~~OO~~II~~OO~~
((Maarzik))
~~OO~~II~~OO~~
I pursed my lips; my pencil pausing over the paper as I silently contemplated what I was going to draw. No great and wonderful ideas had recently popped into my mind. The Doctor had been strangely quiet as of late. We'd gone to a small, quiet planet, and then gone to visit with Bre again, leaving me there while he went to visit an old friend of his from long ago. I'd been left for a few days, and it had been a great relief when he'd shown back up.
Someone suddenly knocked on the door and I raised my gaze to glance at it. "Why are you knocking?" I asked with a yawn. "It's your ship as you've liked to point out time after time. Just come in."
The Doctor grinned as he ducked inside and I knew immediately that he was in a much better mood then he had been lately. Feeling slightly relieved, I set aside my sketchbook and asked, "Alright, you, what do you want?" I asked teasingly, smiling.
He threw himself down onto the bed beside me, and Clave hissed in annoyance as his entire face glowing with excitement as he dug in his pocket, and then tossed me his psychic paper. "Look at it," he instructed, and I did as told, startled at what I saw.
It is time we talked.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
I cocked an eyebrow, handing it back as I glanced questioningly at the Doctor. He laughed, running his fingers through his spiked hair and I glared at him. Come on, who didn't want to touch his hair? "The Face of Boh," he explained. "One of the oldest things in the universe, far older than I am. Millions of years old. Fascinating creature. I think you'll like him, especially since he has something rather important to say to us."
"I wonder what," I murmured thoughtfully, reaching over and plucking a hair tie off of the nightstand beside my bed. I carefully braided my thick hair into plaits as quickly as I could, then brushed my bangs out of my face and stood up. "So where are we going?"
"The planet of Maarzik," the Doctor answered, hopping up and waiting patiently for me to gather everything for my bag. I shouldered it and he led the way out of my room and into the control room of the TARDIS, which hummed happily. "I've already moved us there. I just need to fix something really fast and we can get going."
I grinned. "I see how it is; don't ask for my permission before leaving our previous location, huh?" He shot me a pout and I rolled my eyes playfully. "I'm kidding, I'll just wait here."
A few minutes later, we were slipping outside after I had told Clave to stay and guard the TARDIS. The Doctor paused to quickly lock the doors, the TARDIS whispering a quick goodbye as he did so, and then we were on our way. He offered his arm and I looped mine through his as we walked. I looked around curiously, gaze roving the massive buildings around us. "…is this one of those healing planets?"
The Doctor grimaced. "Yes. The Face of Boh has a liking for hospitals, I suppose. I find myself meeting him in them far more than I'd like." He pulled his psychic paper out, examining it before tucking it away again, searching for the building we were supposed to find. "Ah, here we are," he muttered. "This is the building we want." He pulled me through some sliding glass doors and into a massive lobby.
"Hello," a receptionist greeted pleasantly, bowing her head with a smile. "How may one such as I help you?"
"Ah, yes, we're here to see the Face of Boh," the Doctor answered. "He wanted to see us for some reason or another, and we've only just recently arrived."
The receptionist turned away for a moment, quickly typing information into a machine beside her. The screen blinked. "Oh, of course. You are Doctor John Smith and Alissa Levine, no? Go on and go to him. He has been waiting for quite some time."
The Doctor moved to go, but I stopped him, curious. "Just how long has he been waiting on us?"
"Why, a few days," she answered truthfully, pursing her lips and casting us an amused look. "He was in a particularly good mood this morning and told us to be patient. He thought that it might perhaps take more than just a few days for you two to arrive."
My cheeks flushed red and I pushed the Doctor, who had pouted, in the direction of the elevator thing she had pointed out. "Ugh, you really need to remember what time things are sent to you," I complained, shaking my head in amusement as we stepped into the blindingly white elevator. The Doctor checked the psychic paper and pressed correct buttons, and then we were moving up.
