The doctor's moon
Chapter 11
After Luna and the Doctor left Alice and Tom back on Earth, they set of again in the TARDIS and went back in time. The Doctor was aiming to land in Australia before Westerners arrived. Luna had always wanted to see Australia in all its glory. As the TARDIS flew down the time vortex, it suddenly started shaking violently but more than Luna was used to. The Doctor scurried around the console trying to regain control of the TARDIS. Luna suddenly spotted the mallet that she had seen the Doctor hit the TARDIS with before. He had told her to only use it in emergencies but he said it with a twinkle in his eyes. She grabbed it and gave the TARDIS a good solid tap. It seemed to do the trick as the TARDIS came to a halt.
"Well done Luna," The Doctor said patting her back, "Good thinking, now lets see where we are."
He pulled the screen to him and read the readings, Luna peering over as well.
"Wow, we've gone back to 1599."
"Wait isn't that when Elizabeth the first and William Shakespeare were alive?"
"Yeah"
"Cool, let's go!"
Eagerly, Luna ran rushed to the door. But the Doctor stopped her. He explained that she'd have to change her clothes before heading outside. All that she had were jeans and t-shirts and they weren't appropriate for the time period they were in. Luckily the Doctor had managed to save some more suitable clothing in his large wardrobe. He waited outside the TARDIS as she got changed.
The Doctor waited for a good fifteen minutes and was fed up of waiting. Impatiently, he stepped inside to find Luna, but he didn't get far. There she was looking like an elegant princess. Her dress had long sleeves, a Farthingaleand a corset that were covered by a gown. The material was gold and blue satin and velvet. She looked amazing, even with the famous Elizabethan collar. Luna's was large enough to frame her face but small enough to be subtle. The Doctor's eyes were wide and his mouth was open in stunned state.
"Well, how do I look?" She asked shyly.
"Beautiful" Was all the Doctor could manage to say.
They stood there in awkward silence until Luna suggested heading outside. They were just outside a large thatched town so heading inside.
As they walked through the street, Luna could see lower class women starring at her and looking at her clothes. She felt uncomfortable as they arrived at a very large building that looked very familiar. She looked at the Doctor and saw that his eyes were sparkling wildly and there was a grin across his face.
"The Globe Theatre" He announced.
She was overwhelmed by the sight before. The Doctor suddenly ran round the building until he came to the door. Worried that he'd get in to trouble, Luna lifted her gown and ran after him. She followed him until they arrived at the centre where they found a group of actors and a familiar looking man.
"William Shakespeare." The Doctor gasped in amazement.
Luna stood stunned when she heard faint voices. She followed the voices until she saw two dark figures hiding in a room. She peered through a crack in the door where she saw two very well dressed men. Thanks to the TARDIS she was able to understand what they were saying.
"So Cecile, my friend," One said, "The time of our rule of Literature is close at hand."
"Very true, Caesar, brother," The other replied, "Body swapping with William Shakespeare himself will be the ultimate plan."
"Soon all of the Earth's literature will be altered in to the writing and ideas of the Cervillis."
Luna's heart was thumping against her chest in fear. She grabbed the bottom of her gown and ran off to warn the Doctor.
The Time Lord was watching the actors rehearsing Romeo and Juliet with Shakespeare watching them carefully. The Doctor had introduced himself to the famous playwright. Shakespeare was suspicious of the oddly dressed man at first but happily allowed him to stay and watch. Suddenly they heard running footsteps. In ran, Luna. She jogged as quickly as she could to the Doctor's side. Shakespeare saw the beautiful maiden that had ran in and was transfixed. She was so radiant and angelic that she almost lit up the Theatre.
"Doctor, I need to tell you something." She whispered.
"What?" The Doctor replied seeing the worry in his companion's eyes.
But just as she was going to tell him, Shakespeare came over to them looking as though he was walking on air.
"Ah, Doctor you crafty devil," He said mockingly, "Who is this delightful maiden you have with you?"
"Oh, this is Luna, my… sister."
"A pleasure my dear. William Shakespeare at you service."
He took her hand and placed a kiss on her skin.
"It's an honour sir."
Before the Doctor or Luna could do anything, Shakespeare invited them to the opening night of Romeo and Juliet. They, of course, were obliged.
Before the play, Luna and the Doctor returned to the TARDIS so Luna could tell the Doctor what she had heard from the strange men she saw earlier. He listened carefully as he looked through a small box that Luna had never seen before. It was wooden and had amazing looking decorations that indicated that whatever was inside wasn't from Earth. At the end of her tale, the Doctor looked up.
"So what should we do?" She asked, looking very anxious.
"We are going to go to the play because they will be there and we'll sort it out when they strike." He explained as he pulled out something that shone when the light caught. "For now, we're going to enjoy ourselves."
"Doctor, what's that?"
"This is something I actually managed to save before my home planet was destroyed. I haven't seen it for years and I've never shown it to anyone before now."
He handed it to her and she was captivated. It was an anklet that was gold and decorated with blue stones that weren't as dark as sapphires but not as light as the sky. She gently ran it through her fingers.
"You can have that."
But it's from your home planet; I can't take something like this from you."
"At least I'll know its being appreciated the way it should be."
Although reluctant, Luna clipped the piece of jewellery on to her right ankle, ready for the evening ahead.
Finally it was time for the play and the Doctor and Luna were waiting to go inside the globe. As they stood there, Luna spotted the two strange men from before. She tapped the Doctor on his arm and pointed to them. He understood what she was saying and watched them carefully and discreetly. But his spying was disturbed by William Shakespeare calling him and Luna over. He led them inside and to the best seats in the house, directly in front of the stage. Luna sat between the two men and started watching intently. While the rest of the audience watched, the Doctor was watching the two men Luna had pointed out to him. They were on the same level and just a few yards away from them. The play had got to the infamous balcony scene and Luna was hypnotised by the tenderness of the words, she'd almost forgot the fact that William Shakespeare was in danger.
Suddenly, there was a large explosion causing the audience and actors to start panicking and screaming. The Doctor grabbed Luna and used his body to shelter her from the falling debris. But Luna had seen something else.
"Doctor, look, they've got William." She shouted over noise.
The Time lord looked over and saw two small aliens carrying a tied William Shakespeare. They were a three feet tall, had fish like skin and had large eyes with thick black markings around their eyes that looked like reading glasses.
"HEY, GET BACK HERE!" The Doctor bellowed.
They turned and one held up a large capsule of peach coloured gas. It threw it and another explosion went off but this time a thick cloud of gas filled the block. Luna could feel her lungs tightening, her breathing becoming laboured and her eyes watering. She began coughing and was shocked to hear the Doctor coughing too. Finally she felt dizzy and felt the Doctor grab her hand as everything went black. Luna and the Doctor lay there unconscious amongst the rest of the spectators and the actors below.