She was floating. Awareness faded in and out of her perception. Around her light flowed like the river to the ocean. Rushing past her, caressing her skin in its warm glow. The light, the pain, was an anchor as her mind struggled to make sense of the world around her. She existed neither left nor right, neither up nor down. She simple was.
Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
She was drifting. In and out of her conscious mind, she floated on the tendrils of the known existence of some point tying her to a mortal world. In her mind she knew she existed outside this state of nothing. She knew she possessed a physical body, arms, legs, hearts. She knew she possessed senses, taste, touch, smell. She knew she possessed emotions, love, hate, sadness, loneliness. Simple concepts for the corporeal mind to grasp, but in the here and now she was lost.
Thump-thubthubthub-thump--thump-thubthubthub…
She was dying. Around her the light grew bright until it scorched her mind into a thousand shards of pain. She screamed, or at least her mind did. Pain, burning, driving all focus from her. She pleaded, begged, cried for an end to the torment. Instead it grew. Scratching, clawing, slicing, ripping, destroying everything that she thought she knew herself to be. She fought. She struggled. She failed.
Thump-thubthubthub-thump--thump-thubthubthub…
She was waiting. The oblivion that promised to claim her was near. She could feel it coming ever closer to her soul. Creeping like a mist across the marsh. It would consume her; she knew that, she accepted that, so long as it ended the pain. She longed for the ending. Around her the world convulsed. Then suddenly, it stopped.
Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
She was listening. A gentle, soothing rhythm worked its way past the ruminants of pain. A feeling, familiar, loving, soothing called to her. She felt the caress of another against her scorched mind. She expected pain; instead soothing, tender touches erased the memory of the burning. Softly at first, then more persistent the light dimmed, until there was nothing more than a brush of it upon her awareness.
Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
She was reaching. Grasping for the small thread that she knew tied her to an existence. She could feel the pull drawing her closer to love…safety…home. She understood what she needed to do, one thing so simple, yet so hard.
Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
She trusted. She allowed her heart to lead her to the way. She must let go of her anchor, her tie to this non-world. She must trust the calling to guide her, to keep her safe. She knew what she must do. She released her grip. She gave into the call.
She fell…
Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
XYZ
The pain slashed though his mind before he heard the scream. His feet moved of there own accord while his mind quickly shunted the pain away to be dealt with later. Now he had to focus on the scream, or more importantly the one who had screamed. Of its own will his mind started running through any number of situations that could have caused the alarm, but none of them prepared him for what he found when he threw open the door to Ella's room.
The physionic wave hit him full force in the mind forcing him to step back and quickly reinforce his mental shields before he could even step into the room. Ella was on the floor convulsing in uncontrollable spasms of pain. Her eyes were open, but not seeing anything around her.
He could feel the source of pain emanating from somewhere in the room, tentatively he reached out past his shields nearly blacking out at the pain that shattered through the small gap he had allowed. There on the bed, he felt it, the raw energy that had trapped Ella's mind and now threatened to destroy her. With steps forced by mere will alone he struggled towards the pull of energy.
One step…
He knew there was only one way to stop what was happening to her, he had to break the link with the object, but in that action laid the danger of leaving her mind drifting in limbo with no way back to her body.
Two steps…
He could save her only to loose her. He knew his own physic abilities paled in comparison to what some of his people had once been able to do. He had never put much into even refining what talents he did have, and now he regretted it with every fiber of his body.
Three steps…
He could see the cause of the pain. Part of him wondered at how something so simple could have brought this on. Another wondered why he recognized it. Yet another wanted nothing more than to send it flying into the vortex and away from both of them.
Four steps…
He can reach it now; slowly…steadily he lets down his shields and allows the anguish to wash over him. He winces as he grabs the link in his mental fingers and with a forceful snap…it shatters.
"Remind me never to do that again." He muttered as he attempted to stall the current brass band that had decided to set up shop in his temporal lobe. "No more uninvited physic objects on board the TARDIS. In fact," he glanced at the object. "How did you get onboard anyway?" He closed his eyes for a moment to focus his mind then suddenly he realized it was quiet…too quiet. Something was missing, a familiar presence in the back on his mind, gone. "Ella?" He opened his eyes and glanced behind him where she had been before he had broken the link.
She was there, still now, deathly still. Her pallor was near transparent and her limbs in positions that had to be uncomfortable for her, with a gasp he goes to her and with shaking hands he reaches for the pulse spot on her neck. A beat…faint but there, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Physically she was there, it was the mental he was concerned with now. Tenderly he swept her sweat soaked hair away from her face and placed his hands against her temples. "Hold on, I'm coming."