"I do check what time things are sent to me," the Doctor told me as we waited for the elevator to reach our destination. "I just…forget sometimes."
"The Time Lord with every bit of information ever created within his head forgets what time something is sent to him," I muttered sarcastically, shaking my head in disbelief and pinching the bridge of my nose.
"I do not have every bit of information ever created within my head," he retorted, "I just know a lot of important things, such as-"
"I don't want to hear it," I sighed. He pouted, looking disappointed and I playfully pushed at him to show I hadn't meant to disappoint him. Show off. I smiled, and then frowned as the elevator continued to go upwards, confused. "Just how high does this thing go, Doctor?"
The Doctor pursed his lips, running his fingers through his hair thoughtfully. "Let's see…these elevators are "special". They go up as well as along different floors to take you to a specific room, which I entered into the information. It'll take us right to the Face of Boh, whose in room two hundred and one on floor one hundred and six. It'll take us another few minutes to get there. Fascinating isn't it?" he said cheerfully.
I rolled my eyes and grinned. Him and his excitement over ridiculous things… "Sure, whatever you say, Doctor." I dug in my bag, and then pulled out my phone, checking it over for a few moments. The Doctor had messed with it the day before. At least, I think it was the day before. It's kind of hard to keep track of time while you're in a time machine. He'd been messing with it and had told me he'd changed it to a special non chargeable battery that gave me service anywhere in space and time.
And he hadn't been joking.
I was texting Drevan from the planet Maarzik in the year who knows what, but definitely not the year I had come from.
Ding.
I lifted my gaze, tucking the phone into my bag as a voice said in a monotone voice, "Take care."
Huh. That lady sounded bored beyond belief. Wonder why.
As soon as the doors slid open, the Doctor gently grabbed my elbow and steered me into the room. Nerves caught their hold on me as we made our way across the room. He hadn't really explained who or what the Face of Boh was, and it worried me. It could be some aggressive alien for all I knew that wanted to kill me, just like any other.
But what I found in my sight startled me.
The Face of Boh was literally a large face. Confused, I merely watched as the Doctor released me, striding over to where it was contained in a large glass case. He crouched beside it, gently resting his hand against the glass that contained the strange being and grinned. "Hello there, been a while since you wanted to talk."
The Face of Boh opened its eyes and turned its old gaze upon the Doctor. "Doctor." It shifted its gaze to me and I felt my eyes widen. "Alissa Levine."
I jumped as it spoke, nervous and the Doctor chuckled, waving me over. I hesitantly picked my way across the floor to stand beside him, uncertain as to why I was so nervous. It was just another alien, and a friend at that from what I could tell. Why was I scared of it? The Doctor tugged me down beside him and I hesitantly settled down, sitting before the Face of Boh on the floor. Definitely the strangest day so far.
"What are you doing here on Maarzik?" The Doctor questioned softly. "Sick again?"
The Face of Boh simply answered, "A small illness that has shown its grip. It is of no concern; it will be dealt with shortly. It is, however, time we spoke together."
"As you said," the Doctor replied, pursing his lips. I could see the curiosity in his eyes. He wanted to ask about what, but refused to do so. I felt my lips twitch in a smile. At least he knew when to keep his mouth shut. "And we're here."
"Yes, you are." The Face of Boh breathed in, obviously thinking and I chewed my lip nervously until the Doctor tugged slightly on my sleeve. I forced myself to stop. I had no reason to be nervous; this was a friend of the Doctor's. An ancient knowing one, but a friend nevertheless. "I wish to speak to you alone, Doctor, and then Alissa. I shall speak with you first."
The Doctor gave a curt nod, climbing to his feet and helping me up. "Go wait over there by the elevators," he murmured, pointing towards the opposite side of the room. "I'll block this off. If you need any help, just call and I'll come over to help, okay?"
