The Successor

by CityOfFallenAshes

Everywhere they went, she was known as "the Successor". The problem is, neither she nor the Doctor knew just what it meant. {10/OC}

3. Canziar: Part I

((Canziar: Part I))

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

"I thought you said we were going to that weird place," I muttered, holding the wiring that the Doctor told me to hold as he messed around below the control panel of the police box, where he was muttering to himself.

"Not a weird place, the planet Canziar," he corrected, his voice muffled and slightly unhappy. "Hm…the TARDIS isn't even sparking anymore…"

I peered down at him as the voice caressed my mind once more. "Not the hammer," it whispered as the Doctor called up for exactly that, its tone pleading, "Not the hammer."

I frowned, glancing at the hammer the Doctor wanted and shrugged, tossing it down to him. I wasn't going to follow the voices in my head, seem actually crazy and get kicked off of a strange ship before I got to go anywhere!

The Doctor began to bang on something with a hammer, and the machinery didn't seem to like it. It sparked immediately, a groan coming from somewhere down where the Doctor was. "Uh," I said nervously, "That doesn't look good." Smoke had begun to come from the grated floor, and the Doctor climbed out, coughing.

He narrowed his eyes, looking over the central column as a soft vworp, vworp, vworp came from it, pieces within the blue glow moving up and down. I could tell he was worried about something, but instead of telling me what was up with the police box, he said cheerfully, replacing the grating that was the floor and striding to peer at the screen. "Ah, here we are! Canziar's coordinates…" he began to go around the control panel. "It'll be a few minutes, the TARDIS has been…ah, well, slow lately. You can take your stuff to a room she's hopefully prepared for you, down that corridor, should be first door to the right."

I blinked, frowning. "The police box has a room for me?"

"The TARDIS," he corrected, "And yes, it should have a room for you, always has a room for everyone. Still has a room for some of my first companions…still has Rose's room up front and Martha's…"

I rolled my eyes as he continued to mutter about rooms and "other companions", following his directions and opening the door to the very first room on the right I came across, my fingers gently touching the door for a moment before twisting the door knob.

I gasped as I opened the door, my eyes widening. "Wow," I breathed.

The room was a lot like my bedroom in my apartment. Everything was black and white, like how I liked logic to be so that it made sense. There was a black desk with a black computer chair, and white laptop on the desk, as well as some of the drawings I'd lost in the past and pencils, anything I wanted for drawing. A black framed bed with white blankets and pillows. The carpet was pure snowy white, and the rug before my black couch was black as well. There was a black bookshelf beside the couch, filled with books that I adored.

And the most interesting thing was the small model of Earth, floating in the center of my room, glowing a soft golden color.

"Hm…most interesting room I've seen so far, and the cleanest by far." The Doctor's voice startled me and I whipped my head around to glower at him irritably as he mused, "Definitely interesting."

"It looks like my room back home…except with some extra things, like nicer markers." I grinned. "And a laptop. Does the police box have Wi-Fi?"

The Doctor snorted. "The TARDIS travels through space and time and has seen some of the most complicated things ever created by other races of being. And you think it does have something as simple as "Wi-Fi"?"

I snickered, striding into my room and tossing my bag onto the bed, pausing by the nightstand to skim my fingers over a picture that I recognized. My eyes softened. "Even this, half burned and everything."

The Doctor leaned against the doorway, glancing at the "lost" drawings on my desk. "More drawings?"

"Ones that disappeared," I explained, picking them up and shuffling through them. "This one," I said, "I remember this one. Flew away in the wind. I cried for days because it was my best as a child."

The Doctor walked over, and I offered it to him to look at. He was astonished at the sketch of the ever familiar blue box, this time with a man in a bowtie and a red haired woman beside him. "How old were you when you drew this? And I don't recognize this guy at all, not a past version of me for sure…"

"I saw the images and I just drew them," I said with a shrug, flopping down on the bed as he went through each and every drawing. Then his words made me frown. "What do you mean "past version"? Do you reincarnate or something?"

"I regenerate," the Doctor replied, "Same man, different face. I suppose it's another form of reincarnation. The idea of reincarnation may have been based off of a Time Lord's ability to regenerate, seeing how Time Lords came first. Hm…never actually thought of that before, I'll have to look into it." He turned his attention back onto the drawing. "Now, it is very possible that this is a future version of me." His eyes grew slightly dark at this. "I've never heard of this before. People don't normally have the ability to see into the futures of others, let alone Time Lords."

