Monster of the Vortex
Disclaimer: I do not own the subjects of this fan fiction. All rights go to the respective owners of Rosario + Vampire and Doctor Who.
"So…" Amy began. "Just to make things clear, I'll be genetically altered to be a… wraith?" She looked at the Headmaster and the Doctor, and they both nodded. "And Rory'll be a kind of dragon?" Frowning, she apprised her husband. "Kinda hard to see…"
"Not necessarily!" said the Doctor. "The Chameleon Arch only alters your species DNA; your physical characteristics are basically the same as usual." He looked at Mikogami, as if expecting a contradiction.
Mikogami shrugged, and said, "You're right, no need to be defensive." He again turned to the two current humans. "The only thing that will openly change as to your appearance will be some less distinct features, such as ear and eye shape, and hair length. Also, you will each gain a new… form."
"Form?" asked Rory. He again looked confused.
"Yep!" chirped the Doctor from the side. "Monsters have two forms. The human form and the monster form. The monster form, or true form, has a few factors different from the human form. The monster form reveals all monstrous characteristics, such as body shape, abilities that you as a monster have, etc. Also, the true form unleashes any powers that you might have as a monster, be it controlling energy or elements, unlocking abilities such as super strength and quick travel, all the way up to being able to teleport and the like."
"So what abilities will we have?" asked Rory. He looked rather excited as he considered the idea and the implications therein.
"Depends," said the Doctor in a contemplative tone. "Various monsters have different abilities, such as the ones that I just mentioned." He glanced at Mikogami. "Any thoughts as to these two?"
"Well," drawled the Headmaster. "Spoilers."
The Doctor scowled. "You just had to, didn't you. Ah, well." He brightened. "So, Amy, Rory, you guys ready!"
"Sure?" said Amy hesitantly.
Back at the TARDIS, the Doctor, the Headmaster, Amy, and Rory were clustered around the central console. The Doctor was pushing buttons seemingly at random in an attempt to get the equipment working. Suddenly, he jumped up, spun around, and pushed a large red button with great enthusiasm. Emergency Program 1 flickered into existence behind him, wearing the shape of a man with lots of curly hair and a long, multicolored scarf.
"Doctor, I know this is a hologram, but… Who's that?" asked Rory. Amy looked just as curious.
"Well… That's one of my past regenerations. Hard to explain. That's my… fourth, if I remember correctly!" He seemed pleased at the thought. "That was a fun time! A lot like now, just as much fun as now!" He approached the hologram.
"Chameleon Arch program activated," said the hologram in a low baritone voice.
"Noted," replied the Doctor. "Where's the harness for it?" he queried in a slightly confused tone.
The harness in question materialized near the hologram. "Select base species DNA," intoned the program.
"Human!" called the Doctor. For some reason, he was running over to the pool doors. He promptly vanished through them. After a few seconds, he reappeared, carrying a small alan wrench.
"Wait, Doctor, is that… a screwdriver?" asked Amy incredulously. "Why on earth would you need that?"
"Well, it's set so that the sonic won't work on it. Safety protocol, there's a deadlock. Therefore, I need this:" He held up the wrench. "I'll use it to secure the harness. So, who's first?"
Rory looked at Amy, and then announced, "I'll go first." He stepped toward the hologram, and then sidestepped and gingerly settled into the harness of the Arch.
The Headmaster, who had been standing off to one side with a bored expression looked at the Doctor. "When you're ready," he said.
"All righty, then!" The Doctor reached over and secured the helmet of the Arch, before turning back to the hologram. "Select protocol for resulting species."
"Confirmed. Choice?"
"Dragon. Type O. Classification, Fáfnir. Begin rewrite."
Energy began to coil around Rory as the machine started whirring gently. The Doctor glanced at Mikogami, and announced, "Okay, go ahead."
Mikogami took out a slip of parchment, and began reading it out loud in an unfamiliar language. As he spoke, the Arch began to spit out blue sparks and make creaking noises. Rory had his eyes squeezed tightly shut as his DNA was forcefully reconfigured. It seemed to take an infinitely long time, and as the machine finally settled into a pitch far above human hearing, it let out a bright flash of light, blinding the onlookers.
When the three spectators finally regained their sight, they looked at Rory in worry. Amy gasped. He was still the same, but he was ever so slightly… different. He held a more rigid posture, and his eyes were different. They were slightly longer, more angular, and his irises were now a dull green instead of the usual brown. As the Doctor undid the constraints of the Arch, Rory straightened.