I nodded, glanced anxiously at the Face of Boh, and then made my way across the room, settling into a chair that had been placed conveniently beside the doors to the elevator. I propped my feet up on the other chair after moving it and then got comfy, digging in my bag to pull my sketchbook out to draw.
Minutes ticked by as I sketched images out, glancing every now and then up at the Doctor and the Face of Boh, as I'd chosen them as my subject of drawing, having nothing better to draw. The Doctor's face was gentle, much more so than it was usually, but serious at the same time, his eyes gleaming and his tone low. Though I couldn't hear words, I heard their voices.
After a while, I grimaced in pain when a twinge of something tried to sneak into my mind. Frowning, I quickly turned the page, scribbling down images as fast as I could before I forgot what had appeared.
A few moments later, I pulled back to imagine what I had drawn. Two faces. Jack, the Jack we'd left only a few days ago (I think anyways, it really is hard to tell when you're in a time machine), and the Face of Boh before me.
My eyes widened.
Oh. That explained a lot.
The Doctor had, a while back, told me about the strangeness of Jack. He literally couldn't die. So suppose he lived for millions and millions of years…
"Ali?"
I quickly shut my sketchbook, tucking it away as I glanced up at the Doctor, who looked at me curiously, a few feet away. "Sorry," I murmured, "Didn't hear you, I was thinking. What is it?"
"He'd like to talk with you now," the Doctor said simply, waving towards the patiently waiting Face of Boh. He held out a hand and I took it, allowing him to pull me to my feet. His tone was soft as he said, "I don't know what he wants to talk to you about, Ali, but it will be important. Make sure you remember it all, alright?"
I nodded. "Of course, Doctor," I answered, then nervously tucked my bangs behind my ear and started over to the Face of Boh, which watched me silently until I stood before it. I took a deep breath, then smiled faintly, crouching before it and gently touching the glass with my fingertips, much like the Doctor had done not too long ago. "Hello…Jack."
The Face of Boh chuckled, a deep raspy sound. "It has been a long time since I was called that, Alissa Levine. It is nice to hear it once more."
I smiled, relaxing for the first time, now calmer. The nerves I had been feeling disappeared. I was merely with an old friend of the Doctor and me both. "Well, I'll call you that from now on. It's strange seeing you like this, I'm not gonna lie. We saw you a few days ago, you know. The Laxryn. Remember them?"
"The Laxryn Clave attacked," the Face of Boh murmured thoughtfully and I giggled, nodding. "I remember that well. The Doctor was not happy to see me again. He never was in those days."
I smiled gently, pulling my fingers away from the glass that contained him. "What happened to make you like this?" I asked softly.
"Now is neither the time nor the place for that story," he murmured. "For now, I have a much more important subject to discuss with you, Alissa Levine, who is the Successor and true companion to the Doctor."
I immediately caught on, leaning closer, my smile vanishing. "Are you going to tell me what that means? Please tell me you are, I'm tired of not knowing what everyone else knows." I pleaded softly, hopeful. If he could tell me, then I'd have a better chance at how figuring out how everything was working and how everyone knew about me. Then I could fix it.
"Not quite," he answered, gaze gentle yet serious, much as the Doctor had been earlier.
I gave a frustrated sound, crossing my arms with a childish pout. "Come on, this is just prolonging things and making everyone stressed out. Can't you just tell me so that I can stop whatever it means and go back to being as normal as possible with the Doctor?"
"Perhaps, for some reasons, prolonging is for the best," the Face of Boh said gently, his gaze softening. "I gave a warning to the Doctor. And I will give you a warning as well. I warned him that he cannot keep everyone safe, Alissa Levine, and I will warn you that everyone must make decisions, but the decisions you will make are more dangerous than most. One choice will save. The other could have the ability to destroy everything. Choose the correct one, even if it is not what you truly want, Alissa."
My gaze narrowed, and I felt my stomach clench nervously. "And what are the choices? What am I choosing for? Can't you tell me anymore?"