"I don't see the future," I said, digging through my bag now. "I just see images and draw them so I don't forget. Although…I could've sworn I drew that stone angel differently."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes, shifting to the picture of the angel, giving a dry smile. "Ah," he mused, "A Weeping Angel. Whatever is the image of an Angel becomes an Angel. I'm sorry to say, but we should get rid of this."

I frowned. "That's my newest one though," I complained, snatching it from him. "One of my best!" I ran my fingers down the now shown face of the "Weeping Angel", pouting. "I don't wanna ruin this one."

"Really though?" the Doctor said, and I was confused until I realized he had moved on, stuffing the picture of the Angel into his pocket to destroy later. I sighed softly. "Why, of all things, a bowtie?"

I giggled, my sadness at the loss of my art disappearing at the astonished expression on his face. "Maybe it's just your style in this other version of yourself. Now, what happened to going to that other world? Canziar?"

"Right!" The Doctor exclaimed, "Grab anything you know you'll need and let's be off! Canziar is known for its beautiful colors, mostly bright blues and greens and purples. They've got it backwards from Earth, the skies are a middle shaded red and the oceans are yellow! Taste saltier though, wouldn't advise drinking them."

I chuckled, grabbing my bag and leaping to my feet, grimacing as I pulled my ruined phone and tossed it on the bed. "You owe me a new one," I told him, tone scolding as I tossed my headphones on the bed as well. "It's your fault it shattered. Or the screen did at least."

The Doctor smirked slightly to my surprise. "Taking you throughout time and space isn't enough?"

"Nope!" I said cheekily in response, "I need a phone, too."

"Ah, but right now we're going to go explore the planet of Canziar!" He was back to his excited and cheerful self. "Allons-y, Ali! Hm…quite like the sound of that, almost as good as Alonso…"

I raised an eyebrow. What on earth was he talking about?

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

"Welcome to the planet Canziar," the Doctor said cheerfully as he led the way through the busy streets that held more than just human people like me. I was startled by the sheer amount of other species around me. "One of the only planets in the entirety of the universe that isn't entirely dominated by one species specifically but a mixture of many kinds!"

I grinned, looking around. "Wow," I breathed, completely forgetting about the fact that he'd destroyed my drawing not even ten minutes ago. "So many…and to think there are only Martians back on Earth…"

"Ah, yes, the famous Martian," the Doctor said with a snort, rolling his eyes before grabbing my shoulders, steering me towards a massive nearby marketplace. "Come on, there's many different types of food for you to try!"

I made a face at the some of the food I saw people walking by eating, grimacing. "No thanks, I think I'll stick to human Earth food, Doctor. …do they have any of that here?"

"Oh, they've got all sorts of things," the Doctor said in response, grinning as he continued steering me through people, finally pausing in front of a particularly…bright shop. Literally, it seemed to be glowing from the inside and the outside! "One of my personal favorites," he noted. "But humans can't deal with the glow and go blind, even with sunglasses. So we'll head on next door! Quite the good tea if I remember correctly!"

I made a face again. "Think they have sweet tea? Hot tea tastes…weird."

The Doctor gave her a shocked look. "What's wrong with you?" he said with a look of horror. "Sweet tea? Ugh!"

I giggled at his expression, winking. "I don't know about you Londoners," I said, allowing a southern drawl to replace my slowly forming British accent. "But where I'm from, regular tea is a little too…hot."

"Ah, from the south in the United States, hm?" the Doctor mused. "Which state, may I ask?"

I grinned, letting my old southern accent return to my regular one. "Texas. Now, how about that sweet tea? You can get whatever weird food you want, but do they have any sweet tea?"

"Of course they have sweet tea," the Doctor said, a slightly crooked grin on his face as he ran his fingers through his hair. I couldn't help but return the grin with a smile of my own, amused. "They have a special human shop, it's around here somewhere."

We wondered through the streets, and I curiously inspected different people and creatures that went or rode by. There was a woman with long tentacles for hair that shifted and wrapped around her waist to avoid being caught on different things. A man with light blue skin and fangs riding a lumbering buffalo like beast past us. We had just passed a cat woman when the Doctor announced our arrival to the human restaurant, opening the door from me.

"The Bella Luna," the Doctor mused. "It's an Italian restaurant. Means "Lovely Moon" or "Beautiful Moon" or "Pretty Moon" or –well, you get the gist. Has fairly good pizza, I will admit. Nobody comes here either, so no wait. It's owned by a pair of Italians who were sent into the past on a different planet by a Weeping Angel."

"Thing I drew and you destroyed?" I questioned.

