Author's Note: Right...I got really impatient and just decided to use the 11th Doctor. It's better to tie it in to the works I already have, so things work out fine. I had some free time, so I just felt like writing. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
The Doctor groaned as he lifted himself out of the swimming pool. "Blimey…what hit us this time, Sexy?" His mind rewound to when he had bid Amy and Rory farewell once more. Christmas had been as eventful as always. After repaying a favor to a woman in the 1940's and then spending Christmas dinner with Amy, Rory, and River, they had found themselves in a parallel universe and had to sort out problems with peace there as they always did before sealing the dimension off. The whole trip to that parallel universe had been trying, but their welcome home, an invitation to another one of Captain Jack's weddings, was the most draining thing that had happened yet. Keeping River along with them in case it got out of hand (which the Doctor had counted on), they departed, wondering how it would go. To say Jack's stag party had taken a lot out of all of them was an understatement, but the wedding right afterwards and the reception proved too much for even the Time Lord to handle. For once, River welcomed the idea of relaxing in her prison cell, so he had dropped her off at Stormcage before deciding to wander around the universe.
The TARDIS had been parked near Raxacoricofallapatorius when the rumbling began. At first, he wondered if the Slitheen were after him, likely because of whatever River had done to get their wedding rings back. "Blimey, what did River do now?" When he looked in the monitor, however, he quickly realized that the rumbling was not because the Slitheen were attacking. Instead, the TARDIS was being summoned by some external force from a different universe. Something seemed to crash into the TARDIS, sending it into a free fall.
He had been knocked around all over the console, just like when he had crashed into Amy's backyard so long ago. When the movement finally stopped, he found himself in the exact same place he had landed in before: the swimming pool. He looked up, groaning at the fact that he would have to climb all the way back up to the console to straighten the TARDIS out. It took him awhile to reach the main console, and it took a little more time to dry out the tweed jacket he had just gotten fixed by a tailor he had met at Jack's stag night. Once he finally did, he looked into the monitor again to evaluate the environment.
"Let's see…according to this, I'm in a parallel Earth…that's now called Ooo? I'm getting a bit tired of all these parallel Earths, but this one seems to be very interesting. Now, atmosphere check." He pressed a few buttons and a new set of features appeared. "Strange…local atmosphere seems to be hot. Very hot. So hot, it would burn me even despite my physiology. Well, I guess that would be why this particular part of the planet seems to be inhabited by beings called Fire Elementals." He rushed down to a room where he kept an assortment of clothes. He dug around, throwing out a leather jacket, a pinstripe suit, a long scarf, and a spare fez before settling on the orange spacesuit he had used to traverse Mars. "Well, looks like I'll need you again…I really hope you still fit." He put it on, finding that it did fit him. "Well, I'm not going to know why I'm here just sitting around. Time to see what's outside."
Opening the doors cautiously, he saw a land that was completely engulfed in flames. It seemed to be a normal ecosystem for the area, though not to the Doctor's taste. It was full of everything fire-related, complete with volcano ranges and rivers of lava. "Whoa…definitely a good idea to have this spacesuit, then…" He looked around spotting faraway a large building of some sort. "That might be a good place to start looking." He strolled towards that general direction, looking around to gauge his environment. He was surprised to see a fairly large city, naturally fixed with fire, but he was most surprised with the people he saw. He took out his screwdriver to analyze their makeup, which seemed to be 65% fire and 35% organic material. "Now, that is interesting…"
The screwdriver, however, seemed to alert the authorities. "Halt," a tall guard ordered. "What business do you have in the Fire Kingdom, outsider?"
"Hm? Fire Kingdom?" So, this society had a monarch. Although he wasn't particularly fond of monarchies, he'd reasoned that their leader would likely be someone important and knowledgeable, and he made it a point to try and pay a visit to whoever this person was. "Oh, sorry. I just stumbled here and wanted to look around, maybe learn something. You know, meet some new people and what not." It was pretty much what he was there to do as he wanted to find out whatever information he could get about this universe. He just hoped that the guard wouldn't react too harshly to his outlandish truth.
"Ah, yes," the guard said. "It's very good to meet new people."