"It is not my place to tell you what these choices are for or what it means for you to be the Successor, Alissa," the Face of Boh murmured. "This is all I can tell you. Make the correct choice, even if you wish differently. Now, you and the Doctor have been told what I wish to tell you. You may leave if you so wish."
I immediately turned away, my head spinning as I made my way over to the Doctor, not hesitating before grabbing his arm and dragging him into the already waiting elevator, as if it had had sensed that it was time to leave. "Ali?" the Doctor questioned, "Ali, what's wrong? What did the Face of Boh tell you? Your hands are shaking."
I glanced down as he plugged in information into the elevator and surely enough; my hands were trembling on his arm. I ripped them away, shoving them into the pockets of my white jacket. Worried, the Doctor gently touched my cheek, but I shook my head, forcing a smile onto my face. "Nothing," I murmured, "The Face of Boh didn't tell me anything. He just wanted to say hello."
~~OO~~II~~OO~~
I pursed my lips, going over information in my head as I lay in my bed. I could hear the Doctor messing around in the control room, and I knew he was worried. As soon as we'd reached the TARDIS, I had gone into my room and hadn't been back out once.
I turned the fez in my hands over, biting my lip. Why couldn't things be simple? Go and help people with problems such as aliens and monsters, like the other companions had been able to do according to the Doctor.
What had the Face of Boh meant that I had to make a correct choice? For what?! Warnings were useless if you didn't know what they meant! I suppose I would learn in the future, like in those damn movies where people have sudden realizations about what they're supposed to do. But if I knew now, then I'd be able to maybe prevent things from going badly…
Clave purred tiredly as he curled up in my hair, his head happily on my throat, his breath warming my chin. I smiled slightly, closing my eyes with a yawn, curling up with my pet
Maybe things would look better in the morning. Or whenever the hell I woke up was. Hopefully, the Doctor would leave me alone until I was ready to deal with his constant questions…
~~OO~~II~~OO~~
Boom!
Screams filled the air. Children screaming. Adults screaming. Boys, girls, women, men, all screaming in fear and pain. I shuddered, whirling around to find the source. But there was none, only flames burning everything around me. Once proud and tall buildings were gone, reduced to ashes that still smoldered dangerously.
I wiped at soot that had stained my cheek, whimpering softly in fear. Where was I? What the hell was going on? Where was Clave? The TARDIS? The Doctor? The fact that he was missing terrified me more than anything. Stuck in a strange place in a fire without him and no idea what to do to get out of this.
"EXTERMINATE!"
I sobbed, whirling around to face whatever it was. But whatever had screamed that word had disappeared already among the flames swirling around me. Tears spilled over and I felt heat sear at me. What was going on!?
Something moved in the corner of my vision and I whirled around to face it. "Help!" I pleaded to the woman that stepped through the flames. "Help me, tell me what's happening. What's going-" I cut off, my eyes snapping wide with fear and shock.
Myself. I was faced with myself. The other version of me's eyes glowed a bright gold. The golden glow swirled brightly around her as tears fell from her face. I recoiled automatically, and then gasped when I found myself pressed against someone, comforting arms wrapping around me.
"You are safe now," a voice whispered in my ears. I automatically squeezed my eyes shut, the fear leaving me. When I opened them again, whoever had me in their grasp and I were surrounded by red and gold. I glanced over my shoulder as the person released me, gasping at the city I saw.
"Welcome to Gallifrey, or what was Gallifrey before it was destroyed." I glanced at the person, and tilted my head in confusion.
It was a woman. Curly brown hair was elegantly arranged around her face and her eyes were a gentle brown flecked with gold. She had a pale complexion and was just a few inches taller than I was. A secretive smile was etched onto her lips and a soft breeze made the strange clothing she wore rustle.
It was only when she gave a happy hum that I guessed who she was.
"…you're the TARDIS," I murmured quietly, my eyes widening in astonishment and my lips parting in a gasp.