He nodded. "Yes, that's what sent them here. Good, solid pair. Haven't argued once."

Suddenly, a pretty young woman with blonde hair and green eyes along with skin that started at the top of her head as a pale snowy white and ended as a deep shade of green at her feet. She wore a pretty white dress that matched her perfectly. "How can we help you, sir?"

"Do you sell tea?" the Doctor questioned.

"What kind, sir?" she asked, tilting her head. I narrowed my eyes when she shot me a scoffing look, as if disgusted that someone that looked like I did could exist. Immediately, I knew I didn't like her. "We have tea from many different places."

"Do you have Earth tea?"

"We have Earth tea," the girl confirmed. "What kind would you like?"

"One sweet tea, and one good old hot British tea," the Doctor answered with a grin, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his trench coat, rocking back onto his heels. "To go please, we're travelers and just got here. Doing a bit of exploring."

"Of course, sir," the girl purred in response, beaming at him before slinking off to get our order.

As soon as she had gone, I crossed my arms, scowling after her. "She didn't even notice me!" I complained to the Doctor, who looked over at me.

"The Kirakiin," the Doctor mused, "A race made mostly of women that rely on a few plants to live. A male Kirakiin is born once every year, so the race is fairly…attentive."

"And that one," I retorted, jerking my thumb in the direction the Kirakiin had gone, "Was paying fairly close attention to you."

He looked bewildered. "Was she?"

I groaned. "You," I sighed, "are utterly blind."

The Kirakiin soon returned, holding two drinks in her hand, offering one to me with a glare and then offering the other, steaming drink to my fellow "traveler". "Thank you for purchasing here, sir," the Kirakiin purred, and the Doctor blinked, looking startled. He hadn't believed me about it. I snorted, turning towards the door and snapping, "Come on, Doctor, we're going to go look around at the shops and stuff, remember?"

He dug in his pockets, stuffing a strange coin into the Kirakiin's hand before nodding a farewell to her and following me outside. "Impatient to look around are we?"

I sighed, slapping my palm to my forehead. "Idiot," I mumbled, "Now, where are we going first? There's a nice looking shop over there."

The Doctor frowned, and then peered over at the shop I'd indicated, silently nodding his agreement. "Bought some stuff there once, came in handy a few days later."

"What kind of stuff?" I said, tilting my head as I ducked past a person that bustled past us, curious. "And what did you use it for."

"Oh, just a few bits of this and that and…stuff." His gaze darkened slightly. "As for using it, that's not something I like to talk about."

"Then I won't ask," I said quickly. "Sorry." Hoping to change the subject, I blinked, peering curiously up at something in the window. "Hey. That's like the Earth floating around my room in the TARDIS."

"Souvenirs," the Doctor explained with a bright smile. "Have one on almost every planet. The TARDIS gave you a limited edition of Earth. Perhaps she thinks you should start collecting one from every planet that isn't Earth that we visit!"

"Just curious," I said faintly, frowning. "How many planets are there?"

"More than you could possibly imagine," the Doctor answered with a smile. "Even I haven't visited all of them quite yet. I've been working on it for years though. So. Want the floating Canziar?"

"We don't have any money," I sighed. "I doubt they'll take any of the money I have…"

"Sure they will," the Doctor replied, "Let's see…six credits? Give me what money you have…" I did as he asked and he began counting out some before handing the rest back, keeping what he had counted out. "Perfect. This should be enough, stay here, I'll be right back!"

When he ducked inside, I smiled slightly, amused, and leaned back against the building to wait for him. While I waited, I looked around in awe again, my eyes softening at all of the people and shops. This was incredible, a chance of a lifetime to be able to come to places like this. I still wasn't sure if it was a dream or not. After all, all of my drawings had turned out to be dreams! What if I was just in a coma or something, dreaming of events that would never happen, just so that I could end up having to draw them all? I sighed unhappily at the thought. That wouldn't be any good…

"Miss?"

I raised my head, startled at the deep voice. I was even more startled when I discovered that a man had stopped, standing before me with an easy going smile on his face, which were covered in small spikes, a golden color. "I…uh…what…um…can I help you?" I finally asked, nervousness making my face flush.

"No, but I was wondering," he replied, cocking his head to the side. I glanced over my shoulder, desperately wanting the Doctor to come back out. I don't know what to do! "Why you are all alone now? I thought that I saw someone with you?"

"There was and there still is," I replied, feeling slightly uneasy about the spiky faced man's questions. "My friend is just inside, purchasing something for me since I didn't want to go inside and miss the nice weather. Is there something I can help you with?"