As he stood, it could be seen that his arms were ever so slightly longer, and his fingers slightly longer and thinner. Also, instead of the usual pose that he would have taken when standing, he was in a slightly predatory pose, whilst simultaneously guarding.
"Okay, didn't quite expect that…" muttered Rory.
"Are you alright?" Amy nearly shrieked.
"Fine, fine. It just kind of tingled, but the main difference is that… everything feels different. Not quite sure how to explain it, it just… is."
"Makes sense," commented the Headmaster. "Most monsters interpret things differently than normal humans. Monsters tend to have enhanced senses of hearing and smell, and in all cases energy detection. You'll probably feel a mild itching, since the TARDIS radiates a tremendous amount of energy."
"Yeah…" agreed Rory. He seemed mildly confused, but accepting of what was going on.
"So…" said Amy hesitantly. "My turn?"
"Yep," said the Doctor. He turned to look at her. "Ready?"
"Yes, though… I have one question." Amy looked nervously at her husband. "I'll be able to change back, right?"
Rory suddenly looked exceptionally panicked.
"Of course!" The Doctor looked around. "Had I forgotten to tell you? Your original DNA coding is sealed within a small object, usually a fob watch!" He glanced at Rory, who was about to speak up. "I'll give you yours in a minute, Rory." He returned to his original lecture. "Also, in case the watch is compromised, I'm having the TARDIS keep a copy as well. And considering it would be very difficult to compromise the TARDIS, you'll be able to revert whenever necessary. Take my word for it."
"Fair enough," said Amy. "Just thought I'd make sure."
In due time, Amy was successfully harnessed into the Chameleon Arch. She seemed fairly low-key with the entire thing.
"Alright, I'm going to start things up, gimme a sec," announced the Doctor. He strolled over to the holographic interface.
"Select protocol for resulting species," said the Doctor.
"Confirmed. Choice?" replied the interface.
"Wraith. Type S. Classification, Time. Begin rewrite."
Again, the machine sent wisps of energy around the occupant, but this time, instead of blue, the streaks were a mixture of red and silver. Amy kept her eyes open, but they were constantly fading in and out of focus as she felt the change pass through her. Again, the Arch started emitting pitches too high to hear as Mikogami read his mantra from the parchment in his hand. The flash was again seen, and when it cleared, there was Amy.
She, also, was herself, yet not quite. Her skin was paler, almost see-through, and her eyes were now a bright, piercing blue. Her hair was now much darker, a pale, dark red, and it was quite a bit longer, almost three-quarters of the way down her back. Her face was quite angular, and seemed to be almost perfectly geometric. Her hands were now covered in a light scrawling of black text, which Mikogami was now examining intently.
"It appears to be a seal. It must have been written into the spell to immediately create one if the subject became too powerful." He continued muttering as the Doctor undid the straps.
Amy stood up, and surveyed the area. "That was… weird. And it still is," she said quietly. The others all looked up from what they were doing. Amy's voice now had a distinct airy quality to it. It seemed to come from all points around them, not just her mouth. It also echoed slightly, though the TARDIS console room never echoed.
"Ah… What do you mean by weird?" asked the Doctor in a slightly befuddled tone.
"Well…" replied Amy, looking around her. "It's all so… bright, now. And I can see things through another dimension. Time, perhaps?" She looked hard at the Doctor. "I remember you telling the computer time as the classification."
Mikogami spoke up. "Bright? Ah, as a wraith, you're most likely more sensitive to light in general. You'll get used to it. It just means that you'll be able to see nigh perfectly at night."
Rory, who was currently studying his wife curiously, asked, "What do you mean you can see time?"
"Everything has these… patterns… around them. They look sort of like those fractals you see in computer-made images. They form around the boundaries of things. Kinda neat, but they're starting to give me a headache."
"Okay, that confirms one thing," said the Doctor suddenly. All eyes turned to him. "She can't see the Vortex per se, that would drive her mad." His look darkened. "I would know." Grimacing, he looked at the console. "She can see 'ghost images' of the past and future of the objects, not very far, but far enough to be very noticeable."
"Well," said Mikogami, looking at the three other occupants of the room. "Shall we head back up to the school? Or Doctor, do you just want me to give you coordinates and have you fly us there?"
The Doctor groaned at the smug grin on the Headmaster's face.