That was an unexpected reaction. "Hm? Sorry, I just got this vibe that you might not be very hospitable to outsiders."
"Well, yes. That was the old policy under our old ruler, Flame King."
"Flame King? No other name besides that?"
"Members of royalty all across Ooo usually do not tell their names to commoners. It's one of the things excluded in our current policy of the truth, one of the changes our new ruler has made."
That one answer had turned into two new questions. "Sorry…more confused. Truth policy? And why isn't this king your ruler anymore?"
"Ah, yes. Our new ruler is his daughter, Flame Princess. She usurped her father last year and reformed many of our policies in order to restore the tarnished name of our nation. One such reform was the outlawing of all lies and deceit, which had plagued the hearts of the people for so long."
"She sounds like an interesting figure. You don't suppose I could get a meeting with her, do you?"
"Of course. One of her new policies was the transparency of her actions. Thus, she sees all those who seek an audience with her. This way, please."
The Doctor allowed them to lead the way, eagerly anticipating this meeting. This Flame Princess seemed to be a very intriguing character. He knew the value of the truth and applauded her desire to make it paramount. However, he still knew that he needed to follow rule one: the Doctor lies. He knew very well that the wrong words at the wrong time could cause terrible damage to this reality. Although he was certain those words would likely come out anyway, he still wanted to limit whatever damage he might cause. He would gather as much information as he could and leave as soon as possible.
"Good morning, Princess," the familiar voice said. "It's time to get up."
The girl smiled and got up to the sight of a candy person under the magical protection of Flame Shield. "Good morning, Cinnamon Bun." For the past year, the former citizen of the Candy Kingdom had become her trusted knight and friend. His presence had allowed the kingdom to solidify relationships with many of the neighboring kingdoms. It was especially critical when it came to holding a relationship with the Candy Kingdom, as Flame Princess didn't know what to make of its monarch.
She yawned as she stretched a bit, ready for a new day of her duties to her people. Although her responsibilities often stressed her out, she felt fulfilled leading her people into a new light. The kingdom had prospered after she had come to power. With the neighboring kingdoms no longer concerned with the volatile and hostile whims of her father, they were willing to conduct in trade. The symbiotic relationship between the Fire Kingdom and its neighbors lead to a new prevailing attitude among her citizens. They weren't evil by heart, only because her father had made them so. With the truth in hand, none of them needed to fear the deception and lies she felt had caused the distrust that had plagued the kingdom for so long.
A servant soon came in. "Good morning, Princess. Good morning, Cinnamon Bun."
"Good morning," she said. "What news have you brought?"
"There is a stranger who seeks your audience."
"Hm? Who would this stranger be?"
"He merely calls himself the Doctor. He doesn't appear to resemble a citizen from any of the neighboring kingdoms."
"Oh! Maybe he's a visitor from a land we don't know about." Her curiosity was piqued. "Well, alright. Let's see him immediately."
"Uh, are you sure about that, Princess?" Cinnamon Bun said. "I thought you were going to wish Finn a Happy Birthday."
Her demeanor changed sharply. "Change of plans, Cinnamon Bun. My duties come first, and I shall see this stranger immediately."
As the servant rushed out, Cinnamon Bun looked at her with a concerned face. "Princess, I know how much you care about the needs of the Fire Kingdom, but are you sure you don't want to take just one day off? It has been a long time since Finn came here. You are still friends, right?"
"Yeah, but it's just that he has his duties and I have mine," she said with some hint of regret.
A thought occurred to him. "Princess, do you still have, you know, romantic feelings for him? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
She sighed as she heard the question from the one person she knew told nothing but the truth, not by law but by his very nature. When she had first broken up with Finn, she reasoned that his betrayal had driven her from him. As time went on, however, she found that the reason she had broken up with Finn was because she was confused by her feelings. It had been one slipup that had ended a relationship that had made her happier than she had ever been before, but it was too late to do anything about it. They had grown far apart. As Finn continued to fend off the evil in the world, she turned more to her duties to distract herself from thinking about him. She still was unsure about how she still felt about him, but she didn't want anyone to be hampered by her feelings.
