Exhausted, Cindy climbed up the final stair to her room, opening the door as quietly as she could before eagerly collapsing on the bed sheets. Her head was swimming with so many thoughts that she could hardly think straight. She knew she had to find what the Doctor was talking about, but with little to no personal possessions of her own, she didn't understand how she could accomplish that goal.
Her eyes started fluttering, and as much as she wanted to stay awake, she found herself drift off, shutting her eyes and letting imagining the covers to be the Doctor's long coat and she wished her pillow were his chest. Her stepsisters were right about a few things. Cindy did adore him.
But they weren't real, and never were. Her abusers were imposters in and of themselves, meaning her whole life was programed specifically for their own merit. It was disgusting. She only had to find one object for her life to be rewritten.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a loud, rough earthquake shook the tower, causing her to tumble out of bed in a tangled mess of bed sheets. The earthquake stopped a few moments later, leaving Cindy on the floor with her pillow at her side.
She got up with a groan, hoping that she wasn't going to fall over again. Being as tired as she was, she didn't have time to question how powerful the earthquakes have become. The only thought on her mind was the idea of a blissful sleep. She got back into bed and straightened out the covers… until she noticed something shocking: there was nothing on the part of the mattress where her pillow lied. Quickly she checked on the floor and under the covers, praying that she still had it somewhere buried under something on the floor, but it was gone. There was nothing to be found.
"Daddy?" It sounded silly to announce it when she knew he wasn't physically there, but it felt like losing him all over again. It was the only picture and it was gone, possibly for good.
Cindy didn't dream of happy thoughts that night.
The white mare that greeted her every morning couldn't even cheer Cindy up. She brushed her mane and coat in the stall like she always did, but the happiness that it usually gave her wasn't there. She felt as though she could no longer feel joy, especially with the knowledge of losing the only picture of her father that wasn't disposed of by the three women. It was the only gateway to the life that didn't involve her stepmother or stepsisters ruining her childhood, or at least the memories that were made for her. She imagined her father making her smile and playing games with her, even after a long day of working. She remembered being so young when he died, yet she still felt as though she had a connection with him as his daughter. Cindy laid her head against the white horse's graceful neck, feeling fatigued and emotionally drained. The last thing she wanted to do was appease the people that took what was left of her away, and was in no rush to exit the stables.
"Hi, Cindy."
She picked up her head to gaze at the Doctor's face, whose expression was full of concern for her wellbeing, despite his sad smile. She gave him a sad smile in return, getting the vibe from him that he detected her melancholy mood.
"You shouldn't be here, Doctor. They'll see you."
"Let them. What did they do to you?" His voice sounded somewhat confrontational as he opened the stall door, shut it, and leaned against the wood frame. The horse looked uncomfortable but munched on some hay in the corner, ignoring the people in her stall.
Cindy couldn't help but laugh at the way he was acting. "If I wasn't so nice, I would tell you to go kick their butts again, like you did last time."
The Doctor couldn't help but bring her towards him, wrapping her in a hug, expecting her to get upset. But she didn't; she was too impassive to feel any butterflies in her stomach, or even cry. "Cindy… they took something, didn't they?"
Cindy let out a soft yes, which made the Doctor sigh, exasperated and fed up with the aliens' antics. "My dad… they took my dad."
At this, the Doctor blinked his eyes questionably. "What?"
"The only thing I own is a picture of my father that was taken when I was a little girl. I liked to keep it under my pillow every night before I go to bed, so it felt like he was with me. Last night after we talked, I went upstairs and discovered that it was gone. It's always under my pillow, and has been for a long time. I don't know how it went missing… but it's not here anymore."
A light bulb went off in the Doctor's head as he smacked his face with his hand. "Oh! Oh, of course!"
Cindy looked up at him, as confused as ever. "What?"
"The hidden item containing your identity! The picture of your father has to be it!"
"What would make you think that—"
"Rose Tyler—her father died when she was a baby. The chameleon arch in the TARDIS must have used Rose's memories and your memories as a missing link! Because Cinderella lost her father, and Rose lost her father, the machine must have used that similarity as a key to unlock what the aliens stowed away." He stared at Cindy, his eyes wide and full of excitement. "I can't believe I didn't realize this before! Cindy—follow me to the TARDIS!"
Cindy couldn't even protest before the Doctor grabbed her hand, ran out of the stable and into the woods, where they practically ran back to the Doctor's spaceship. She was waiting for them to return, the Doctor detecting her warm humming at the presence of her Bad Wolf. The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS and left Cindy in the middle of the room as he bolted down the hallway. Cindy could only stare and shake her head out of bewilderment. She didn't even bother questioning the Doctor anymore, even if she only knew him for a few days.
The Doctor soon emerged, holding a small picture in his hand as he stopped right in front of her, holding the image directly in her face. "Is this the picture?"
Her eyes were the size of dinner plates at the sight of what he was holding—her father, the exact photo of him, only the photo was taken digitally. It wasn't the photo she had since she was a child, but it was still the same picture of him. She couldn't believe her eyes.
