Journey Amongst the Stars

By Lumendea

Chapter Forty-Seven: The Toymaker's Challenge: The Toybox

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: This is a BIG episode in the series! I've been planning this one for years. It is a sequel to the First Doctor adventure The Celestial Toymaker, but I will be going over the details that you need to know. While the character of the Toymaker only appeared in one episode, there are a lot of somewhat conflicting reports of him in audiobooks, comics, and dramas so I'm having to pick and choose what I use. I also planned this episode before the comic Relative Dimensions came out so it will not fully align with that comic story.

…

Jack was humming and swaying as he washed the dishes in the sink. Rose didn't know the song, but was able to pick up the melody enough to dance a little herself. The banana bread was cooling on a rack and the two omelets in the twin pans atop the stove were coming along nicely.

"Breakfast is almost ready," Rose told Jack. "Go and find the Doctor."

"Will do." Jack put the last of the bowls Rose had used for the batter into the drying rack and dried his hands on a dish towel. Giving Rose a little salute, he headed into the corridor.

Rose plated the two omelets onto Jack and the Doctor's plates and took them over to the table. A bowl of associated cut fruit, some bacon, and a bowl of baked beans was already waiting. She retrieved her own omelet from the warming box that the TARDIS had provided. According to Jack, it was a common appliance from his time that unlike the warming lamps in Rose's time did an amazing job. Her last step was to put the banana bread on a plate and cut it into slices.

The Doctor walked in with a layer of oil and grease on his hands. His eyes immediately went to the banana bread, but he headed for the sink. Rose hid a smile. It was very domestic. Despite all of his protests about not doing domestic, the Doctor never argued about it.

"This looks great, Rose," Jack said as he sat down. "Just remember, tomorrow is my turn."

"I won't forget." Rose took her own seat. "But honestly, Jack, I don't mind. I really enjoy cooking."

"That's good, but you'll love my eggs recipe. I picked up the spices I needed at that market we were at two days ago… which planet was that."

"Risid," the Doctor answered with a small smile. "Just be careful, that stuff is more potent than you're used to."

"I'll taste test before I hoist it on you two," Jack promised.

"So, what is the plan today?" Rose asked after a few bites of her meal.

"Well I'm switching out some parts this morning, but if you have any requests, I'll be done in an hour or so."

"Rose picked last time," Jack pouted. "Remember Cheem?"

"Hey, don't pretend that you didn't like Cheem," Rose said.

"I would have liked it better if Jabe hadn't been too busy to flirt at the end."

"Not sure if you would have had luck with that," Rose replied. She nodded at the Doctor. "He's the one that Jabe has her eyes on."

The Doctor almost chocked on a bite of banana bread and was looking at Rose oddly. She just smiled. Jabe was nice and she was confident that the Doctor wasn't going to have any romances given where their own relationship stood. While Rose knew she was inclined to be jealous, she was capable of recognizing when it was silly to be jealous.

Rose was chewing her last bit when the TARDIS shuddered. The Doctor's good mood vanished and he instantly on his feet. The whole ship shifted beneath them, tilting at a slight angle. It wasn't enough to make items slide off the table, but it threw off Rose's sense of balance. Jack caught her elbow and helped her right herself.

This wasn't right. The TARDIS was supposed to be safe. She shared a look with Jack and he joined the Doctor in the hallway.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"Something is trying to overcome the TARDIS defenses."

A wave of sickness hit Rose. She knew in an instant that she was reacting to the TARDIS's distress. The Doctor's jaw was tight with anger and likely, he was feeling the TARDIS's discomfort. It was another sign that her telepathy was growing, but this wasn't the time to bring it up.

The TARDIS kept shaking as the trio made their way to the console room. It was further than usual as if the TARDIS couldn't properly manage her dimensions. But they made it and the Doctor rushed for the controls. Rose stayed back, holding onto the railing as Jack read off a series of numbers to the Doctor. She only moved when the Doctor told her to hold down a lever and hit a button, doing as he said.