He fell…
XYZ
Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
He feels pain…cascading, washing, pouring over his very soul. He struggles through the fog of it and strengthens his anchor to his mind. Around him shards of light strike throughout the synapses of her mind. Ripping, tearing, shredding away at her. He forces all thought of his own pain aside. Instead he begins to absorb the pain from her. Bit by bit, little by little the light begins to fade. Drowning in the wake of its own power.Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
He feels fear…engulfing, overwhelming, absolute terror. The emotions bash against his psyche. Panic. Terror. Agonizing horror. And trapped within the roller coaster of nightmares is the one he seeks. He can feel her around him. Fighting, struggling with whatever power it is that holds her here. He reaches. She runs. He cries. She is deaf. He screams. She is lost.
Thump-thubthubthub-thump--thump-thubthubthub…
He feels loss…convulsing, unending, unforgiving. A childish nightmare brought to life. Alone, so alone and lost without the familiar surroundings of what she knows as her life. He can feel the weakness pounding through her mind, and he knows that she is failing in her battle. Loosing against a greater foe. He reaches, grasping for the small flicker that is her. Gently…lovingly…tenderly he calls to her.
Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
He feels hope…softly, quietly, peacefully brush against his mind. The pain is fading. The fear is evaporating into the tendrils of nothing. The small flicker grows and he pulls it closer to him.
Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
He feels trust…absolute, unswervable, unmatched. She waits for him. She has faith in him. He lightly brushes against her mind and instills all that she believes him to be. Safety…protector…nurturer…home…he feels her let go.
Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
She falls…
Thump-thubthub-thump-thubthub…
And he is there to catch her…
XYZ
Voices.
Voices slashed against her mind. She struggled to regain control of the senses that seemed to have taken upon themselves the ability to overwhelm her burning mind. Sound, scrapped painfully against her ears. Touch, ripped and festered as it caressed her skin. Sight, refused to even grant her the privilege of its presence. Time, it simply stopped she was frozen in the unending spectrum of confusion. And around it all encasing her in its unrelenting claws was heat.
She burned.
"Need to get the fever down…"
"-what happened?."
"-backlash…only way…"
Voices, why wouldn't they just leave her alone. Why must they continue to abuse her mind? A small part of her, the part that buried itself away from the pain, recognized that one voice was her father's, but the others, strange yet they was familiar She mentally tried to reach out to her father when her body betrayed her again and she nearly screamed when the hands touched her and tried to hold down her convulsing limbs. She felt herself loosing the strength to continue fighting whatever it was that was causing the pain. She felt her mind slipping away it an attempt to escape the sensory input that raped its synapses.
"Vitals dropping…"
"-Loosing her…"
"-need to fight!"
She pulled one last time at the tether that held her to the pain and with a silent cry she let go and the darkness over took her.
XYZ
Power. Untamed…waiting…wanting…calling to her. Something out of the darkness called. It wanted her. It needed her. The song compelled her; it would protect her, make the pain stop. Make the nightmares disappear. Make all things come to pass. All she needed was to give herself to the power. To allow it to become one with her, but something else, something familiar fought for her and that was when she heard it, softly at first, just a simple tickle against her memories, but growing as she became more aware of its presence. The siren call of the power disappeared in a shattering with one word.
"Ella"Mum…Her mind put a name and face to the voice that seemed to cradle her. "Mummy?" Cautiously she allowed herself to be pulled away from her hidden corner.
"It's time to wake up Ella."
She felt arms around her, pulling her into the safety of an embrace. "I can't, the pain…"
"It will fade."
She felt fingers brush through her hair as she clung to the sensations that nearly overwhelmed her. A feeling she hadn't felt since she was four-years-old. "I miss you mummy."
"I know," She felt a kiss against her cheek. "But I'm always with you, and I always have been. Even when you don't feel it."
She felt love-pure unquestionable love, fill her. She clung to the emotion. Clutched to the memory of a happier time. Part of her aware that she wanted nothing more than to remain in the here and now, never to leave the comfort she had found.
"No, you need to wake up Ella. You've slept long enough."
"I don't want to forget you!" She cries.
"Shhhh…I'm here. I'm always here. I will always be here. I love you Ella. Now let go."
"I can't"
"You can, let go Ella. He needs you."
She feels her resolve fading. He needs her? How could he? He was always the one to stand tall, fight off the demons, and chase away the nightmares. She needs him, but he doesn't need her.
"He needs you. More than you know. Let go Ella, let go and go to him."
She feels the embrace pull away, but instead of the pain of loss crashing into take its place, she feels peace. And she knows she can let go and be safe.
