Hello! Bet you thought I abandoned this story? Never, I've worked pretty hard to come this far and quit. Anyhooves I just wanted to say the plot will now move on after this. The purpose of this chapter and last one was to show the different perspectives of The Doctor, how he copes without Ditzy, and vice versa. Of course the latter is doing better than the former but it's only because she doesn't fully realized what she lost. But! Enough explaining. Enjoy.
"Let's see, so the frame is mended, the inside derusted, the control panel fixed, the navigational systems online. Hm, am I forgetting anything?" Doctor Whooves asked himself.
He was going through a checklist of repairs for the TARDIS. For the past month he has been fixing up the thousand year old time machine for his last ride to find Ditzy.
"Ah yes! The CPU, let's see how that working." He remembered as he walked over to the center to the TARDIS power core. He typed a few codes on the built-in computer to run diagnostics. After a few minutes the computer bleeped optimistically
"System seems to be operational." He observed, but he was still doubtful. It's been quite a while since the TARDIS was used, he wasn't sure if it was completely stable.
"Hopefully this won't blow me up." The Doctor said as he flipped a switch.
Suddenly, the whole TARDIS began shaking. It almost threw The Doctor off balance but he held on to the computer. The core rapidly brightened up as energy surged through it, lights began flickering all over the TARDIS, and warning sirens blared throughout the machine. The abrupt burst of energy after a long shut off was making the TARDIS unstable.
"Come on, old girl. Don't give up on me now." The Doctor prayed.
But the shaking was only getting worse. The Doctor thought it was going to blow when slowly but surely everything began to calm down. The lights stopped flashing, the sirens died down, and the bright core toned down to a steady hue of sea green.
The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped outside into the sandy beach and looked up, the sun was right above him, it was high noon. He went over to the shore to wash up, he was in the TARDIS all last night and this morning making final preparations for the rebooting of the TARDIS.
He splashed the cool salty water onto his face and a little bit on his hair. After rubbing his eyes clear he looked into the water and saw his reflection. He couldn't believe what he saw.
His hair was unkempt and ragged and not its usual back blasted style and he had somehow grown out a cast away beard. His eyes became sunken after numerous sleepless nights. He grew as skinny as a stick as he would go for days without food because he couldn't eat without throwing up.
"W-What?" The Doctor asked in disbelief, he didn't recognize himself at all.
The water began to ripple as The Doctor's tears hit the surface, he cried silently. He was so lonely without her. Her silky golden mane with her shining silver coat. Her perfect cheerful smile and that wonderful laugh that made him smile every time.
Now he couldn't even recognize himself. His only hope was that she was alive and out there, somewhere. He stopped crying for a moment and looked at his reflection.
But… But what if she is gone? What if that crystal just removed her from existence? The Doctor pondered. His heart began to sink and he lost all energy to move. What if it was true? Why should I even try? Maybe I should just drown myself and get it over with.
No! The Doctor shook himself out of it. Since last week thoughts like that have been plaguing his mind. He almost did it once, but the possibility that she was still alive kept him going.
As he let the TARDIS run to warm up he began meditating on his experiences from the past month.
One Week after disappearance
The Doctor breathed heavy as he delivered another blow to the stone surrounding some copper ore. Rock chips were sent flying in all directions and dust flew about the air, some of it settling on The Doctor's sweat lined face. He's been repeating this process for the past half hour and he was beginning to get sick of it. Every other spot he mined only took ten minutes at most.
"Come on you bloody rocks let it go!" The Doctor yelled frustratedly and with one final swing broke away the stone.
The Doctor sighed and collapsed on the ground. He panted stiffly, exhausted from the hard labor of mining this single spot for thirty minutes. However, he began coughing as there was plenty of dust still hanging in the air so he covered his mouth and breathed through his nose.
"This had better be worth it." The Doctor mumbled from underneath his hoof.
He walked over to the pile of rubble and at first was disappointed when he saw no metal. But after sifting through some pebbles there was a bright glow that somewhat illuminated the area around him. He grabbed hold of the piece and pulled, but surprised to find that he couldn't pul it out easily.