Then it all stopped. The Doctor didn't look pleased and Rose knew that he hadn't been the one to stop it. Jack turned on the screen, but there was only white static on the viewscreen. The Doctor exhaled slowly and turned towards the doorway. Jack pulled on the coat he'd left draped over a railing yesterday. Rose picked up her shoulder bag and slipped it on as she followed the Doctor to the doorway.

"Doc, any ideas?" Jack asked.

"It isn't easy to take over the TARDIS," the Doctor said carefully. "It takes a lot of power to overwhelm her like that." His blue eyes settled on Rose. "Stay close and let me talk to whoever we find."

Rose and Jack nodded their agreement. The Doctor eyed them both seriously, letting his worry sink into them before he turned and opened the door. Jack and Rose stayed close to the Doctor as the world beyond was revealed.

It was a white empty space. Rose immediately thought back to her aborted wedding and the emptiness outside the wedding hall. It wasn't a pleasant comparison and made every instinct scream at Rose to stay in the TARDIS where they were at least a little safer. As they stepped outside, Rose ran her fingertips over the wood of the TARDIS, searching for artron energy, but the ship wasn't throwing it off like last time. Hopefully that was a good sign.

"I don't like this," Jack said.

They were looking out into the emptiness without any sign of anything or anyone. The Doctor took her hand and kept her close as they waited. Jack mumbled under his breath and Rose could feel the tension radiating off of both him and the Doctor.

"Any ideas?" Rose whispered.

"A few, but the main one is coming to mind isn't good."

"My guests are here!" A voice boomed through the emptiness.

The Doctor tensed for a moment, tightening his grip on Rose's hand before forcibly relaxing his shoulders. Out of the nothing, a man appeared and strode towards them. The man before them looked like a middle-aged white man with short dark hair though it was mostly tucked under an elaborate Chinese style hat. He wore ornate matching robes of black and gold with hints of purple designs on the collar. It was jarring to Rose as in her time it would have resulting in grumblings of cultural appropriation. Seeing it on this man, she was inclined to agree. He was wearing it as a costume, a set piece and nothing more.

"Doctor," the tall man greeted. His smile was unnaturally wide of his face, making sharp lines appear and his eyes glint dangerous. Something in Rose's chest was repulsed by him, a fierce primal and vicious anger that she couldn't explain. "It has been some time."

"It has," the Doctor answered, almost carefully. "How have you been, Toymaker?"

"Oh, marvelous, simply marvelous," the Toymaker replied. "But a bit bored if I'm honest. Hence why I decided that it was time for you to visit the Celestial Toyroom again." Their host spread his hands and gestured grandly at the room around them.

The empty space shifted, blurring with indistinct colours for a moment before snapping back to normal, but now with tables and chairs set up and brilliant Persian rugs spread across a tiled floor. The walls were now clear and made of painted marble. The room was a mixture of different styles, but all the pieces were modeled after high quality Earth items. Toys were scattered throughout the room, covering small tables scattered around the room. There were board games set up and half played, an elegant dollhouse on one table, a large toy train system surrounded by models along with hundreds of unfamiliar toys and activities.

"You've never come out well when we've met," the Doctor reminded the Toymaker. He was smiling a little, but it didn't reach his eyes. "And I'm afraid that I have no interest in games."

"Oh, yes you do, Doctor," the Toymaker laughed. "You've always adored games. All your little adventures, your pets," he nodded towards Jack and Rose. "You're full of childish wonder just like me."

"And who are you?" Jack asked casually.

"I am the Celestial Toymaker!" The Toymaker's smiled somehow widened further. "The Crystal Guardian, the Guardian of Dreams."

Rose tensed. She couldn't help it. There was no Crystal Guardian, she was certain of that. There were the Black, White, Blue, Red, and Violet Guardians with the Gold Guardian as their leader. She eyed the gold in his outfit before dismissing it. No, this wasn't the Gold Guardian using another name. There was no explanation for how she knew that, but Rose was certain of it and narrowed her eyes on him. Dreams was also the domain of the Violet Guardian, not the Gold.

"What do you want, Toymaker?" the Doctor asked. "I don't take well to be dragged someplace, as you might recall."

"I recall, but it has been some time since we crossed wits. I grow bored and I know how you require stimulation." The Toymaker waved a hand dismissively as the Doctor opened his mouth to argue. "A game, Doctor. Like the time before. If you and your companions win, you can leave, but if you fail then you will remain here with me."

