A/N: In which, the Sci-Fi Fantasy become slightly Supernatural in this chapter. But I will probably be writing another story with Ta'sheeka in it. The story is almost over. Just one chapter left. I am kind of sad that it's over. But I am glad that I spent the time writing it.
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Chapter 8: The Mysterious Child
The Doctor raised an eyebrow, a white haired Mala'shraian elder? Since when did Mala'shraians have white hair? Although his curiosity is drawn to the elder, the child, she had to be old. Since Mala'shraians age in reverse, she had to be almost at the end of her life. "Who are you?"
She smiled softly, "The question is, who are you?"
The Doctor chuckled, "Fair enough. I am the Doctor. My human friend is Rose Tyler, and I brought Ta'sheeka home. I didn't know that everyone here was dead."
Rose smiled as best as she could and waved when the Doctor mentioned her name, but there was something that seemed wrong about it. She grasped the Doctor's hand and grasped it hard. He squeezed it back for reassurance, which meant that he knew that there was something wrong here.
The girl gave a smile, "Doctor. Peculiar name, if that is your name. I have several but I am known by most as At'atara."
The Doctor frowned, "Star Child? That is what that name means, in ancient Mala'shraian dialect. Modern translation would be Mysterious Child."
The child smiled, "My white hair, Doctor. It is as white as the stars and mysterious as the planet. Is that why you have come back, Doctor?"
The Doctor frowned and he looked at the girl suspiciously, something about this girl didn't seem right, it was the white hair and the name she went by, "No….I came here to bring Ta'sheeka home. What happened to the planet?"
The girl sighed and looked sad, "Children. They were children, Doctor."
She walked over to Ta'sheeka and smiled lightly. Her mental gaze was powerful and suddenly Ta'sheeka wilted over as if she was a leaf to the ground.
The Doctor glared at the child, "Stop it….leave her alone."
At'atara sighed and sat down and gently stroked Ta'sheeka's hair, "Why? She's a child too." At'atara bent down and kissed Ta'sheeka on the forehead, "She is the only child that is left."
The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and ran it over the child, "Psychic energy, you're not real, not in the same physical sense that we are. You're a mental projection of some sort. What have you done to her? What have you done to the planet?"
Ta'sheeka was curled around in a fetal like position around the white haired child. The girl sighed, "Doctor, do not be afraid of me. I am not here to harm anyone. Ta'sheeka is a child. More specifically, she is my child. All the Mala'shraians were my children. I am very old, Doctor. My memory goes back to several turnings of this planet. I saw the sun wheel grow bright in the sky. I felt life come into me. It took millions of eons to create my children, I do not know who formed me but I know that I formed them. I come here often to weep and mourn what happened to my children. My roots are tied here, so very strongly now."
The girl sighed and something deep in the planet moved. Roots deep in the cracks of the ground and underneath the room creaked the building. The Doctor took out his glasses and put them on and looked at the roots that were in the room. Ta'sheeka had mentioned a scared tree, which belonged to the goddess, and it suddenly was beginning to make sense to him.
"They called me the goddess. They called me Mala, which in old Mala'shraian means…."
The Doctor sighed, "It means mother."
The girl nodded, "Mother or children of the goddess. My roots go far into this planet, if you must know. I am the planet. This planet is connected to every living thing upon it. But now my children are dead, and I all I have left is Ta'sheeka."
Rose stood speechless through the whole skeptical, this was weird. "Doctor, since when do planets speak?"
The Doctor chuckled, "I guess this one does. You're the consciousness of this planet. Fair enough. But let Ta'sheeka go. I don't like it."
The girl looked a bit sad and then propped Ta'sheeka up and Ta'sheeka spoke, "Oh Doctor, she's wonderful. I can feel her in her my mind, she's so very warm and comforting."
The Doctor snorted, "I am not completely convinced, Tash. Even planets can be evil. Why didn't you save your children from killing themselves?"
The girl sighed and said, "What can I say to get you to trust me, Doctor? Children are children. Is it right for a mother or a father to always step in and save them? Surely you must have had children? Did you always step in and save them? Or did you let them grown, learn and falter on their own? How often did I want to keep the Mala'shraians from hurting themselves? They would kill each other. Murder each other? They would do so many terrible things, but children must grow on their own, even though it hurts. Look inside yourself, I know what you are Time Lord. Your people were there when my body was formed. I trust you, why won't you trust me?"
The Doctor sighed and was quiet. Thinking deeply over this whole thing, the last time he was here he thought he felt something here. There was something mysterious and wonderful about this planet. And now he knew why, however, part of him was distrustful, maybe it was just a part of him that had fought so many aliens and then some, but he was concerned, very concerned. But the planet's words did strike a tone with him, he too had been a father. He too had worried for his people and after the Time War, he had mourned that they were gone, "All right…on a few conditions. One, tell me what happened to this planet."
"It was a massive civil war like no other. After Ta'sheeka was banished, her supporters rose up in anger and assassinated the elders quietly and secretly. Chaos erupted shortly after the death of the leaders of the people. A war lasted for at least 500 years. In which no side won, and no side lost. In the end, the last few remnants of this planet gathered here in one last battle at my city. The last two Mala'shraians saw they were alone and the last of their people. One asked for a truce and flew a flag to which the other honored. The one who flew the flag begged that they live in peace, but the other was a an evil vengeful person and he refused to surrender, because he was angered at the death of everyone he knew and so the two fought and in the end, both killed each other, and so was the end of my children."