After grabbing with both hooves he pulled and pulled until the chunk of copper ore became free. The force of the pull however sent The Doctor tumbling back onto his plot with the lump of metal landing on top of him. Upon further inspection The Doctor found that the ore was as big as both his hooves put together.
"At least all that work wasn't in vain." The Doctor said in relief and tad bit of happiness.
He picked up the ore and put it in his saddle bag and started making his way toward the exit of the cavern. His forearms were sore and his legs weren't doing much better, but compared to a cave collapsing on you with a only a small window of escape, it don't seem that bad.
When he arrived outside the breathed deeply and relished the fresh air as it the oxygen circulated to his aching muscles. Now feeling a little better he looked at the sky and saw the sun was near the horizon, for the whole day The Doctor was mining the cave and he was now dreadfully tired. Thankfully though, this cave had quite the bounty of copper which made the work well worth it.
Now all he had to do was smelt the ore he's collected and mold them into wires to help repair the TARDIS' navigational and power systems.
"Hm, lets see. I'll probably need a little more to make all the wires I need but that shouldn't take to long." The Doctor muttered to himself.
"Let's see whats next… well I'm going to have to make a solution to get rid of all that rust thats cluttered up the inside." He decided.
He travelled through the dense jungle, his mind trying to recall the Periodic table and the chemicals necessary to make such a solution. But the mellow ambience of the rainforest pecked at The Doctor's ears. Soon his mind began to wander back to memories of walking with Ditzy through the jungle. Conversations of the wild life and their surroundings became vivid in his ears.
"You see that fascinating creature there?" The Doctor asked as he pointed to a orange and black striped snake.
"Yeah? What is that?" Ditzy replied questioningly, curious but at the same time a little intimidated.
"That is a Tiger Snake. Despite the name it is actually quite docile. But when it's angry or hungry you better watch out." He answered knowingly.
"Amazing, I can see why he's called a Tiger Snake." Ditzy said fascinated.
"Yes, quite the specimen isn't he?" The Doctor agreed.
They walked along taking in the surrounding flora and fauna. Ditzy stopped a moment and took special note of a certain flower. It was as white as snow and had five dainty petals encompassing the bulb in the center., the bulb itself was of a bell design, with three antennas gently peeking out. The aroma coming from the plant was incredible.
"Hey Doctor, check out this flower!" Ditzy urged enthusiastically.
"My, my quite a find you have there." The Doctor admitted and he took whiff of the air, "And the aroma is delightful!"
An idea then popped into his head. He gently picked the flower, making sure none of the petals fell off. Then he walked over to Ditzy who was uncertain of The Doctor's intentions. Carefully he situated the white blossom into Ditzy's mane. As he stepped back Ditzy lifted a hoof and gently touched the flower on her head.
"You look stunning." The Doctor admired.
The smooth whiteness of the floweret seemed to give Ditzy's golden mane a soft glow and her eyes a wonderful brightness. With the soft and soothing ambience of the daytime jungle The Doctor felt like he was in a dream. The mare blushed as she noticed The Doctor staring at her.
"T-Thank you Doctor, that's really sweet of you to say." Ditzy stammered shyly but happily.
He smiled for a moment and looked to his side expecting Ditzy to be right next to him, but no gray coat or blonde mane was seen only air. He stopped walking and stared at the empty space, sadness and loneliness swept his entire being. He was accustomed to Ditzy always being by his side, always there with him.
"Why must fate be so cruel?" The Doctor asked softly, he knew no one could hear nor answer him. But he just had to ask.
The rest of the journey was made in somber silence. His memory served him well as the Periodic Table became clear in his mind, soon his derust formula was complete in his mind.
As The Doctor approached the shore he could see the sun setting on the horizon, just as he calculated. Normally he loved the sunsets of this island as enjoyed watching the different shades of red, pink, and purple dance on the calm blue sea with Ditzy.
But now it only served as a reminder to whom he has lost. Before depression overtook him he set about making a fire, concentrating on the task ahead.
