Chapter Twelve: Greater Love
"Clever little Time Lord," an ancient and foul sounding voice spoke from the darkness that had suddenly loomed behind Rose. "But not clever enough."
"Rose! Run!" The Doctor commanded, but before she could comply something grabbed her arm and halted her flight.
Tendrils of gray crept around her feet, and she felt a corresponding weakness fill her and she almost stumbled. The white mindscape was curling around her mind and Rose whispered, "Doctor..."
"Stop this! I know what you want, Soul Eater. You want me. Not Rose Tyler. I challenge you," one of the Doctor's previous incarnations stepped forward, shooting Rose's Doctor a comforting look.
"You? Challenge me?" the entity asked incredulously, but its grip on Rose slackened.
"To a battle of the minds. Mano y mano. You versus me, or rather the various versions of me, in a contest. Winner takes all," the Seventh Doctor spoke up, "I win, you leave the cosmos and my friends alone."
Intellivore laughed, "And if you lose, I take all – you, your companions, and the rest of this universe."
"You cannot break the rules, Soul Eater. We challenge each other thirteen times, to different contests. You have to see it through, or by default I win."
"It's been a long time since I last played with my food," Intellivore nodded, "Very well, I accept your rules." A moment later, the entity was joined by twelve other versions of itself.
"Doctor, what can I do to help?" Rose asked, suddenly feeling out of her depth.
"Live," her Doctor replied, stepping forward to touch her cheek, "Just live."
"You too," she said, "We're in this together, Doctor. Don't forget that."
He merely smiled sadly in response.
"Begin," the Soul Eater commanded, and obligingly each Jungian archetype, accompanied by a version of the entity, disappeared to attend to their particular contests.
"What part of 'we're in this together' didn't he understand?" Rose grumbled, watching her Doctor and all but the Seventh version fade away to confront their versions of the Intellivore. She knew that she was being unfair to him, especially given that she was apparently the 'prize' to be won, or eaten for that matter, at the end of the game. That, however, did little to convince her emotions of that fact.
"We are in this together," the Seventh Doctor assured her as he set up a chess board, "You have nothing to worry about, at least for the moment. I'll have you know that I am a talented chess player."
The being that represented one facet of the Intellivore laughed, "Does it make it easier to encourage hope, even when you already know that the game is lost, Time Lord?"
"The game has only just begun, Soul Eater," he replied, placing the white pieces before him. There was symbolism in his choice; in fact, he could have probably come up with an impressive dissertation on the matter. However, that was neither here nor there.
"It has only just begun, but the conclusion is written in stone," the being grinned, and Rose felt a chill run up her spine as she seemed to physically feel the evil from the power of that smile.
"Not for a Time Lord."
"Perhaps," it said, moving its first piece.
"Doctor," she began, though it seemed strange to call this funny little man by her Doctor's name.
"Try 'Professor.' I never could get Ace to realize that my name was the Doctor, but I sometimes find that I miss it," he said, correctly interpreting her hesitation.
"Professor," Rose continued, finding that name somewhat easier to use, "Why did he, you, decide to do this? You could've still beaten Intellivore without having me around."
"No!" the exclamation was sudden, and the Seventh Doctor seemed startled at his own vehemence, "No, Rose. You're too important to risk. It was my, our, choice. I can't let you die."
"Why not? Professor, I already told the Doctor this once...everyone dies. Why should I matter so much that you're willing to put the universe at risk?"
"Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for a friend," he replied.
"Exactly! I was willing to do that, Professor. Why wouldn't he let me? Why does he keep doing this to me?"
"Rose, haven't you realized why I, or rather the other me, keeps pushing you out of harm's way?" the Seventh Doctor asked as he moved a chess piece, "I'm, he's, trying to protect you, but it's deeper than that. Think."
"He cares about me," Rose said, shrugging slightly, "I know that."
"Amazing things, humans. They're my favorite species, but sometimes they can be so oblivious to the truth," he sighed as he waited for his opponent to make its move.
"You talk far too much," the Intellivore said, its voice rumbling through the room. A simulacrum of a hand pushed one of the knights into position.
"Just passing the time," the Seventh Doctor replied, "It's not every day a Time Lord plays chess with the Soul Eater. Besides, you're not much of a conversationalist." He made a show of considering the board for a long time, before he shifted his bishop.
"He likes to insult humans, too," Rose sighed.
"It's not an insult, Rose. Far from it," he said, "Just think about it. He certainly won't tell you, though he really should. I never realized how stubborn I could be."
"Tell me what?" she asked, for a moment daring to hope this previous incarnation would reveal the only thing she had ever truly wanted from the Doctor from the moment she had first taken his hand.
"He loves you," the Seventh Doctor sighed again – this was not a conversation that he, out of all of his selves, had desired to enter. Nor was he the best one for the job, however, he was all that was there. His other selves were fighting their own incarnations of the Intellivore; which left him with Rose Tyler.
"He...what?"
"Loves you," he repeated.
"That's...that's..."
"What? Not possible? Fantastic?" He shot her a sly grin as he shifted another piece to counter the Intellivore's move.
"Wow."
"Check," the Doctor informed his opponent who merely growled in response.
"You betray yourself, Time Lord. You have revealed too much to me, for now I know your weakness..." The Intellivore told him, its evil grin widening further.
"It is not a weakness, Soul Eater. It's a strength. If anything, it's the greatest strength that I, we, have. Besides, you've already agreed to the game and gave your word. I remember the rules – if you break them, I win. You leave this universe and never return."
"And if you lose, Doctor," it replied, using his name for the first time, "You, your companions, and this entire delectable universe are mine to consume."
"Yes, yes, whatever," he waved his hand dismissively, "You haven't won yet. So stop jabbering and move." Without missing a beat, even though he didn't even turn to look at his flabbergasted companion, he continued, "What is it Rose?"
"It's not the same, though. You saying it, instead of him," Rose said, running her hand through her hair in an unconscious gesture.
"Well, technically speaking I am him and he is me."
"True," she admitted somewhat reluctantly.
"He'll be telling you soon enough," the Seventh Doctor replied, considering his next move, "This is going to be one of the shortest games that I have ever participated in."
"I have won," the entity nodded, making to stand.
"Not quite," he said, moving a key piece on the board, "That would be a check...and a mate. I won."
Intellivore growled, moving its hand across the pieces and scattering them across the floor, "You may have won this round, but there are twelve more to go."
"No one likes a sore loser," the Doctor scolded.