"Correct," she murmured, smiling drily. "I am, have been, and always will be the TARDIS. Long ago, when the form I take now was created, there was the problem of creating a soul for a time machine. A unique way that would separate others of my kind from other space ships. And so they asked for those willing to give up their souls. I was among them, for I longed to right the wrongs I had done. Now, almost a thousand years later, I find that I have long since forgotten my name. I am sorry that I cannot give it to you, my Girl."
I smiled gently at her, reassuring. "It doesn't matter. I don't blame you. I'd probably forget my name after a couple hundred years, too."
Her gaze dropped her face filling with sadness. "Oh, my Girl, you still have no knowledge of what has to come. I believe it is time you learned. So I have come to show you….to tell you, really, of what will come in the future." I became hopeful and she laughed. "Yes, my Girl, you will learn of what being the Successor means. Let's start with that, first, shall we? So you pay attention to the rest?
"You are the Successor to me, the TARDIS. You and I are the only two true companions to the Doctor, my precious Thief. And while one lives, the other must die. You have received many clues as to what will happen to you so far, even if you have not realized it."
"Professor," I murmured thoughtfully, "The Laxryn. The Face of Boh."
"Yes," she said gently. "They have warned you. As has the Doctor."
My thoughts went to the fez I'd stolen and I pursed my lips nervously, now no longer sure if I wanted to learn what was supposed to happen. "They've all said such sad things…do I die or something?"
She fell silent and, just as I'd thought earlier, realization hit me. Perhaps, for some reasons, prolonging is for the best. This is what the Face of Boh had meant when we'd spoken.
I was going to die.
I hesitantly dropped to the ground, sitting there. She smiled gently, kneeling beside me and touching my cheek. I met her gaze. "It is not so bad. You are the Successor to me, do you not understand? You are not, in a sense, the one truly dying. I have somehow come across a disease. Not many things can kill me, but I have managed to find one. My soul, this form of me, will die and move on, and your soul will take over. We are the true companions, Alissa, do you not understand? We will never be forced to leave the Doctor as others have. My Thief will forever have us."
I shoved a hand through my hair. "That's not any better!" I said angrily. We sat there in silence for a few moments, and I fought back furious tears. Finally, I choked out, "How long? How long before all of this happens? Before I have to die?"
"A few more months at the most," she answered. Her eyes were grieved. "You don't have to, you know. But…the universe will collapse in on itself if you do not. Everyone will destroy each other because the Doctor will be unable to reach them in time. The Face of Boh warned you of these choices. I will hope you choose the one that you wish to do," she said softly. "I once chose another girl. But the Doctor managed to change it."
"Rose Tyler," I realized.
"Yes, but she has moved on and I had to choose another. You were the one that suited the job best. I'm sorry, my Girl. I wish it did not have to be so." Tears sparkled in her eyes and I smiled reassuringly. "Now. You know what you must do now. You have until the monsters that once showed themselves to you return, my Girl. That is when I will perish and you must take over. Good luck."
I awoke in an instant with a cry, shooting straight up. Clave screeched, toppling out of my bed and hitting the floor with a soft thunk as the TARDIS hummed soothingly in my mind. The fez fell from my grip and onto the floor, landing on Clave's head. In an instant, the Doctor had thrown the door open. "Ali!? What's wrong!?"
My hands shook violently, and I glanced down at them, my breathing coming in harsh gasps. "…nothing," I finally whispered. "Nothing, it was just a nightmare, promise. I'm sorry for scaring you."
He moved over, sitting on the bed beside me and reaching over to reassuringly wrap an arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him, closing my eyes, taking comfort in him.
I'd gotten my wish.
But it wasn't what I wanted.
~~OO~~II~~OO~~
A/N: *squeals* I've been looking forward to writing this chapter for so long! Now everyone finally knows what "the Successor" means! Hope you enjoyed!