Chapter One Hundred and Ninety Six
(In the Doctor's distant future)
The Doctor, Rain, Rose, Frazer, Angel and Donna arrived as Adam brought out a tray with some sandwiches and drinks and Alan closed the door, watching the others head for the couch. The Doctor was on his last life, which saddened everyone. Adam knew firsthand what it was like when the Doctor dies for the last time because Duer, who was also on this last life, had died in his sleep a month ago. Marion had taken Frankie, who was on her sixth life, to a spa planet and Adam wondered if Frankie would ever be the same without her hearts mate. Adam knew that he would be lost without Marion, who looked like a tall Scottish woman with long black hair and green eyes and was on her third life.
The Doctor looked like Michael York now and still had a limp from the time he broke his leg. Rain was older as well and on her fifth life. She was Caucasian with light brown hair and had a Cockney accent. Rose was on her fourth life and Donna was on her third life. Rose was looked like a short Asian woman with long ebony hair and a plump face. Donna had olive skin and dark hair and eyes and Lee teased her, calling her his "Greek Goddess".
Frazer was on his fifth life and he tucked the pointy ears under his hair. He spent most of his life seeing beings from myth and fantasy, so looking like an elf didn't bother him. He was tall and lean and had long blonde hair and green cat shaped eyes. Angel was on her fourth life and she had decided to join her husband in looking elflike. She was also tall and lean but with bright red hair, pointy ears and yellow cat shaped eyes. Both of them were wearing light brown tunics, brown trousers and white, rabbit fur boots and Frazer's face was long where Angel's face was round.
"Right, now that we're all here, let's get on with the story!" Alan said while the Doctor settle on the recliner and Clara looked at him then at his leg.
"Is your leg still poorly?" she asked as he smiled and gently patting her head.
"No, it's feeling much better," he said as she crawled onto his lap and he placed his arms around her. Adam served the food and drinks as he kissed the top of Clara's head and she giggled. Setting the tray on the coffee table, Adam sat on the couch when Liam climbed onto his lap and Alan sat on the floor next to the couch, looking up at Adam.
"I think you should give them a quick recap of the story or they won't have a clue about what's going on," Alan said and Adam nodded, patting him on the top of the head. Adam sat back then told them about Doctor Merman being asked by Princess Rain Shower to fetch the royal seahorse and that he, Alan of Seaweed, Frazerwick and Angel Fish had set off in search of it.
"Hold it. Is this the story where I ended up looking like some octopus woman?" Donna asked.
"No," Adam said while wiggling his eyebrows up and down and she sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Well, if she makes a return appearance, I will slap you so hard that you'll feel it in your last life," she warned and he nodded his head. Slowly closing his eyes, Adam set up the privacy block when the cartoon ocean appeared in their minds and he softly smiled.
"Tiny bubbles…blowing out of my nose…Tiny bubbles…showing the direction in which my fart goes…" Alan of Seaweed sang while Doctor Merman pinched his eyes closed and sighed. Alan of Seaweed swished his hips side to side while they moved by the large coral mountains and Doctor Merman held the tiny sonic screwdriver in his right hand. He scanned the coral when something moved in the shadows and Alan of Seaweed gasped when Doctor Merman stopped him. "What?"
"Something's here," Doctor Merman whispered as he pointed to the shadows and Alan of Seaweed hid behind him, placing his hands on Doctor Mermaid's shoulders. Doctor Merman hushed him as he slowly move closer and held the tiny sonic screwdriver tightly in his hand. Something growled when a pair of red eyes appeared in the shadows and Alan of Seaweed screamed like a girl.
"Hold it!" Alan said when his head appeared above them and they looked up at him. "I do NOT scream like a girl!"
"Zip it," Rose said as her head appeared and Alan snorted, vanishing while she looked down at them. "Sorry about that."
"No problem," Doctor Merman said with a smile and Alan of Seaweed shrugged his shoulders. Doctor Merman slowly moved closer when something roared and the head of a creature with a long neck emerged from the cave while its flippers slapped the seafloor. The creature was covered in a soft black skin and had a slit for a mouth with two slits for a nose. The back of the creature had a hump and two of the four flippers stuck out from under its muscular body.
Adam looked over at Frazer while Frazer sighed and placed his head on Angel's shoulder. The last of Loch's line died a year ago when someone poisoned the water in its tank and it didn't have time to lay an egg. He knew that Frazer missed Loch and he smiled, sending love into Frazer's mind.
"I miss Loch, too," Alan said. He was sitting on Frazer's lap as he pouted and placed the back of his head against Frazer's chest. Wrapping his arms around Alan, Frazer nodded and Adam half closed his eyes, setting up a privacy block.