"Let go and forget…" She floats up and allows consciousness to wash over her. "I love you."
XYZ
The first thing she noticed when she allowed herself to float up from the depths of her mind was that she was surprised to be alive. The second was the fact that her head was killing her and if someone didn't stop that annoying beeping she was going to get up and walk right out of here. The third was the fact that she was in no condition to even be thinking about walking let alone threatening, even mentally. By the stiffness of her muscles she'd been here awhile.
Fingers…toes…arms…legs…hearts…check…brain…hurts like hell…note to self: never do whatever it was I did again.
Slowly, tentatively her senses fed information to her and she was quick to note that wherever she was it wasn't the TARDIS. The smell was wrong, instead of bananas mixed with the fragrant oils of the TARDIS, and she still hadn't figured out why her father insisted on banana, it was musky and almost stale. The familiar vibration was gone, replaced with a muffled thrum.
She gradually opened her eyes and winced even at the small amount of light that lit the edges of the room. The walls were the wrong color; instead of the green copper of her room they were sterile white and lacked the well-known lines of the TARDIS. She caught sight of the machinery around her and noted the source of the annoying beeping. Heart monitor and a multitude of other machines surrounded the simple bed she was lying in. She felt a pulling when she tried to move her hands and found several IV lines running into both. She tried to set herself up, but found the room swimming before her eyes before she even raised her head far. She heard someone moving outside her field of vision and blinked in surprise when a very familiar face appeared.
"Awake are we?"
"Martha?" She asked confused. "How…where…when?" The former companion looked unchanged aside from a few more laugh lines on her face and the slight graying of her hair. She had been another constant in Ella's life from the day she was born. She was the only one The Doctor had trusted with Rose or Ella at any time.
The woman smiled as she took a moment to check IV lines and readings on some of the other machines that surrounded Ella. "To answer your questions. Your father brought you, you're at Torchwood in Cardiff, and three days." She sat down on the corner of the bed and sighed. "What do you remember?"
"Talking to Dad in the TARDIS…" She paused and thought back over the memories. "Then waking up here." She looked at Martha, panic filling her eyes. "I can't remember, I've lost time." She gripped at the bed sheets as the sudden loss hit her. "I can't feel it!"
"Ella calm down…" Martha reached out and placed a hand on her leg.
"NO! You don't understand I can't feel it!" She felt her lungs gasping for air and insistent beeping around her suddenly rose in pitch and rate. "It's gone!" She blinked and felt the pain explode back into her mind. She saw Martha get flung back from the bed and a blur as someone else forced themselves into the room.
"Ella, look at me!"
She felt rough hands force her eyes up and she cried out at the shock of another mind forcing its way into hers. The pain grew until she felt as if her mind would explode, then gradually it decreased and in its place a calming, gentle wave of emotion replaced it. She felt tears running down her cheeks and tender fingers wiping them away. She felt the other presence in her mind drop away and with a cry fell into her father's arms. She clutched to him anchoring herself to the one secure presence in her upside down world.
"I know it's hard right now, but I need you to focus Ella." The Doctor pulled her away and brushed her hair from her face. "You need to get yourself under control."
She nodded and took a deep breath, slowly focusing her mind and rebuilding her shields. Gradually she felt her balance return, although not what it normally was it was an improvement over the upside down feelings that had overwhelmed her.
"Better?"
"A little, not so upside down now." She smiled softly. "I'm sorry Martha."
"It's alright, I should have expected it." Martha smiled and squeezed Ella's hand. "No damage done, and you just proved that you're mentally intact."
"You sure?" Ella asked as she laid back into the pillow. "Feels like someone took a blender and chopped everything up."
"That's a lovely picture." The Doctor teased as he reached over and gently massaged her temples. "Next time you decided to scare me to death don't."
Ella smiled tiredly up at him. "I don't plan on doing that again-" she paused and thought for a moment. "What did I do anyway?"
The Doctor sighed. "I was hoping you could tell me."
Martha tapped the Doctor on the shoulder. "Enough questions for now."
"I'm fine Martha…"
The Doctor smiled as Ella fought back a yawn. "No she's right. I need to go have a talk with Jack anyway." He stood and ruffled Ella's mussed hair. "I'll be back."
"I'm not tired." Ella protested as another yawn persisted to overcome her.
Martha resettled the blankets around Ella, before readjusted the IV's before heading for the curtain. "The best thing for you right now is rest and no mental games Ella." She waggled her finger sternly at the girl. "I mean it."
