, and Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich - Ougon, sporting a subtle smile.
There was one picture that depicts the Doctor, the Ninth Doctor to be precise, sporting a humorous grumpy (but not really grumpy) face, with arms crossed. Accompanied alongside him were Anna Maria "Rusalka" Schwagerin, hugging him from the left side, smiling towards the camera, Eleonore von Wittenburg, sporting a simple smile of subtlety, Beatrice Waltrud von Kircheisen, who was waving at the camera, and Riza Brenner, sporting a simple smile on her face.
Many countless pictures. One after another. All showing scenes of the life of the Time Lord known as the Doctor and the connections that he had made throughout his many countless travels. Many as far as the eyes could possibly see. One that amazed one Richard E. Roberts, a long time Whovian.
Richard had never imagined or thought that the Doctor knew these many people. Many of which come from entirely different cosmologies entirely. And there were so many of them to the point of counting them being utterly futile of an endeavor.
And its because of all of these pictures that made Richard reevaluate his currently known form of information considering that canon might not even apply in this case anymore. Anything could happen at this point. Considering the fact that the Doctor still had the face of one David Tennant as of this present moment, he would only be able to theorize that events in the show might have happened in a way, but not as how the actual show depicts them to be, which could be possible, and yet the reverse could also apply. For when it comes to Doctor Who, according to showrunners such as Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat, everything and nothing considering Doctor Who is canon. And when applied to this particular case, it would appear that things might seem that way after all.
"Wow...," Richard muttered, all with wide open eyes, paying attention to every single picture, all for every single detail, all for new memories to currently pass in his mind so as not to forget one open and close line, for it might be needed someday and not a moment to soon.
While Richard was looking around the vast hallway that had a multitude of pictures, the Doctor and Rusalka were simply smiling from behind, simply watching the curious young teenager exploring the vast hallway and simply look and stare at the many countless pictures that were hung throughout the years, centuries, and millennia.
The Doctor and Rusalka both turned towards the picture depicting them alongside Eleonore von Wittenburg, Beatrice Waltrud von Kircheisen, and Riza Brenner. Both of them were smiling in nostalgia and reminiscence as they recalled that particular event.
"Its been years since that picture was taken," spoke the Doctor, sporting a sad smile.
"Yes, it has," Rusalka replied in kind, all with a sad smile.
"(Sigh). Now I wonder...," the Doctor looked at Richard once again with a serious expression. "Considering the fact that from what Richard had told us, he'd been stuck as a Dalek for more less than a year on some random junkyard planet which he compared to Jakku of all places. Normally, people his age would have gone completely mad at that quite frankly, longer time of isolation, one that was carried out by force mind you. But this one, no," he shakes his head, then sporting an impressed expression. "He didn't lose his sanity one bit. Sure there's hints of depression that I found here and there, but the more I probe and look into him, the more I could say with certainty on how utterly bright the young man really is. Very resilient at the face of it all. Humans really, always the resilient lot you are, especially for some of you, one that finds complete amazement in even the least bit of positivity when the situation seemingly demands it."
Rusalka smiled, always loving the Doctor's positive thoughts regarding humanity in general, highly regarding humans that much more. Not that it was that surprising as many countless humans have influenced the Doctor over the years.
"I suppose, before we have to send him back to his folks back in America, maybe we should take him with us in our trip towards the Great and Bountiful Solaris Maximus Empire first," Rusalka suggested.
"I think that's a wonderful idea," the Doctor smiled. "After all, seeing these types of suns up close and personal can be a entirely enlightening experience for someone as bright as him."
Insert Song: End
Insert Song: Start
Space Junk Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy
Living suns... Living sentient suns... An entire civilization of living sentient suns... Just going about their business as if they were normal blue and white collared workers...
Seriously...?
That was the common thought of one Richard E. Roberts, all as he raises his eyebrows in shock, all as he slowly sits down from the metal floor of the main console room in order to get his bearings right due to the sheer ridiculousness of what he is actually seeing, all as he sees the living suns that were present for all to see, all due to the fact that the Doctor managed to somehow remove the walls covering the main console room, allowing him to literally see actual talking suns in the vacuum of space without literally turning to ash due to the hot plasma of said talking suns or suffocating through lack of oxygen as part of TARDIS safety protocols.
When the Doctor mentioned about a surprise coming his way for his first ever trip to the infamous blue box that was the TARDIS before eventually being sent back, the fact alone had made him of all people rather excited at first considering the fact that it would literally be his actual first trip through space and time. He get's to literally live out his dream more or less. But then, there comes the reality check kicking in from some part of his mind, all due to knowing of the fact that one should never be so hasty when it comes to things relating to the Doctor or the TARDIS. The rather infamous death count of the Whoniverse would come to mind as one form of reality check.
"Um.. Doctor... not to be rude or anything, but..." Richard sported a hesitant expression, all while as his two index fingers touch in a form of hesitation.