The man glanced over his shoulder and I immediately prepared to backhand him. But I was saved when the Doctor appeared again, his gaze darkened with a slightly over furious look. "Hello, I believe we have met before?"

"Doctor," the man hissed immediately, recoiling back. He glared at me viciously before turning and vanishing into the crowd.

I shoved my hand through my hair, glancing anxiously at the Doctor with an apologetic look on my face. "I-I didn't…" I stammered, uncertain of what to say when he turned his furious look on me.

But it disappeared in an instant, a smile returning to his face, though it seemed slightly strained. "Oh, wasn't your fault. Forgot to mention that there are a lot of kidnappings in places like this. That was one of the species behind most of it; seem to be intent on having you for some fun. Now, got your little Canziar replica, shall we go back to the TARDIS? Yes? Good, let's go before someone decides to take you right out from under my nose."

I snorted, slightly relieved that I wasn't the one being blamed for what had almost happened. I took the small souvenir he handed me, beaming at the planet that tugged at my grip, fighting to float. "Thanks," I told him gratefully.

"Ah, don't mention it," the Doctor replied cheerfully. "To the TARDIS!" And with that, he was leading me intently through the crowds of the people to where the comforting blue police box awaited for us. As we reached it, I ran my fingers across the old looking blue wood that was the outside of the TARDIS. It hummed happily in my head.

"Doctor?" I asked suddenly, curious.

"Yes?" He called from where he was already messing with the controls within the TARDIS. "What are you doing just hanging around there? Come on, places to go, people to see!"

"I was just wondering," I said slowly as I leaned against the doorway of the TARDIS, resting my head against the old wood. "Why a police box?"

"Chameleon circuit got stuck, used to be able to disguise itself anywhere it went. I quite like the police box form though, possibly my favorite. Yes, most definitely my favorite. Easy to find, easy to see if you can see through the perception filter. Best ship in the universe, only one able to go through both space and time, only one able to go through time at that! Other than vortex manipulators and such as well! Bothersome, they are, have to disable them with my sonic each and every time I find one, particularly with Jack-"

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head as the Doctor continued to babble about things I didn't understand and didn't really want to understand. "Doctor," I finally interrupted when he somehow got himself into a conversation with himself about sonic screwdrivers and their effects on vortex manipulators (whatever the hell that was). "I don't understand a single thing you're saying."

He almost seemed to pout as he shoved a hand through his styled hair. "Oh well," he sighed, "No matter, my technobabble does get out of hand sometimes, so sorry about that. Are you coming in or not?"

"I'm coming, chill out," I muttered, sticking my tongue out at him. He grinned back. I stepped inside, but just as I was about to close the door, a hand closed around my wrist. I cried out in surprise as I was jerked from the inside of the TARDIS and the Doctor immediately whirled around, darting over. "Ali!"

I was startled into silence as the hand released me, and I whipped around, my pounding heart calming down as I realized it was just a woman with tears rolling down her cheeks. "Help," she whispered to me, "Please, Successor, please, you and the Doctor have got to help me! Please!" She gave a broken sob as the Doctor appeared, looking relieved that I was just outside.

"You alright?" He asked. I nodded and we turned our attention on the woman. "What's wrong?"

The woman, one that would've looked human if she didn't have slit-like pupils and a forked tongue that made her hiss with ever sound, gave another sob. "They took my daughter," she cried, "They took her right out of my hands! Please, you've got to save her! She's all I have!"

I was startled by her crying and sob. I gently touched her arm, soothing, "Calm down, miss. We'll get her back for you. Why don't you tell us your name?"

"Katherina," she whimpered, turning her watery, pleading eyes onto the Doctor. "You'll help, right? Please! Please, Doctor!"

The Doctor studied her, and then nodded slowly before asking, "Just curious, how do you know of my name, Katherina?"

"You saved my planet thousands of years ago," Katherina replied. I blinked in surprise at this. "I grew up with stories about you, stories I've shared with my daughter…" she burst into tears again.

"Hey," I murmured, gently hugging the woman. "Why don't you tell us what happened?"

"Yes!" The Doctor agreed immediately, closing and locking the TARDIS doors behind him. He leaned against the wood like I had earlier. "Tell us what happened!"

Katherina fiddled with her hands, her eyes mournful. "I brought my daughter out to the market today to purchase some items she wanted to get for her brother for his living day (the boy's birthday, my ever knowledgeable Time Lord companion would eventually tell me). I told her to stay close because it was so busy…but she was taken, right in front of me. They just grabbed her, and I'll never see her again!"