Ella grunted a reply as she cuddled back into the blankets and closed her drooping eyes. Gradually her remaining headache faded into the shadows of memory as the cradle of sleep again reclaimed her mind.
Sleep came and with sleep the dreams, and with the dreams came the siren song. It pulled her, tempted her, and teased her.
In the shadows the power waited.
XYZ
Jack leaned back in his chair and regarded the man sitting on his desk. He should have known Monday was going to be one of those days when he walked in and Ianto, Tosh, and Owen all swarmed him with something about the Rift fluctuating during the night, Gwen informed him that the number of Weevils had increased, and then the Prime Minister ringing before he even managed a cup of coffee demanding to know what was going on with the latest developments in the current increase in alien activates near the Rift. He managed to clear up both issues and sat down with his first cup of coffee when the familiar sound of the TARDIS rematerializing nearby…in fact it sounded like it was going to land right in his lap. The next thing he knew the Doctor was stumbling out with Ella in his arms. Jack, of course, was to react and managed to get a hold of Ella before the Doctor passed out. He never did get his coffee. That was three days ago, and from the looks of it, it was going to be one of those weeks.
"It doesn't make any sense Jack." The Doctor ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "It never should have even been able to get on board the TARDIS let alone pull Ella into a merge that deep." He jumped up off the desk and started pacing. "The TARDIS should have detected it."
Jack sighed. "Doc you're going to wear a hole in my floor if you keep this up." He watched as the Doctor sat again on the desk, but jumped back up and started pacing again. "Look, once Tosh is done with the scans on that book then maybe we'll have some answers until then why don't you go and sit with Ella."
The Doctor paused in his pacing. "Can't, Martha kicked me out." He sank down into the chair in front of Jack's desk and ran a hand through his already mussed hair. "She nearly died Jack."
Jack stood and came over to his friend and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But she didn't. She's here and she's safe now."
"You don't understand. I was in her mind, I felt what was happening." The Doctor looked up his eyes fearful. "It was like-well I can't describe it. I know shocking, me, not able to come up with words. Funny that, if this wasn't so serious I think I might even be laughing right now."
"You were in her mind?" Jack prodded the Doctor back on topic and leaned a hip against his desk.
"Right, sorry." He again ran a hand through his hair before jumping up and pacing again. "Only way I can describe it is pain, pure and unending pain, and it was consuming her." He looked up as Martha walked in and smiled tiredly at her. "How is she?"
"Sleeping at the moment." She settled into the chair the Doctor had vacated. "You didn't have anything to do with that did you Doctor?"
He shrugged. "I might have given her a little push while I was tinkering around."
Martha nodded. "She needed it, According to the last EEG Owen did, her mind is still overactive and I don't mean in the normal manner she inherited from you."
"Oi!" The Doctor flashed her a hurt look. "I love my mind it lights up like a Christmas tree."
Jack smiled, "Try super nova Doc."
"Jack," Tosh popped her head into the office. "The scans are done."
The Doctor jumped up and clapped. "Great! Excellent! Wonderful!" He paused noting Tosh's expression. "Or maybe not."
Jack motioned for Tosh to continue. "Just ignore him."
Tosh blinked and placed the book on Jack's desk. "Well according to the scans, its nothing more than fibrous wood matter and dried animal skins."
Jack blinked. "Paper and leather? Nothing else?"
Tosh nodded, "Nothing the scanners could detect no."
"What are you talking about?" The Doctor's face was pinched in pain. "That thing is putting off enough psychic energy to knock down a Prechorian elephant, and that's saying a lot."
"I'm sorry Doctor, but according to the test it's nothing more than a book."
He took a step forward and growled. "Than your tests are wrong."
"Whoa easy Doc, don't take it out on my team." Jack placed a calming hand on the Doctor's shoulder.
"No Jack!" He shoved the hand off. "Far as I and concerned you and your team can all-"
"Doctor!" Martha's shout was echoed with a sharp slap across his face. "Jack, get that thing out of here and shielded some how."
"God my head…" The Doctor winced and stumbled under the assult.
"Ianto!" Jack shouted and was never so glad that Ianto was always on alert. "Get that out of here." He pointed to the book. "I want it secured yesterday!" He then pointed to the chair. "Doctor sit down before you fall down. Tosh run all the data through the computer again were missing something and I want to know what."
He crossed his arms and watched as everyone snapped to and within moments the room was clear aside from himself, The Doctor, and Martha. "Now what the hell was that?"
"I better go check on Ella in case that thing leaked." Martha rushed to the door. "Last thing she needs is another episode." She pointed to the Doctor. "Watch him Jack."
Jack nodded as Martha disappeared out the door. "Doc?"
