Chapter 4

Sylvie stretched and rolled over, she was tangled up in sheets and blankets. It had been a long time since she had been this comfortable. She looked around her room, above her was the top bunk of a bunk bed, there was a bedside table and an alarm clock that ticked soothingly. At the end of the bed was a wooden rocking chair, on which the TARDIS had appeared to have left some clean clothes for her use. Her dirty ones were where she left had them on the floor. There was door in which the was a small bathroom with a shower over a bath, this is where she was headed. She ran the water until it was hot and showered for the first time in years. It was the first time she had felt clean since she had gone swimming with Lilou. Sylvie dressed in a woolly jumper, soft leggings, then placed her golden horns upon her head. She put her boots on and headed to the TARDIS control room.

The Doctor had spent the time Sylvie had slept tinkering with the TemPad she had left on the floor under the ramp. He had just put it back together when Sylvie came into the console room. "Just finding out more about this thing," he said waving the TemPad above his head, "needs a huge burst of power to charge it to full capacity. You'd need to burn up a sun, or something similar, to do it." he said placing it on the TARDIS's control panel. "I mean, the TVA must have hundreds, if not thousands of these things... how are they keeping them all charged?" he pondered out loud.

"I have no idea," responded Sylvie picking up the TemPad and checking it still worked. "I plan on just stealing more. But, to do that I need to learn how to fight properly." The Doctor frowned for a moment then said "I'm afraid that's not something I usually advocate for. However, in this circumstance I know just the woman." He began to move around the control panel, moving this lever here, pushing that button there. The sound of the TARDIS's engine started up, it's lurch made Sylvie to grab hold of the console rail to stop herself from falling. The contact with the TARDIS caused images of a woman with wild blonde curls making and sorting out trouble adeptly. A feeling of love filled her mind. The words the only water in the forest is the river flowed through her brain like a stream. This was The Doctor's wife. From what she could tell before the engine stopped moving the TARDIS held a deep fondness for this woman as well.

"River Song, Professor River Song, actually. An archaeologist and my wife." A smile quirked the corners of The Doctor's mouth as he straightened his bowtie and dusted off a red fez. "Come along, Sylvie, let's find out what trouble River is causing these days"

~o0o~

River Song stood on the banks of a large dried-out lake; she was watching her team excavate pots and the minutiae of life of a culture long since disappeared. From what she could tell the people that had lived on this lake had done so on rafts. Rafts that were so large they were able to sustain buildings and agriculture. She was engrossed as one of her team pulled out a large, round, still sealed vessel that -

"Hello, sweetie..." The Doctor's voice interrupted her concentration, she whipped round with a smile on her face, delighted as ever when The Doctor came to call.

"That's my line" she said warmly.

"It's mine now." He flirted back; The Doctor cleared his throat as he noticed the expression on Sylvie's face. He adjusted his bowtie and began his introductions. "Sylvie, this is Professor Song, River, this is Sylvie. Sylvie, this woman is the most dangerous person I know. She's hell in heels. River, Sylvie needs to learn how to fight and strategise well. Since you're, well, you, I thought you would be the best person to teach her."

River looked at the young teen next to The Doctor's side a nonplussed expression on her face. There were very few things River didn't know how to handle and one of those things was children.

"I'm taking on an omnipotent organisation, to seek revenge for the murder of my family and the removal of myself from everything I loved and held dear." said the girl by way of greeting. Revenge was something that River knew a lot about, as was being taken from her family by a sinister organisation. "Is that something you can help me with?"

"That is absolutely something I can help you with." She grinned.

"Excellent, I knew you two would get along." The Doctor congratulated himself.

"Have you ever held a gun?" River pulled a laser pistol from her thigh holster, handed it to Sylvie as Sylvie shook her head. "Let's start with something easy..." she held Sylvie's shoulders and turned her round. "You see those trees over there with the coconuts on them, aim at one and shoot it. Let me see what I'm working with." Sylvie took aim and missed. She was disappointed with herself. This time River took her hands and taught her how to hold the gun properly. "Always hold the gun with both hands whenever possible, it'll help your aim and with any recoil from the weapon," she said matter-of-factly. "Next, use the sights on the gun to help you aim at your target, they're these bumps here and here." she pointed to the end and tip of the pistol. "Then take a deep breath to steady yourself, and fire." This time, with River's help, she managed to skim the side of the coconut. "Carry on practicing." Sylvie did as she was told.