"What is that?" Alan of Seaweed asked as he pointed to the creature when the ball of light sailed by them and nearly hit the wall. Frazerwick and Angel Fish tumbled out of the ball of light as Frazerwick placed his hat on his head when he shook his head out then looked at the creature and smiled.
"Ah, there you are, Loch," he said when Loch swam out of the cave and headed for him. Loch purred as he stroked the soft skin and Doctor Merman and Alan of Seaweed looked at each other with confused looks on their face.
"Um, mind introducing us to your friend?" Doctor Merman asked and Frazerwick smiled, swimming up and sat on Loch's back.
"This is Loch. He is a water horse. I raised him since he was a bairn," Frazerwick said while Angel Fish swam around his head and he took his hat off, catching her as she came around for another pass. She yelped as he giggled then placed the hat on his head and she grumbled softly under the hat.
"So he's friendly?" Doctor Merman asked.
"Aye, totally friendly," Frazerwick said with a nod of his head. Loch made a loud bellowing sound as its head rose upward and Frazerwick rubbed his hand on its neck. "Hey now, I said that you were friendly. What's the matter?"
"Maybe it has to do with that!" Alan of Seaweed said as a large, black shadow appeared and it slowly blanketed them in darkness. Alan of Seaweed held onto Doctor Merman's shoulders while they watched the large, black shadow moved by and Alan of Seaweed peeked out from behind Doctor Merman.
"What was that?" Alan of Seaweed asked as Doctor Merman watched the large, black shadow then swam after it and Alan of Seaweed sighed, shaking his head. "Why am I not surprised that he was going to follow it?"
"Are we going tae follow him?" Frazerwick asked when Alan of Seaweed swam up then settled on Loch's back and looked at him with slightly wide eyes. "I guess so."
"Hi-ho, Loch, and…" Alan of Seaweed shouted but nearly fell off Loch's back as it sailed through the water and Frazerwick giggled. "Why didn't you warn me that it has warp speed?"
"You didnae ask me," Frazerwick said and Alan of Seaweed growled.
"Now where did they go?" Princess Rain Shower asked while she and Rose Coral swam by the sea grass and she held her hand over her eyes, scanning for any sign of Doctor Merman, Alan of Seaweed, Angel Fish or Frazerwick and sighed.
"I'm sure they came this way," Rose Coral said when a large, black shadow appeared over them and they swam to a large rock, hiding behind it. The large, black shadow moved by as they swam around to the front of the rock and looked up at the large, black shadow. "What was that?"
"I think it's a shadow," Doctor Merman said as he floated behind them and they jumped, turning around to look at them. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"Where is Alan of Seaweed?" Rose Coral asked when they heard a loud bellowing sound and her eyes went wide.
"What is that?" Princess Rain Shower asked as Loch came closer then stopped next to them and Alan of Seaweed floated down, kissing the sand after he landed.
"Oh, sand, how I missed you!" he said then kissed the sand again and Rose Coral and Princess Rain Shower doubled over, laughing.
"Och, knock it off, it wasnae that bad!" Frazerwick said as he floated down and Alan of Seaweed stood up, wiping the sand from his lips.
"I think I lost my stomach back there by that sunken thing where the sharks live!" Alan of Seaweed said and Doctor Merman sighed, rolling his eyes.
"My, this is…interesting," Princess Rain Shower said as she floated around Loch and gently patted the soft skin. "It's a water horse, isn't it?"
"Aye, it is," Frazerwick said with a nod of his head and Angel Fish pushed his hat up then looked out at Loch.
"It doesn't eat merfairies, does it?" she asked and the hat gently wobbled on Frazerwick's head.
"No," Frazerwick said and Angel Fish lowered the hat.
"Just to be safe, I'll stay under here," her muffled voice said as he rolled his eyes and Doctor Merman smiled.
"So, Boss Fins, what do you think that shadow thing was?" Alan of Seaweed asked as he placed his elbow on Doctor Merman's shoulder and brushed some hair out of his eyes.
"Let's go find out," Doctor Merman said as he floated up and Rose Coral, Princess Rain Shower and Frazerwick followed him. Sighing, Alan of Seaweed floated up then sat next to Rose Coral and Frazerwick nodded, patting the soft skin. Purring, Loch swam away as they held on and a large trail of bubbles swirled under Loch's fins.
"Then what happened?" Alan asked while Adam got up and headed for the stairs.
"I'll tell you once I get back from the loo, Boo-Boo!" Adam said then went up the stairs and Alan pouted, folding his arms over his chest.
"Oh, don't look so blue, he'll be back," Rose said as she sat down on the floor next to him and Alan sighed, placing his head on her shoulder.
"He better not take too long. The one thing I can't stand is cliff hangers," Alan sighed and Rose wrapped her arms him.