"Oh, my god," she explained. "But… with me holding it, why can't I remember anything about you, or this ship, or anything? If this is what brings my identity back, then why can't I feel it?"
"Because we need the photo that was stolen from you. The TARDIS used this same picture on purpose, and that was for it to correlate with yours. If we get both of them we'll get you memories back!" The Doctor's grin was huge, which made Cindy's smile just as big. She suddenly felt excited at the new information, and couldn't wait until the picture would be retrieved again.
"Any plans for getting a picture back from ravenous aliens who want to kill me?"
"It's going to be a very basic—and possibly very stupid—plan, but considering the circumstances and how little our options are, we're going to have to go with it."
"Tell me all about it, Doctor!"
Drizella and Anastasia bounded up and down the house, happy as ever as Lady Tremaine looked onward with an amused expression. Cindy tidied one of her stepmother's bedrooms in the background, where everyone was gathered to hear the good news.
"I cannot believe that there's going to be a Ball for the first time in years!" shouted Drizella, all smiles.
"I just hope we have something to wear! We might have to go shopping for some new clothes!"
Cindy rolled her eyes, knowing that the aliens were trying too hard to keep to their characters when she knew that it was all a setup. Regardless, she didn't want to get bitten again, and it was best to stay on their good side. She eyed her stepmother, glancing to see if her dress had a pocket. To her luck, one was at her side, and she could even see a slight indentation of something inside.
Thank goodness she wore something with a pocket today.
"Of course, Cinderella has too much to do around here for her to go anyplace fun, like the palace!" said Anastasia, laughing directly in Cindy's face.
"Now, now, Anastasia," Lady Tremaine said, walking over to Cindy as she finished dusting a grand piano that the sisters used to practice their singing and musical instruments. "Don't shove all the fun in her face like that. After all, it is disappointing for her to know that if she disobeys there would be very harsh punishments." Cindy scooted farther away from her, remembering the hideous face and green eyes of the predator that lied beneath the human masks. It was a warning to keep being under their thumbs.
As always, Cindy wasn't letting them have too much of a good time. "I'm still apart of this family, you know. I have just as much of a right to go to this Ball as any other girl in town. They did say 'every eligible maiden is to attend', after all."
"Since when are you eligible, and capable of having any chances with the Prince?" Drizella snapped, snickering to herself as Anastasia joined in.
Lady Tremaine let a small smile show through at her daughters' comments, but told Cinderella, "As long as you behave…"
"Don't worry, I will!" Cindy said, trying to look as though the three were still in charge of her thoughts and feelings. "I'll do all my chores and do everything you ask me to!" Lady Tremaine gave her a questionable glare, but went along with Cindy's words.
"In that case, get that piano cleaned up; we need to practice our music lessons!" Cindy hopped right to it, eyeing Lady Tremaine's pocket as she finished off the legs of the grand piano. The stepsisters were arguing over whose turn it was to sing or play the flute as their mother tried to break up the fight, and just in time for Cindy to finish doing what they have asked.
Without a thank you, they started their music lesson; her stepmother sat down at the piano while the stepsisters smoothed out their dresses and prepared. Before Cindy could even try to snag the item in Lady Tremaine's pocket, the devil herself barked at her. "Go grab us a light snack and some lemonade, if that's not too much trouble."
"Yes, Stepmother," Cindy obliged, walking towards the door. Just before she passed her stepmother, she grabbed the item in her pocket swiftly and easily, the woman hardly noticing. Cindy hid what she knew to be a key in her own pocket as she went out the door, shutting it behind her in order to block out the lack of talent in the room.
Cindy could hardly contain her glee. She ran down the stairs and stepped out the door, finding that the Doctor was waiting, a smile on his face at the knowledge that she got it. "I can't believe this simple plan is working, but it is!"
"Don't jinx it!" the Doctor said, rushing inside. "I don't even know if that's where it's hidden."
"Well, I'm always in her bedroom, so I know where and what she keeps her stuff in," explained Cindy, rushing down the hallways with him as he located Lady Tremaine's den. "And I think I know just the place where she uses that key!"
Rushing inside, Cindy showed him a small drawer, where she usually noticed Lady Tremaine putting some of her items inside whenever she was in the room, whether it be cleaning her bed or subject to her whims. "But I must ask, why not use that pen thing?"
"What pen thing?"
"Your pen. It glows blue at the top. I saw you use it a few times in the marketplace. Can't it open stuff up?"
"Weeeellll, it can open anything… except wood."
Cindy stared at him, dumbstruck. "That's rubbish."
"Oh, don't I know it."
Handing him the key, Cindy awaited the opportunity to grab her father's picture, but winced at the sound of her stepmother's voice.
"CINDERELLA!"
"Cindy, go!" said the Doctor, getting the drawer open and grabbing the picture. "Just give them what they want before they investigate!"
Cindy rushed out the door, trying her best to keep quiet and be quick at the same time. The Doctor quickly took the picture from the TARDIS out of his pocket, but found that he was having trouble figuring out just how he can activate Rose's memories. It confused him as he had the two pictures in his hand, frantically trying to come up with a plan. He wasn't fast enough.