"Give me a minute Jack." His voice was muffled by his hands as he took a shuttering breath. "Need to get myself balanced." Jack leaned back against his desk to wait as the Doctor pulled himself together. Slowly the Doctor raised his head wincing slightly. "That was most unpleasant and not something I want to do again."
"What was that?"
"That," The Doctor looked up at Jack, "was a small, and I mean small as in microscopic, taste of what Ella went through." He locked his eyes on Jack's "Whatever the hell that thing is it wants Ella."
XYZ
Something called to her. Drawing her from the dreamless slumber that she had fallen into. The call was nothing more than emotion, but it drew her, pulled her, tempted her. Of its own violation her body moved, hands unhooking machines and pulling out IV's. Unsteadily she pulled herself to her feet and stumbled towards the pull of the call. It wanted her. It needed her. She went.
Power sang to her blood and her blood answer the summons. She needed to touch it, to be apart of it. It teased her like a lover, dangling the pleasure just beyond her reach to draw her closer to its embrace. It would make her complete.
The power called and she embraced it.
XYZ
"Jack!" Gwen burst into the office. "We've got a major power spike in the Rift."
Both Jack and the Doctor were on their feet instantly and following Gwen out to Tosh's station. "Tosh?" Jack leaned forward as his eyes flashed over the readings.
"Whatever it is Jack its on this side of the Rift."
"You sure?" Tosh nodded. "Alright I want a full search CCTV, everything I want to know what the hell is playing with my Rift."
"Doctor!" Martha ran up. "Ella's gone."
He spun around catching Martha's shoulders. "What do you mean gone?"
"Doctor!" The tone of Tosh's voice pulled everyone's attention to the screen.
"What the hell?!" Jack spun and headed for the lift the Doctor right on his heels. "Martha be ready we might need you and Owen." The lift quickly disappeared up and into the Cardiff night. As the Doctor and Jack emerged the force of the wind hit them and nearly throw them back against the water fountain. "Doctor!" Jack shouted above the cascade of noise. "We've got to stop her!"
Ella! The Doctor mentally screamed. What have you done!
XYZ
Around her the world ceased to exist. All that mattered was the siren song in her mind. Nothing else was important, this was the way to make all things right. This was her reason for being. This was her life.
Ella! Her father's voice cut through the song of her mind. What have you done!
Done? She had done nothing aside from what needed to be done. She understood now. Knew what her thread of time was. She could see it so clearly thanks to the song.
The one of the wanderer and the wolf comes. The scar will crack. The way will open. The time has come for all things to begin. For all things to end. Come Daughter of Time! Come and become what you were born to be!
Ella listen to me! It's lying to you. Don't listen to it! Franticly the Doctor tried to force the mental connection with his daughter and for a moment felt her pause.
"Doctor?!" Jack shouted as he held up his side arm ready "I don't want to but I will shoot her if I have to!"
"Jack no!"
"I don't have a choice Doc! She's the one manipulating the Rift and I can't let her rip it open!" Around them the winds increased and the air was electrified with power.
The Doctor pushed himself forward through the wall of power that was surrounding the area. "Ella!"
She was there surrounded in a golden glow. Hair standing around her like she was floating in water. Her eyes flashed golden before returning to the familiar brown he knew so well. "Listen to me Ella." He reinforced his voice mentally. "You need to let go! Let it go Ella!"
No. Her eyes flashed back to gold.
"Step away Doctor!"
I am the light and the darkness. I am the truth and the lie. I am life through death. I am the Oncoming Storm. I am the Bad Wolf. I am the abomination.
No! You are Ella Tyler, and you need to stop this now before it's too late!
I am the past, the future, the present. I am what I was created to be.
Jack moved trying to get a better line of fire. "Damn it Doctor move!"
"Jack the readings are reaching critical!" Tosh's voice shouted over the comms.
"Doctor we're out of time!" Jack took aim.
Ella please stop this! The Doctor begged. He gasped as for a moment the brown returned to her eyes.
Daddy? It burns! She screamed in his mind Make it stop! Make it stop!
Let go Ella! Let go and the pain will stop!
"Jack she's going to rip the Rift apart!"
"Doctor!"
Suddenly everything stilled. Quiet encased the world as it held its breath. Ella stood on the precipice of choice. All she need to is let go and the pain would stop, but the song called her.
She saw only gold.
I am the light and the darkness. I am the truth and the lie. I am life through death. I am the Oncoming Storm. I am the Bad Wolf. I am the abomination.
IELLA!!!!!
Jack fired, and the world tore apart.
To be continued…