"Who are they?" I asked patiently, studying her carefully.

"Yes, tell us who they would be," the Doctor agreed, "I can figure out what they might want, what they could possibly need with your daughter and any other person they may have taken, what they may have done with her, and what I can use to get her back."

"The Zaraux took her," Katherina answered, biting her lip.

I blinked in confusion, testing out the name. "Zaraux? That's a…interesting name. What are they?"

"The man that tried to grab you earlier," the Doctor answered me, and then said gravely, "We'll have to figure out where they're hiding the girls first. That could take weeks…"

The TARDIS hummed as I moved over to touch the wood, closing my eyes and focusing on my thoughts. It hit me, and I turned to the Doctor, a determined look set on my face. "I have an idea."

"No," the Doctor replied without looking at me.

"I didn't even tell you what it is!" I cried.

"No, you're not going to let yourself get grabbed and kidnapped and no, you cannot come with when I go searching, you will be staying here."

"Please?" I pleaded, touching his arm. He finally glanced at me, and I felt my expression soften. "Doctor, I'll be careful. Please. By the time you find them, it could be too late. Get me a way to communicate with you, make one. I can let you know where to go and what's happening at any second of the time. Trust me."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "No, Ali," he said, his tone final. "I've had this happen before with another companion, and it's not going to happen with you. You will stay in the TARDIS and monitor her."

I glared at him. "I want to help!"

"And you will! By watching the TARDIS and making sure she's still awake while we're out searching!" the Doctor snapped back. "I'll get you a communicator, just like you said, and you can keep me updated on the TARDIS. Katherina can stay to keep you company."

"Doctor!"

"I'm not," he said with a sharp tone, "listening to anything you have to say about this subject. You agreed to come with me, Alissa Levine-" Ouch. Full name. "-And you're going to listen to me and stay in the TARDIS!"

I glared at him for a few moments, and then huffed. I crossed my arms, turning and stalking over to the lock, which I caressed with gentle fingers. To my surprise, it clicked open. I didn't have the key! Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, I shot him a final angry look before storming into the TARDIS.

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

It wasn't long before Katherina had joined me in the TARDIS, her slit eyes gleaming anxiously. "The Doctor will save my daughter, won't he?" she fretted for the fifty millionth time.

"Yes," I gritted out, "He'll do his best. He can't guarantee anything. Remember?"

"I know," Katherina admitted. "I'm worried for her. She's only nine years old, a mere girl. She needs me. She must be scared…how can a child not be scared when their mother can't help?"

An image flashed before my mind. Screaming and crying, the smell of food. A familiar restaurant. Then it vanished.

"My Girl," a voice, the one I had now dubbed as THE Voice, whimpered in my head. "You are not alone, My Thief is not alone, and the girl is not alone. Go. She cries."

I looked around me in surprise.

The Voice had shown me what I needed to see.

"I'm going out," I declared suddenly, shooting to my feet. Katherina scrambled after me as I headed to the corridor, calling to the TARDIS, "Do me a favor, and give me whatever weapons you can…preferably small guns and throwing knives!"

The TARDIS hummed, the rooms shifting before my eyes until I stood before a door. I pushed it open, ducking in with Katherina behind me. "The Doctor," she protested.

"He doesn't know where she is," I scoffed. "I do. I know where to find your daughter. I want you to keep an eye on the screen out in the control room. If the Doctor contacts you, tell him I'm just sulking in my room, alright?"

Katherina bit her lip. "But, Successor-"

"What does that mean?" I asked, interrupting her with a soft tone. "The Successor?" I loaded up on two pistols, a strange laser gun I tried out on a wall, and a couple dozen throwing knives.

What? I liked my knives. And I needed to protect myself!

"That is what we call you, the Doctor's true companion," Katherina answered, "The Successor."

"So it's just a name?"

"Yes. Just a name."

I smiled. "Good. Now, remember what I said," I told her, taking her back to the control room. I hid my weapons beneath my jacket, heading for the doors. "I'll be back with Selentha soon." With that, I stepped out of the TARDIS.

Screw what the Doctor thought about me needing to stay in the TARDIS.

That woman's family was more important than me.

After all, I knew how it felt to have nobody left.

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

A/N: AND…the second chapter! I had fun with it actually! :3 Kind of disappointed, I will admit, that there have been no reviews, but I'm not going to give up! Hope you enjoyed! And I certainly hope I got the Doctor's personality okay…