"I think I'll be taking these!"
Lady Tremaine was glaring down at him now, her eyes glowing a bright green as the stepsisters came up behind her, Cindy in their grasp. She didn't even reach the stairs before they ran after her. Cindy was struggling to get free of their grip, but at the sight of the Doctor getting caught, she slacked, knowing now that it was over.
"Of all plans to come up with, I would have expected something much better than this," Lady Tremaine said smugly.
"Well you don't give me much to go on considering your universe has my ship under construction!" Lady Tremaine only laughed as took the picture she held in her hands and ripped it in two.
"NO!" Cindy cried, grappling with the stepsisters to grab what remained of the old photo, but it was hopeless. To add to her turmoil, a headache soon came after the photo's tearing; it felt as though her eyes were going to explode as her brain was set on fire. The Doctor gapped at the event that took place, wishing it weren't real, and without thinking about his own safety, attempted to grab what was left of the photo from the stepmother. He admitted it wasn't his best plan, but with so little options, he didn't have a choice but to improvise. In the blink of an eye, Lady Tremaine transformed into her true alien form, pinning him down and revealing a pair of sharp, hooked fangs. Poised for a biting, Lady Tremaine made sure she dominated the scene, making herself look bigger and more powerful than she was before.
With a loud hiss, she proclaimed, "Our race is not nearly as patient as we are now. We rarely show such mercy, but with our starvation we hang on to every last drop of that girl's precious energy, for we are far too weak to take measures into our own hands. We have given you enough chances, Doctor, and this is your last warning! Stay away from her, or I will burn what's left of her identity in the fireplace. Do you understand me, you filthy nuisance? ANSWER ME!"
The Doctor looked over at Cindy, who still looked in pain, and his first instinct was to retort at the creature in front of him and not show any mercy of his own, but it wouldn't stop the anger. They would only get angrier, and possibly kill Cindy or him. He had no idea what they were capable of, and even weak they had enough audacity to take him down as easily as they did. Even as an earthquake erupted through the house, they didn't flinch. The longer they fed off of Cindy, the stronger they became. Which got him thinking…
"Why not just destroy her identity from the start, then?" The question that came from him made the three aliens quizzical, confused by his choice of a response. "Why let her keep it? Of all things you feed on, you feed on pain, and here she is now suffering in front of your eyes as you tear that picture up! If you're so desperate, why not just burn the bloody thing already?"
This time, Drizella answered him, her expression manic. "Destroy it and she goes with it. She will be nothing but a hollow husk, walking around like a half-dead corpse without emotion or a care. Her soul will not remain in tact. We only want to live off of her to fend off our hunger, you worthless insect! We can only give so many warnings."
"You think of us as selfish," added Anastasia, her glare hinted directly at him. "Aren't you just as guilty? Look at you, wanting to desperately get the girl you love back because you don't want to leave alone, and risking all of our lives because of it; you're no less foul than you seem to think we are."
For the first time in a long time, especially in his new body, the Doctor fell silent. Of course they didn't talk about his loneliness as though they knew his entire history, but the point still stood: he didn't want to leave alone. He wanted to be with Rose… because being by himself only reminded him of the pain and the anguish. Not to mention that he wanted to be with Rose because he cared about her, almost too much. It was all he wanted. Companionship. They were throwing it back into his face and all he could do was gape like a fish.
Quick as lightning, Lady Tremaine bit down into the Doctor's arm, which caused him to snap out of his trance and scream.
"NO!" Cindy shouted, despite the pain she felt. "STOP IT!" She knew it was in vain, however, because she could do nothing about the bite. As the aliens that gripped her arms grew stronger, she knew that the venom they had would be much more potent from when they bit her. She could only wish that the Doctor could get himself out of it, though it was slim chance.
"Dispose of him!" shouted Lady Tremaine, turning back to the stepsisters. The Doctor lay motionless on the ground, his eyes fluttering as he fought to stay conscious. He spotted Lady Tremaine picking up the torn picture of Cindy's father, noticing how the picture was emulating a gold light of some sort, but didn't have time to think as he felt himself go cold.
The pain in Cindy's head was too strong, and she had to sit down and breathe through it as her stepsisters dragged the Doctor out of the door, trying not to see him writhing in pain. Just as the pain in her skull was subsiding, Lady Tremaine came over and slapped her across the cheek, hard.
"Get up, you wench!" she shouted. "You're in enough trouble as it is. And don't you dare think that defying me will work this time. Do as I say, and follow my lead, or you'll end up like him!" She pointed down the hallway to emphasize her point, but all Cindy could do was numb her reaction to the situation, getting up from the floor and walking out the door. She rushed to her bedroom, to safety, since it was the highest place she could go to get away. She still felt achy, but it wasn't enough to stop her from climbing the stairs.
Upon reaching her room, she opened the door and slammed it, leaning against it as she felt tears coming on. This time… she let them fall hard. She cringed on the floor, crying in her lap as the little hope she had left faded away.