River took The Doctor's arm, pulling him aside. "What are you doing with this child?" She asked.

"Helping her to save herself, and while she's at it the multiverse. Because for once, it's not me who has to save it, I'm just the companion of the person who is going to. I'm going to help her to get where she needs to be, by helping her become the best version of herself. You might say, that it is my glorious purpose." The Doctor said defensively

"You know that by growing up so close to the Time Vortex on the TARDIS it could have a profound effect on her physiology, in a way it wouldn't for a fully grown adult."

"I can't just leave her River; the TVA are hunting her." River sucked in a breath; she had heard whispers of the TVA on her adventures. "There is literally no place for her to go that doesn't lead to her getting pruned out of existence, to quote the TVA directly" River opened her mouth to say something then stopped. She turned to watch Sylvie target practice; she was getting better slowly. She would get there in the end. "And besides," said The Doctor, "she's already part of a race that ages slowly over a long time period, like us" River looked The Doctor in the eye and raised her eyebrows. "No, not Gallifrey, Jotunheim. She's a Jotunn; a frost giant. They live exceptionally long lives. She already has abilities of her own. She can communicate with the TARDIS" he hissed.

"I can tell you're really excited by this but," she sighed "Sylvie will need a place to grow and learn to defend herself that isn't on the TARDIS all the time. It is a good place to keep her safe, but she can't learn how to use a weapon or how to use guerrilla combat there. The best place to hide her would be at fixed points in time, apocalypses that will happen no matter what. That way she won't keep setting off nexus events"

The Doctor touched his nose and pointed at her with his other hand. "Great idea Professor Song, I knew you would be the best person to help her."

Sylvie turned round, The Doctor and River ducked. "Don't turn guns on people unless you want to kill them!" called River. Sylvie pointed the gun at the floor and walked over to the adults.

The Doctor clapped his hands together "Right, let's get down to business. Sylvie, you know that you're a Jotunn, correct?" Sylvie nodded. "Being a Frost Giant, even a particularly small one means that you should have some abilities, some magical powers. Is that right?" In response Sylvie flicked her chin up causing a nearby table with tools on it to flip over, then she used her hand to produce a blast of green light that shoved the table to the tree line. "Anything else you can do, Sylvie?" Asked River.

"May I," gestured Sylvie to River, River held out her hand, which Sylvie took. "River is more difficult to read than most others, I can see some flashes of her past but not much. She is a child of the TARDIS; she has had three faces. With others I can see their memories, and if I choose to, I can use it to manipulate them, though I don't like to do that unless I have to. I can also make them my puppets, to do as I want. It's how I used to get food." Sylvie looked distraught. The Doctor approached her and pulled her into another hug.

"We all do what we must to survive. Doing horrible things in order to do so does not make you a monster. Being able to feel compassion for those we have wronged and regret for the things we have done means we are not at risk of becoming one." He soothed

"Sylvie, in choosing to seek revenge and destroy the TVA, you are making yourself a weapon. As long as you don't lose yourself along the way then you will be fine." Added River.

"What we need is a plan of action," said The Doctor removing himself from the hug. "We have all of time and space to find master swordsmen and tacticians. River can educate you in the use of a range of guns" he said the word with distaste. "We will need someone to teach you martials arts and hand to hand combat."

"Also, someone to help you refine the use of your magic." Said River.

"The Gallifreyan's believe that magic was part of the fundamental operating system of the universe that existed as before this one. It forms a residue in the current universe, which a few species can channel. The Jotunn and the Asgardian's for example. We need to find an individual who is sensitive to magic that is willing to teach you how to manage yours." The Doctor elaborated. "Gallifrey was once ruled by a line of magic using matriarch's, the Pythia and their priestesses, if I remember rightly their magic was similar to yours. They had psychic abilities..." he trailed off lost in thought.

