The Doctor felt any rage he had for this man fade as he walked to the path that led into the valley below. From the very top of the steps, you could see for miles over the Forbidden Mountains and if you had very keen eyesight, you could even see the faint glimmer of the Citadel in the distance. From the corner of his eye, the Doctor picked the glimmer up and a sharp pang of homesickness came up. He tamped it down quickly with a few deep breaths. He knew he could never go back there; he would be caught and become the lab rat that they turned Ala into. A small shudder of fear raced to the pit of his stomach where it sat there and a sense of dread overcame the normally relaxed Doctor. He started to run down the steps instead of walking. He felt as if he was being chased by Death itself as he ran, adrenaline racing like poison through his blood. His bare feet soon felt the damp earth of the valley as he ran through the peach fields and all the way to the edge of the waterfall and off of it. Streamlining his body, the Doctor hit the icy water feet first and plunging down farther than imaginable, began swimming towards a set of underwater caves. For what seemed like ages, the Doctor reached the cavern that he had called his own. Crawling out of the pool, the Doctor lay down on the cool gravel bank and closed his eyes slowly.
She was there, but different. Ala was strapped to a metal table as medical staff surrounded her. The Doctor wanted to run over and pull them aside and free her. He found though that he couldn't move which aggrieved him even more. Suddenly they parted and he could see all of the work they had done on her. They had forced her to regenerate and now she was sporting a head full of lush dark curls, her face smooth as porcelain and the Doctor could almost see the baby doll like facial expression they placed on her. He felt utterly disgusted.
Changing scenes, he saw her training, her body awkward and almost clumsy as she fought with her Gallifreyan taught martial arts, the same Art that he was learning.
" You need something more elegant and smoother, don't you Ala?" She fell from her position into a heap of tangled limbs. A whip snagged the pale flesh of her exposed right arm and yanked, its metal tip digging into the soft muscle and pulling her upright with a spray of blood. Somewhere deep inside of the Doctor and rage that he never knew could have existed rose and choked him with its black ichor. As the Doctor watched as the years went by, the Doctor noticed that she did get better, but not as much as she should have; at least she was able to defend herself if needed. Soon fifty years of her training, medical experiments and intellect enhancers, the Doctor saw her begin her first mission. Yet unlike the other scenes where he observed her, he could actually hear them talking.
Ala was standing in a white room, her black clothing a transition that kept the Doctor's eyes from burning in their sockets. She was talking to someone through a speaker in the far wall, her voice slightly higher pitcher than he remembered.
" You know your mission, Agent 24601 and by the end of the year I want his head on a platter. Do you understand me?"
" Yes, sir. One question though sir?"
"What is it?" The metallic voice left a sour taste in the Doctor's mouth every time he heard it. " Would you like his head on a pewter or a silver platter?" The Doctor smiled, she still was Ala, deep inside where the brainwash couldn't reach. The conversation came to an abrupt end and the world the Doctor saw darkened until he was back in the cave. Sitting up, the Doctor knew what he had to do to save her.
I heard the song, its ancient music calling to me like a mother does a child. Though there were no words I felt my feet want to dance with every beat of the drum. Out of the darkness that surrounded me, a couple of cats appeared followed by even more. I honestly didn't know how I knew they were called cats since we didn't have any on Gallifrey, but I did and they called to me.
" Come and dance. Come and play. Come and sing." Their merry voices reminding me of a bunch of children.
" But I am a Timelord." I whispered quietly and they laughed. " Well, someone has lost their name has she?" It was a black and white tom that danced around me and rubbed his thin tail under my chin. He suddenly stood on two legs and staring at him, I could see the resemblance to a Gallifreyan in his face. Looking around, I saw that they all looked more Gallifreyan than most Gallifreyans.
" Come and join us sister." The tom held out his hand to me and I reached out hesitantly. Even from that far away I could feel the heat coming from his slim body. " Who are you?" The question came from my mouth abruptly and the tom smiled.
" Well, I go by Munkustrap." He slid smoothly behind me. " That over there is Victoria." He pointed at a pure white cat that seemed to glow with an almost unearthly beauty. " Over there is Rumpelteaser and his twin Mungojerrie." I saw to hands shoot up and wave frantically at me. As my eyes wandered over each, another tom came over to greet me, his amber eyes flickering in amusement.
" I see that you missed me Munkustrap." He smiled a predatory smile at the tom that was standing behind me. " Anyway, my name is Rum Tum Tugger." He bowed and I snickered.
" You want to talk about a mouthful." I didn't even see his hand fly up until I felt his claws pinch the sensitive skin of my cheeks. " I would be very careful. Do you hear me?" He whispered and he let go slowly.
" An what are you going to do huh? Annoy me?" I shrugged, and his upper lip curled into a snarl." You heard what I said. Maybe I should teach you what it means."
" Both of you stop it this instant!" Munkustrap's voice roared with an alarming capacity and instinctively I sank to the ground. I smiled as Rum Tum Tugger also went to his knees.
" Now," Munkustrap sighed quietly. " We are going to play nice do you understand me?" We both nodded and he smiled. Reaching down, he took my hand and slowly drew me up.
" Welcome sister; Welcome home."
Yes,pulling from the play Cats. it will all come together I promise.