"That's not something I'm going to agree to," the Doctor said.

"You and I both know that you have no choice." The Toymaker spread his arms and his smile widened. "This is the Celestial Toybox! I rule here! This is my domain. What I imagine, what I dream up is realty. You have no power here!"

"So, you said before."

"Come now, Doctor," the Toymaker huffed. He wasn't frowning yet, but his smile had dimmed and irritation was creeping into his eyes. "My games are fair enough. You win and you are free to leave the Celestial Toybox."

"And if we lose?" Jack asked, speaking up for the first time.

"Then you become part of the Toybox," the Toymaker said almost pleasantly. "I will have total control over your life and personality, perpetually."

"What is your game this time?" the Doctor asked carefully.

"Oh, no, no, Doctor," the Toymaker tutted. "Let's not get too far ahead of our ourselves."

"Last time, you broke your own rules and tried to trap me and my companions even after we won your games," the Doctor all but growled. "So I'm not inclined to play your games and trust you to hold to any bargain."

"You weren't nearly this rude the last time I saw you." The Toymaker shook his head as if a disappointed family member. "Well, if you're unwilling to talk then you'll just have to figure out the games as you go."

His grin returned full force and before any of them could move, the whole world shifted.

…..

Jack slammed his eyes closed as a numbing cold hit him suddenly. For a moment, he couldn't move and couldn't think at the sudden onslaught. Then, his mind managed to kick back into gear and the words of the Toymaker echoed in his skull.

Taking a shaky breath, Jack pushed away the cold that had overtaken him and looked around. He was in a room that seemed to go on forever that was filled with snow. The only clue that he wasn't outside on some ice-covered mountain was the faint pattern of lights on the ceiling high above his head. Shivering, Jack cursed that he hadn't thought to grab a heavier coat. At least he'd pulled on his jacket before stepping out of the TARDIS.

That thought made him remember that Rose had only been wearing a t-shirt and he spun around to search for her. There was no sign of her or the Doctor. He was alone on an icy and rocky plain. His breath wafted in the air above him and he looked around one more time, just in case he had missed the others.

"Rose! Doctor!" He shouted. His voice had a strange echoing quality that it should have had in a snowy area.

Frowning, Jack shook his head and scanned the horizon for any sign of anything useful. There was nothing in sight. Without anything to guide his path, Jack picked a direction and started walking. He didn't see anything that looked like a game and his heart sank. If the Toymaker wasn't really going to make him play a game then what was he really after?

…

The Doctor turned around and searched the landscape behind him. Rose and Jack were gone. He supposed that shouldn't surprise him, not really after last time. The Toymaker wouldn't want them working together. Then the landscape settled into his mind and the Doctor's whole body shuddered. He knew those mountains and the reddish grass spread out around him. The Toymaker was really going all in this time, recreating Gallifrey to torment him, but what was the game that the Toymaker had waiting for him.

Below him, the domed city of the Citadel gleamed in the evening sun. The sky was slowly turning from blue to orange, stuck in the stunning twilight of Gallifrey. He knew it was false. This was a trick conjured up by the Toymaker, but the Doctor's hearts ached. This was all gone now, burned away. That city hadn't looked that way in centuries to him thanks to the Time War which had ravaged it. This was an illusion and yet…

Yet it brought back so many memories, painful and joyful. Hiding away from the other children because he was a bit too strange and wild for them. Seeing visions of himself burning Gallifrey in the time schism which would lead him to run away from the planet as if that would save it in his adult years. All the running that only seemed to bring him closer to Gallifrey's end. Now he was on the other side of it, knew that it was necessary, and yet the image could still hurt him.

"What game are you playing this time?" the Doctor snarled out loud. "Toymaker! What is your game?"

…..

AN 2: Recent episodes have provided some interesting things to canon, but I already had a fix for the Morbius issue and the origin of Regeneration planned. My solution deals with elements of the Carmichael plan that the new stuff doesn't address and I love my solution so I will not be using the Doctor's new origin. It is interesting and all, but I like my plan better.