The moon took the sun's place over the ocean as flames from The Doctor's campfire danced high up into the night sky. Doctor Whooves laid down near the fire to keep himself warm as he looked at the stars in fascination. Throughout the centuries he's lived he's heard countless stories of the stars above, from Hercules the greek demigod to Phasma the Haunter from the Night Elders.
Of course he was sure to stir the pot, filled with melting copper, so the contents wouldn't burn on the bottom. At one point he was looking up at the night sky at a constellation known as Delfuxus the Wanderer when a thought entered his head.
What if she's really gone?
Those words made both his hearts stop beating, chills went down his spine and he felt a great emptiness within him. Before he could dwell on it any longer he decided to keep constant watch over the pot, stirring and checking to see if the ore was throughly melted.
The only reason he had gotten this far was because of the possibility that Ditzy was still alive somewhere. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here right now.
"Please, Ditzy. Please be alive." The Doctor begged.
Two Weeks after disappearance
"Oh come on you blasted thing why won't you start up?" The Doctor questioned annoyed.
He's been inside the TARDIS day and night connecting wire after wire fixing only the power generator. But he's been having some trouble, each time he tried booting up the mainframe the generator sputtered some sparks made a whining noise and died out.
So, he went back again and took a look inside to see what could be wrong this time.
"Let's see, this wire connects here. That one goes there… what in the?" The Doctor said as he realized a blue and red wire had been crossed.
"Of course! The energy pulse coming from the blue wire is messing up the balance of the power coupler which is connected to the red wire." He explained to himself.
After some rewiring The Doctor tried booting up the power again. He flipped a few switches and turned a couple knobs. He hesitated before pressing the power button, closing his eyes he wished silently it would work this time. Then he brought his hoof down on the button.
Again sparks flew out of the generator and it began whining. At first The Doctor thought it was going to die out again so without a further word he started walking back to the generator with his head downcast. But then the power box started to make a low rumbling noise and began shaking.
The Doctor stopped and looked up. The generator continued its struggle to power on, more sparks were coming from the machine and black smoke began emitting from the machine. The Doctor stood still uncertain on what to do. Should he go over there and see whats happening? He felt like if he moved the generator would die out again and if that happened The Doctor was going to blow his top.
Soon enough he didn't have to decide as he heard a bleeping noise coming from the mainframe. He looked over and saw a light coming from the computer screen, he galloped to the center to confirm what he saw. As he looked on the screen there were a few words.
Power Restored/
System Online/
The Doctor sat down and looked in disbelief at what the screen. He did it… he actually did it. For the first time since Ditzy's disappearance The Doctor felt a glimmer of hope resonate within him. He suddenly had a burst of energy and was ready to get started on the control panel. In fact thats just what he did.
He lied down on his back and looked underneath the panel. He found a small removable plate and opened it up. What he saw inside was a lot like what he first observed in the power generator. Wires were smoldered together, others were hanging loosely cut from their source, and then there were a diodes blown up or missing not to mention the circuit board was burned out.
He gave out a hearty sigh as he knew this was going to be tough. But as long as he could fix it he would put in the time.
"Well, lets get started." The Doctor said.
After a few hours of dissecting the chaotic mess inside The Doctor figured out what he needed to do. It was going to take a couple days at least, the only saving grace was the CPU, which houses all the TARDIS' codes and data, wasn't blown up.
The Doctor stepped outside the TARDIS and onto the beach. He was surprised to find that it was already nighttime. The stars were out and shining, they looked like little white holes in the black fabric of the night sky. The moon was also casting it's soft glow upon the beach but it seemed to be more centered on The Doctor.
He walked along the beachside, listening to the soothing sound of the ocean waves crashing upon the sand. After a short time he found himself at small building with bamboo walls and a palm leaf roof. It was his and Ditzy's old house. He came to the front and opened the door.
He stepped inside and old memories came rushing back. Tears of happiness and sadness began welling up in his eyes, he wiped them off and began familiarizing himself with their old home. He found the dining table where they sat down and ate.
"It was the first time I ever saw a Dalek show another emotion than hate. I was shocked, further he wanted me to help him make the next Dalek generation more human, not meant to destroy and kill without need. But to adapt. It was beautiful to see and hear." The Doctor told Ditzy and he took a bite of avocado.
