And here's today's second installment. Enjoy!
Chapter 22: Trapped
"Stay back!" She yelled as she fell to the planet's surface, shaking uncontrollably as her limbs flailed about of their own accord. Jack and River jerked back, but the Doctor kept creeping towards her.
"NO!" She yelled at him, her voice ringing out clearly across the planet surface. The Doctor stumbled backwards. She had shouted in Gallifreyan.
Seconds later, dark clouds coalesced in the air around the travellers. Eyphah's eyes filled with tears as she observed them - trapped, and herself useless. The dark shapes came into focus, revealing men and women. Human in appearance, both genders sported straight black hair and purple eyes. All were dressed in flowing robes of the deepest black-blue.
Eyphah's eyes clouded suddenly and she spoke with a passionate voice, shaking with anger. "You have brought this upon yourself, Doctor! The future you will shape is wrong, and I intend to fix it!"
The army of people stood stock still until Eyphah slashed her hand through the air. Responding to her signal, the mass was suddenly full of movement and the sound of rippling fabric filled the air. The strangers began to advance.
River and Jack pulled their guns, aiming at the robed figures. The Doctor pulled his sonic, not quite having the same effect as the end lit up green. They formed a circle.
"Sweetie, not to hurry you, but this is when you normally have a REALLY good idea!" River called to her husband.
"Uhh, in this instance run doesn't seem to be an option!" Jack called, his gun whizzing as he prepared to fire at the approaching, silent army of people.
The Doctor floundered. "I have a thing. Sort of a plan, but kinda..."
He was cut off mid-sentence. They all were. For behind the layers of people advancing, there was a sudden cry. The sound came from Eyphah.
The mass of strangers parted slightly before the trio, allowing them to see Eyphah. She stood crouched over herself, hands buried in her hair, screaming. She was in intense pain, fighting some sort of unseen foe.
"Whatever it is, it's in her mind..." River whispered into the Doctor's ear. He glanced at her side on, and she nodded. The Doctor grimaced slightly. He hated doing this.
River stayed beside him, gun still drawn at the - now motionless - army of robed beings before them, as the Doctor closed his eyes. He opened his mind, careful to pull a barrier down in front of everything within in case of any prying eyes - he didn't want a repeat of Reinette.
Reaching out, he found Eyphah's mind with little difficulty. Long range was always difficult to achieve with telepathy, but Eyphah's mind stood wide open as a fierce battle raged within. The Doctor moved to investigate further, and gasped out loud at what he found.
"Two beings," he explained, for the sakes of River and Jack. "Two living minds within one head, fighting for control of the physical form. Amazing..." He opened his eyes.
Eyphah straightened, eyes dark once again. "Kill them!" She shrieked, beckoning the army. The Doctor began to talk at a million miles an hour. "We have to sever the link. I saw it in her mind - she's the link for the army, stop her controlling them and they fall apart." He waved his sonic at the pressing crowd, uneasy. Jack spoke next.
"Alright, sever the link. Easy..." He pointed his gun at the ginger, looking down the barrel to aim it. "...Bingo." He squeezed the trigger.