"I've never heard you talk about them before," said River swatting The Doctor's arm in disgust. "We absolutely have to go there! As an archaeologist I demand we go, they could be perfect for Sylvie, but we will never know unless we find out!" Sylvie smiled, she enjoyed watching the two of them interacting together.

"What do you think, Sylvie? This is your future that we are deciding." Asked The Doctor.

"Won't I create a nexus event? I don't want to cause more trouble."

"If we go at the right moment, it shouldn't be a problem. There is an apocalypse which is a fixed point in time for the Gallifreyan's. It leads to The Great Schism, and therefore you won't be able to change it. If our theory is correct the TVA won't be able to find you there." Explained The Doctor.

"Sounds like a plan," said River clapping her hands together and heading in the direction of the TARDIS. "I'll be right back!" She shouted to her team of archaeologists still working in the lake bed. The other two followed along behind her.

~o0o~

In the TARDIS River was already pulling levers and twirling knobs to get the TARDIS ready to leave. "You've left the breaks on again." She complained.

"I like the sound they make." chuntered The Doctor petulantly, as he joined her at the console panel.

"Sylvie, come here, I'll show you the basics" River beckoned her over, she pointed out instruments and explained what they did. Sylvie took it all in with interest. "Now you have a go," she said moving aside. A feeling of joy spreading through The Doctor as he watched River and Sylvie work the controls together. It had been a while since he had others to share piloting with, this was much more like it was supposed to be. "Make sure you take the breaks off, the ride will be much smoother" River said, giving The Doctor a saucy wink.

"The TARDIS isn't going to like this journey. Rassilion Time Locked the Time Before to prevent anyone changing the timeline, which is pretty silly really, considering The Great Schism is an apocalypse event that can't be changed. That means it'll need some pretty tricky manoeuvrers to get there." Grumbled The Doctor attempting to shove himself between River and the console panel. Affronted, River moved to the other side of the TARDIS and continued showing Sylvie how to pilot.

The TARDIS lurched slightly as they took off. A soft whoosh, whoosh replaced the usual VWORP VWORP, that heralded the departure and arrival of the TARDIS. Sylvie laughed, causing River to look at her quizzically. "The TARDIS communicates with me," she explained "She likes your driving better". The TARDIS thought that River was a better pilot than her cherished Doctor, she told Sylvie to listen to Professor Song, as she used the console for the first time. River was a much gentler pilot. It was interesting to see how the TARDIS got herself from one place to another. The Doctor or River would input co-ordinates to let her know where they wanted to go, then the TARDIS would envision the location in space and time and they would appear there. It was fascinating. The whooshing intensified briefly; sparks erupted from the then console as the TARDIS focused her energies on where she wanted be. The gentle whooshing stopped and the engine stilled.

"Have we arrived?" Asked The Doctor, bustling towards the doors. "This is why I have the breaks on, I know when I've arrived then."

"More like, you enjoy having your arrival gets announced," teased River. The Doctor hmphed grumpily in response as he yanked the door open, and poked his head out. The sight of The Citadel greeted him, but he had never seen it looking thus. Lush green plants and stone buildings, not unlike those found in ancient Greece, stood in place of the towering spires and dome of the capital of his home world he remembered. He could hear birds calling to one another, a clatter of children ran past heading in the direction of a large columned building on a hill.

He pulled his head back in and closed the door. "I need to fix any damage that has happened to the TARDIS." He removed his sonic screwdriver from the breast pocket of his jacket and pointed it at the TARDIS's console to assess the overworked machine. "That means you two will need to find out about how to get Sylvie into the Pythia Priestess-hood."

"We'll have better chance of blending in than you if this is a matriarchal society" Pointed out Sylvie as The Doctor started to pull wires out from under the console panel.

"Good thinking, Sylvie, you have a point there." he said pulling a pair of welding goggles over his eyes.

River and Sylvie opened the door and exited out into the sunny climate of The Citadel.