The Doctor cringed lightly at what the planet had said. Other races could be so stupid at times, "Next, what do you want of Ta'sheeka?"
"She is the last of my children. But she may do what she chooses. I have no desire to have unhappy children. But I need the genetic material from one living Mala'shraian, I can form new children, but…they would not be the same. Nothing will ever be the same and it would take me millions of years to do so yet again and they would be a people filled with sorrow, because my heart is pained with grief. I wish to be a mother again and now that she is here, she may replant the planet with my children, but that is her choice and not mine. She would be a mother of Mala'shi, there is no greater honor to be had."
Ta'sheeka cringed lightly, "Me a mother….but don't I need someone for that?"
A light heavy rumble like laugh issued forth and shook the halls, "I am Mala, I formed you, I gave rise to all the offspring that have ever existed. Do not worry about such things, through you the planet may live again, and be as you see fit. You wanted a free society, you may have one, and although it has always been my wish to have a society such as you dreamed of, all those years you sprouted. But this is your decision not mine."
The Doctor sighed, "Think it over carefully Tash, a chance to rebuild and repopulate your planet. I…." The Doctor sighed, "I wish I had a choice like you have. If I had a chance to have my people restored, I'd take it in a hearts beat. But it's your choice."
Tash sighed, "But I…..I…don't know. I…." She ran over and gave the Doctor a hug, "I'd miss you. Besides I like your blue box."
The Doctor grinned "Awww, I'll miss you too Tash, even though we just met. But it's your choice."
Tash sighed, she looked pained between wanting to follow what the planet wanted and being with her new friends, "I…..want to be with you Doctor."
The Doctor frowned, "Tash…..don't. Don't worry about me. I have Rose. You should stay here. You shouldn't let yourself be the last Mala'shraian. There is already the last of the Time Lords, don't let yourself become that, don't let your race die out because you want to come with me. Although I am really flattered, please don't do it."
Tash sighed,"But I'll miss you and besides motherhood isn't all that it's cracked up to be"
"I know parenting isn't easy, but hey, at least you won't be lonely," He grinned lightly.
Tash sighed, "Will you promise me one thing?"
"What?"
"Please visit me sometime. I don't want to be stuck here with so many offspring that I don't know what to do with them."
The Doctor grinned and then began to recite, "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe that had so many children she didn't know what to do."
Tash cocked her head curiously for a moment, "Huh?"
The Doctor grinned lightly, and he ruffled her hair a bit. "I promise Tash, I'll come and visit you. Seeing how you're going to miss me."
Tash smiled and then hugged the Doctor once more and then she went over and hugged Rose and whispered in her ear, "Do not hide your feelings for the Doctor forever, earthen flower. You love him, be good to him and keep him safe."
Rose blushed lightly and Ta'sheeka giggled lightly and letting go of Rose she said, "I suppose I will be busy, my people can have lots of children."
Rose sighed this whole thing had been weird, Tash herself was unusual. But she was glad that Tash had been there for her and had saved her life. Rose smiled and then said, "I suppose you will, what with all those children."
Tash smiled and said, "I know what I will call my first children if she is a girl. I will call her Rose."
Rose blushed even more, "But won't that be weird for a Mala'shra to have a name like that?"
Tash frowned as if confused.
Rose shook her head and the Doctor chuckled lightly. Rose had no idea. "Oh never mind, Rose I'll explain it to you later when we get back to the TARDIS. I guess I did end up saving the Mala'shraian race after all, if it wasn't for me, I wouldn't have ended up bringing Tash back home."
Rose rolled her eyes, "Doctor, you're getting egotistical again."
The Doctor frowned, "Well it's true…if I hadn't brought Tash home, the planet would still be here mourning the death of the Mala'shraian race.
Rose sighed and shook her head; really the Doctor could be so full of it.
The Doctor looked at the white haired girl, "And you better take good care of Ta'sheeka. If I hear otherwise. I'll destroy you. I destroyed my own world, what makes you think I can't destroy you as well?"
The girl laughed lightly and then she sighed, "I envy you Doctor?"
The Doctor frowned, "Huh? Aren't you even scared that I can wipe you out and destroy you?"
The girl shook her head slightly amused by the Doctor's words, "Even I know that death comes to all things, even to me. One day my life will end as well, but I envy you. At least you can see the universe, but I am a planet. I can not see anything beyond my own horizons and down into the depths of my own roots. My children once thought I existed everywhere, but I do not. I only exist here. What is out there Doctor?"
The Doctor smiled, "Lots of amazing things. Lots of nasty things too….but it's amazing."
The girl suddenly grabbed hold of the Doctor's hand, her face a measure of curiosity, "Tell me…."
The Doctor chuckled, amused that a planetary consciousness could be as curious as any other living being. "I suppose I could spend some time telling you a few stories about my travels."
The girl smiled eagerly, "It would please me to no end…."
The Doctor smiled and began to recount a few of his stories. Rose sighed; she had a feeling that they were going to be here for a little while.