The Doctor sported an understanding expression, speaking in a gentle matter of fact tone. "You're afraid."
"..." Richard hesitated to answer for a few minutes, before eventually speaking in turn. "Yes. I mean, heh," he sported a sad smile on his face. "The way you live your life, Doctor, I mean, is it really wrong for me to assume what would usually happen sometimes when it comes to you in general?"
"No," the Doctor shakes his head, all while sporting a sad expression on his face. "No, your fears are not that unfounded to be quite honest." he begins to sport a very sad smile, that was noticed by Rusalka, who became instantly worried, and Richard, who, aside from getting worried, took instant note of it.
The Doctor walks towards the main console, flipping a few levers and switches, all while as Richard begins to speak once more. "That's not to say that I don't want too, its just, well," Richard touches the back of his neck, sporting an expression of worry, concern, and sadness. "Aside from the obvious, I just... missed my family, that's all."
The Doctor smiled in understanding, all while as he presses the last lever. Then he turns towards Richard, sporting a look of understanding. "I understand. And that's good. You value your family. Don't ever lose that. Not for one second. Always treasure the bonds that you have with your family because you don't really know how much time you have left with regards to them. I should know that better than anyone."
Richard could only make a nod of affirmation and resolve, not even questioning what the Doctor had meant as he knew what he truly meant all things considered. "I will."
"In any case, think of this technical first trip as just one simple sample trip so that you could at least share the story to your folks back home," said the Doctor, with a sad tone, sporting a sad smile.
Richard thought about it a lot. He thinks that it would be quite appropriate for his family to at least be told a story regarding his adventueres.
And thus comes to the point of the present time.
There was a very large blue sun, one with a red cape made out of hot plasma energy, was seen hovering near to the TARDIS, all with two other large blue suns flanking from the left and the right, hovering close to them in particular as they come near towards the TARDIS. If Richard were to guess, the large blue sun with the red hot plasma cape seem to be an important figure among them in particular.
"My Lord Doctor, My Lady Malleus," spoke the large blue sun with the red hot plasma cape, all in a tone of regality fit for a king, all as it draws near to them. "It is quite of good fortune to see the two of you once more."
The Doctor and Rusalka both smiled in kind.
"Hello, Rubrum," the Doctor greeted in a happy tone, one that was directed to an old friend of many eons. "Been a while since I last see you really."
"Quite indeed," Senator Rubrum Aurantius spoke with amusement and gladness upon seeing his old friend of many eons once more. "What brings you to our humble abode at this meta-hour?"
"Oh, just me and Anna going on sightseeing as usual. Well that, and I brought someone new who I think would want to hear of the story of your civilization," the Doctor pointed towards Richard, who was sporting a speechless expression at the sight of the rather large blue sun that was now turning towards him with an expression of intrigue.
"Hmm? Another companion, my Lord Doctor?," asked Senator Rubrum Aurantius.
"Well... not really. He's more of a simple visitor at this current point. I thought of showing him the wonders of your multiverse and the rich history and culture concerning your civilization in general, all in order to share it for his family back in his native local multiverse."
"So to put it simply, yet another history lesson for yet another potential student," spoke Rubrum Aurantius with amusement, looking towards the Doctor.
"Yep," the Doctor confirmed with a nod.
"Well then," Senator Rubrum Aurantius begins to look back towards Richard. "Good morning to you, common friend of Lord Doctor. My name is Senator Rubrum Aurantius - Penultimate Representative of the Great and Bountiful Solaris Maximus Empire. Lord Doctor tells me that you were brought here in order to learn about the founding of our great civilization. I hope that you may find our story to your utmost liking."
Richard could only make a nod of affirmation and respect, while still sitting on the floor, sporting an expression of awe, speaking in a respectful tone while trying his absolute best in mental fortitude not to stutter. "I would be honored to hear of it sir."
"Well then," Senator Rubrum Aurantius sported a pleased expression. "We shall begin the tale back to the old hearken days. If your TARDIS were to please follow me, my Lord Doctor."
And thus began the simple educational field trip of a lifetime. One that Richard would no doubt tell stories for his family's benefit.
Insert Song: End
Insert Song: Start
Dies irae: The Animation 『Walhall(Piano)』
Vworp Vworp Vworp
The TARDIS begins to dematerialize at a certain suburban area somewhere in Kansas City, Missouri. The winds were blowing in simple graces that gushed forth the fallen dried leaves of autumn in their proper place from the sidewalk and went with the direction of the wind forming circular motions of harmony that befits even that of fallen dried nature. It was now sometime in the late month of September 20, 2020, the beginning of the season of autumn, somewhere in the afternoon sunset.
After a few minutes, the wheezing began to subside, and with it, the winds became silent. A door was opened, and with it, the Doctor, Rusalka, and Richard finally coming out of the TARDIS.
Richard was slowly taking in his surroundings. The simple suburban area. The simple modern houses. The open clear asphalt road. The ordered parking of automobiles. A central business district was seen from the background.