"No," she finally said. "I'm not in love with him anymore." Which was at least partially true because she didn't still feel the same way she had before taking control of the throne. But it wasn't completely true because her heart still reserved some feelings she just couldn't identify. She just hoped Cinnamon Bun wouldn't press her any further.
"Okay, Princess," he replied as he went off to take care of his Fire Wolf. The adorable pup that had been there just one year ago had grown into a strong and loyal wolf that was the perfect companion to the candy person.
She sighed with relief as she prepared herself to see the stranger. She gazed into her wardrobe, not wanting to appear too soft or too unapproachable. The bulky armor that was traditionally worn by the ruler of the kingdom did not suit her at all. Although she usually wore it out of respect for customs, she decided to wear her regular dress, not wanting to intimidate the stranger. She was glad that she had moved the lantern containing her father and Don John to a maximum security prison, as their presences had caused much unrest among visiting citizens and dignitaries. When she was satisfied with her look, she promptly went to the main hall where guests would typically be heard.
"Presenting her royal highness, Flame Princess," the royal speaker announced as she entered. She nodded to him and scanned the room for their guest. Unlike most days when it seemed like half the kingdom was awaiting her, the room only had a few servants today, so she saw the stranger immediately, dressed in a strange orange suit. The vibe that came from him seemed to be very contradictory on a variety of different levels. Although she couldn't clearly see his face, he seemed to be old and young at the same time. She felt that he was a good man who had committed terrible atrocities. Worst of all to her, he seemed to be a trustworthy individual but seemed to have the penchant of lying. These differing feelings that emanated from him were definitely some of the most intriguing readings she had seen in a person for a long time.
The man noticed her apprehension but decided not to ignore it. "Hello," he said as he bowed and introduced himself. "I'm the Doctor."
Flame Princess quickly realized that her own body language was not very inviting, so she mustered a smile to greet him. "Hello, Doctor. May I ask where you are from?"
"Gallifrey," he responded. May as well start off with the truth and at least try to be honest with her. After all, what was the harm in telling this girl his home planet?
She gave him a puzzled look. "Sorry, I've never heard of it. Is it very far away?"
He nodded. "Yeah…very, very far away…"
She noted the melancholy in his voice and decided to shift away from that topic. "So, what brings you to our kingdom today?"
"Oh, just wandering around. New place, new faces…gotta love it." He gazed at the guards who had brought him in. "Nice fellows your guards are. They really know how to make a bloke feel comfortable. You must be very proud of them."
"Oh, yes. I'm really proud of all my people for being able to handle so much change in such a short time."
"You look a little young to be a fulltime ruler, though. Shouldn't you be out meeting boys or something?"
Everyone in the room not named the Doctor gave a collective gasp at his tactless question. Flame Princess was blushing violently, her fires flaring up. "Wha…what sort of question is that?!"
The Doctor immediately put his hands up. "Sorry, forgot that social customs are different here than where I come from." Not that any Time Lord would put up with that sort of question. "Didn't mean to upset you, just very curious."
She settled down a bit before continuing. "I guess that's fine. And no…my duty to my people comes before my love life."
Something in her voice struck the Doctor. He paused before giving her another question, deciding to leave that subject for later. "Do you have a name besides Flame Princess?"
One of her eyebrows rose. "Do you have a name other than the Doctor?" she returned.
He chuckled, deciding he quite liked the fiery spirit of the young ruler. "Touché. Yes, but I prefer to be called the Doctor. It's who I choose to be: the man who makes people better. The promise I made to myself: neither cruel nor cowardly in the face of danger. I may assume that is why you call yourself by your title, right?"
She nodded. "I guess so. I never really put much thought into that, but…yeah."
"By the way, if you're the acting head of state, why aren't you queen? Just curious how that works."
"I don't become a queen until I'm married. Lots of other kingdoms have similar laws regarding titles. Technically, I could also be considered king because of the way I got into power, but I'm happy being called princess right now."
"Ah, of course." He pressed on. "Anyways, I was just chatting with your guards about some sort of law banning lies. In all my years of travel, I don't recall quite a law ever being passed. Care to tell me how that came about?"