"What happened to him?" Ditzy asked eagerly.
"Dalek Khan and the others killed him. It happened in a theater in a place called New York. I tried reasoning with those monsters, Dalek Sec could save them from darkness and extinction. But surprise surprise they only wanted to kill me. The blast that was meant for me was taken by him." The Doctor finished solemnly and he finished his green fruit.
Ditzy didn't know what to say. She knew the history between The Doctor and the Daleks. For one them to sacrifice his life for The Doctor… it must've struck a cord somewhere.
"I wish I could've saved him." The Doctor said abruptly, "I have nightmares about him dying, with me just standing there. I should've done something, but I didn't." The Doctor added angry with himself.
"There was nothing you could have done. He willingly gave his life because he knew you were the only person who could save the Daleks. It was their fault for not accepting his and your help." Ditzy explained.
The Doctor looked over at her. Then he smiled, she always understood. No matter the situation she always understood.
Just like before The Doctor smiled. He had many more conversations like that one with Ditzy. He would tell her of one of his previous adventures and his fear or nightmare about it. Then Ditzy would always find the way to explain how it wasn't his fault.
The thing The Doctor liked most about it was that Ditzy didn't just use empty words. She would analyze the situation and map it out so The Doctor would understand there was nothing he could've done. Not only did it help him, but he felt like he wasn't alone like there was someone who understood him completely.
He walked around the house some more, reminiscing on memories past. At one point he began to cry, tears started dropping slowly one by one onto the wooden floors. He stopped walking and sat where he was. He felt so alone without her by his side.
To The Doctor life was no longer worth living if he couldn't have her with him. After few moments his mind suddenly went dark, he became semi-conscious of everything around him. He stood up and walked like a zombie to the door. He looked out at the ocean, his ears didn't hear the waves and his eyes were empty.
He started walking towards the water. As the cold sea hit hooves he didn't even flinch, he just kept going. Soon he was neck deep in water and then blackness.
Pictures of Ditzy flashed through The Doctor's mind. That warm smile, her gorgeous comforting eyes, and that wonderful positive attitude of hers. She was his lifeline for all these years… and she still is.
The Doctor opened his eyes and saw nothing but water around him. Without second thought he began swimming toward the surface. He started to panic as the vision around his eyes began blackening, unless he got air soon he would go unconscious and drown for sure.
Just… one more… stroke! The Doctor shouted in his mind and he broke to the surface and now started for shore.
He dragged himself onto the sandy beach, coughing up sea water and choking for more air. Both his hearts were racing fast and his lungs were on fire. He wanted to pass out badly but knew that if he did he would most likely die of hypothermia.
It took The Doctor a while to make a fire considering the condition he was in. But he was soon able to start warming himself and managed to get all the water out of his lungs.
"What were you thinking!" The Doctor said to himself.
"I-I wasn't, when all those memories came back to me and she wasn't there. I just felt empty inside." He replied.
"But she's out there! You have to believe that!" He reasoned.
"And if she isn't?! What then?" He asked scared.
"We can't consider that as an option. Otherwise, next time this happens. We won't survive." The Doctor finished.
The Doctor spent the rest of the night awake, looking at the fire until it died down and it became dawn. As the sun broke over the horizon he went back into the TARDIS to begin repairs on the control panel.
Present
The Doctor shaved his beard and combed his hair. If he found Ditzy he didn't want her to see him like some old abandoned stallion. Although he was extremely tired, he hadn't slept for two days straight, he really wanted to be under way.
He went to the navigational panel and typed in a couple coordinates. He got them after he had the TARDIS scan the crystal, turns out it still had some energy residue from when it took Ditzy. Using the computer he analyzed the different time planes and planets it could've taken her.
After flipping some switches he paused for a moment.
"Please be out there Ditzy. I'm coming. Allonsy." He said and with that he set out on his journey to find his lost companion.
P.S. I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who has read this story, especially my followers and reviewers. I'm sorry I haven't said before, but seriously thank you.
Oh and one more thing, there are some pictures of this story that some one was kind enough to draw! Please check it out and her blog to!
Link: tagged/fanfic