Then he looked around and spotted a very warm familiar place.
A simple white colored modern house was seen nearby from his position. One seem small from the outside but was actually quite large on the inside. Then there was the same mailbox from the front lot yard. A plaque was seen from the right side of the front door, with the address "11251 Nall Ave, Leawood, KS 66211, United States" written in silvery grey letters
It was undeniable. He had returned home.
He slowly looked around. At least three consecutive times in a row. Rubbing his eyes out and pinching his skin in order to check and see if he wasn't dreaming this.
"...I'm home," muttered Richard, almost as if he couldn't still believe it.
The season felt the same. The afternoon felt the same. It was almost as if he never even left. Like it was a dream. Or a nightmare in his case after spending at least a year on a junkyard planet that had no known name.
"Yep," the Doctor chirped with excitement, all with his hands in his pockets. "After what you told me, along with scanning your memories for any hint regarding before your disappearance, I managed to sent the TARDIS to the exact same point on when you left so that your folks won't have to worry about a thing."
So that would explain it then, thought Richard, considering the convenience of a time machine such as the TARDIS.
"Well, I must say Richard, this place seemed pretty simple for someone who grew up near the city," spoke Rusalka, all as she observes the surrounding area that gave her some sense of a flashback regarding her past endeavors and exploits in America.
Richard shrugged his shoulders. "Well, my family is one for the simple life, Ms. Schwagerin. We only need what is necessary. That's something that my pop used to say sometimes."
He began calling Rusalka "Ms." for sometime out of formality and respect, all influenced by more than half by his reservations of prudence and caution considering the fact that he knows who she is and what she could do, and the fact that she was actually a teacher of TARDIS School if he could believe it. Oh, if only his friends were to hear about this crazy trip that he had to go through, but alas, he'd figured that for one, they won't even believe in fiction becoming real all of a sudden as it wouldn't make any common amount of sense considering that his world and universe is quite the ordinary lot. Not a single unnatural or supernatural occurrence here. Just simplicity. Just humans going about their daily business in whatever shape or form. For two, he doesn't think that it is wise to suddenly just tell of his unnatural experiences to just about anyone. For the world isn't always a nice place. Sometimes, there will be people who might take advantage of such information that he carried. And that would lead to him, his family, his friends, and anyone he is associated with to become a unknowing target. He'd rather not let that happen.
"Speaking of which, I think its about time you get home young man," the Doctor smiled, speaking a chiding humored tone.
"Right," Richard nodded, but felt a little sad in a way.
On the plus side, he was given a certain cellphone by the Doctor in case he needs to contact him once again if there is any trouble that requires his assistance, along with a couple of functions that may prove to be useful. That and the fact of when TARDIS School comes around in full session eventually, he might be included in all of the fun. So there's always the possibility that this wouldn't be the last time he would see the Doctor.
In all honesty, he did have fun on that very first trip regarding the living sentient suns. And he hoped that he get's to experience something like that for the next time. But until then...
Richard breathe in and out, before speaking. "Well then, I guess I better get going," all as he slowly but surely walked towards his house, turning back every now and then with a glance as he sees the Doctor and Rusalka simply waving in encouragement.
A very nice and more war torn experienced version of Rusalka, huh..., no way are my friends ever gonna believe this, Richard thought with slight disbelief, shaking his head, wondering how much can people change so much along with the nature of the ever moving forward concept of time, all as he eventually steps in front of the door of the house, rang the doorbell, and waited for someone to open the door.
After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a blond woman with a normal white female shirt, blue jeans, and black heels.
"Richard, you're back," spoke the blond woman, smiling at Richard in a way that only a mother would do.
Richard begins to widened his eyes out, taking in the appearance of the woman in question. One that he had not seen in so very long. His mother. All with that same smile that he had known for.
"Big brother!," shouted one young girl with brown hair, who's appearance was that of eight year old, suddenly sprint outside and tackled Richard in a hug, one that made Richard sounding an "Ooff" sound, surprised at the sudden tackle, immediately taking note of the young girl as his eyes became warm and seem teary eyed.
"Hello, Rachel," Richard spoke softly. "I'm home."
And as Richard and his family members began to went inside, the Doctor and Rusalka were simply watching from afar, with smiles adorn on their faces.
"Well that takes care of that," the Doctor spoke with a smile of contentment, looking towards Rusalka. "I think its about time we get going."
Rusalka nodded with a smile, all as she grabs the Doctor by the left shoulder, leaning towards it, all as she and the Doctor begin to go inside the TARDIS once more. And as they went inside, the TARDIS begins to dematerialize into the Time Vortex, taking off for another day of adventure.
Vworp Vworp Vworp
ED Song:
Dies irae: The Animation 『Jubilus』
Characters:
The Tenth Doctor - A: David Tennant
Lady Anna Maria "Rusalka" Schwagerin - VA: Yuka Inokuchi
Richard E. Grant
Senator Rubrum Aurantius