"Well, I wanted to start my rule with transparency. My family hasn't exactly been the best of rulers, imposing order through fear and lies. I've wanted to take a bit of a different approach."
He smiled. "What a noble thought! Very praiseworthy and definitely something I would have never tried…but I'm not sure that's key part. It's certainly the truth, but I think there's more to the story than you're letting on."
A thought occurred to her, and she narrowed her eyes at the Doctor. "Wait…Finn didn't send you, did he?"
This was the opening the Doctor had been waiting for. "Finn?" he asked in a surprised tone. "Never heard of anyone like that. But apparently you have…wait, wait, wait, don't tell me. What am I missing? I'm missing something…I'm missing something…AHAH! Yes, quite right!" He snapped his fingers before continuing. "The way you spoke that last sentence…it sounded like there was a twinge of regret. He was your boyfriend, wasn't he? Ah, no need to answer; I saw your eyes widen. He must have done something wrong, probably a lie that grew too big? That sounds like a reason to adopt a no lying policy, but, the thing is, there's still more…"
Although most of her citizens thought the man was crazily rambling, Flame Princess thought his remarks were inflammatory. "What is with you and your insults?!" she practically screamed at him. "You're worse than my aunt!"
The Doctor smiled, remembering the exact words he had used when Amy had said those exact words. "I'm the Doctor. I'm worse than everyone's aunt."
"Guards! Show him out!"
Although he wasn't quite happy with the sudden change in temper, he did his best not to let it show. "Ah, overstayed my welcome…again. But I'll tell you what before I leave: just a word of advice from a very old man. Never give up on love. Trust me, I've seen so many dark things try to take of the world, the universe, blah, blah, blah, and every time I've seen them fail. True love conquers all." With that, he turned around and began to walk out, although he looked back once more. "By the way, you might not want to always have that law against lying. A lot of blokes would be in terrible danger when their wives ask if they look fat."
Without so much as another word, the Doctor left the palace, and the servants dispersed. She stared at the spot where the mysterious man had stood, unable to move away. Why was he so inquisitive? It had annoyed her so much that he had been so insistent about stirring up the events of the past. Surely he had to have been sent by Finn to get her to fall in love with him again. It certainly sounded like something he might have done in his more immature days, though, from what news she heard of him, he had seemed to grow up significantly over the past year. Still, it was the only explanation she had: that he was another trap to keep her from her duties. And yet…something in her was completely fine with that idea. Did she still feel something for the lone human in all of Ooo?
"Uh, Princess," Cinnamon Bun said, interrupting her thoughts. "There's still a lot of work to do today."
She nodded, brushing off her thoughts. "Of course. Let's go." As they left the room, she spent one last moment looking back. Despite her confused feelings, she hoped she would meet that mysterious man once more.
"Thank you for taking me back here," the Doctor said once they had reached the TARDIS. "I'll be out of your troubles now."
"Er…are you sure this is where you want to be?" The guard was uncertain with the contents of the strange box, not even remembering seeing the thing ever before. "We could take you to one of the neighboring kingdoms."
"Don't worry about me. I'll just step in and leave. Although, visiting other kingdoms sounds like a good idea. Which ones would you recommend?"
"Well, the Candy Kingdom is widely considered one of the most popular kingdoms to visit, and it's one of our most powerful allies. If you're looking to learn something new, you would definitely learn something from Princess Bubblegum."
"A candy kingdom?" A silly grin crossed his face, the exact look of a kid in a candy store. "Now that sounds like fun. See you around, gentlemen." He took out a key and opened the front door, closing it behind him. The guards were amazed when the box suddenly began dematerializing, leaving empty space behind it.
"Um…I think the princess should know about this…"
"Yeah…we probably should tell her immediately…"
They immediately rushed back to the palace as the Doctor set off for his next destination. He always loved the look on people's faces when they saw the TARDIS disappear. Now, though, his attention was on the console as he pushed various buttons that definitely did not need to be pushed. "So, the Candy Kingdom. Right, then. Allons-y!"
UPDATE 3/1/14: Grammar and continuity fixes.