CHAPTER 43
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THE EIGHT CLARAS PART 1
Cydonia was alone in the Console Room of Rose's TARDIS while Rose was off on yet another adventure with the Doctor. She came here alone sometimes to sit and watch television whenever Rose, Shareen, and Gwyneth were gone.
It was when she was alone like this that she would sit and think about the past and wonder if she really wanted to be here or not. She liked traveling with Rose again because she was one of her oldest, dearest friends, but she couldn't see being here forever.
She wanted to do something more with her life. Something that would make up for her role in the Time War where all she had done was cause nothing but destruction. That wasn't her, and that wasn't how she wanted to be remembered. She wanted to do more. So much more.
Then almost as if in answer to her unspoken plea, Oswin, Clara, and John Harkness suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.
"Hey! What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining. Anything's better than having to sit here and watch more mindless reality shows. So do you have an exciting adventure that I can go on? Please say yes," Cydonia said.
"Well, someone certainly sounds desperate. Maybe you didn't need me to come along after all, Sis. I think she'll jump at your offer," Clara said.
"Hey! I wanted to take this slow. You'll scare her off," Oswin hissed.
"What are you two going on about?" Cydonia asked in confusion.
"Let me cut to the chase for you since those two would probably sit here and talk your ear off for an hour because they're afraid of asking you directly, and I'm really impatient to get back to my date. Clara's here to ask you to share the duties of the Gold Guardian with her so she can actually have a life sometime this century and so can I," John said.
"Clara? Oh, you mean Oswin. I thought maybe Clara suddenly got promoted or something," Cydonia said with a grin.
"No, I definitely don't want the job. Not that it's not a good job. It's a great job," Clara said.
"You are so terrified she's going to ask you, aren't you?" Cydonia said laughing.
"You know me so well," Clara said.
"I should. I've only known you for hundreds of years," Cydonia said.
"It's so strange, isn't it? I talk to the past you every day, and it's all happening to me in real time. You know every conversation that we're ever going to have though. You know everything that's ever going to happen to me. You probably even know how I . . . how I . . ." Clara said suddenly becoming quiet.
"Well, this suddenly became a downer real quick, didn't it?" Oswin said as she tried to lighten up the mood.
"Sorry. It's the first time I've ever really allowed myself to think about it," Clara said sounding depressed.
Oswin smiled at her and put a comforting arm around her as she said, "Don't worry about that. That's far, far into the future for you, sweetie. Trust me."
"How do you know that?" Clara asked as Cydonia looked at her questioningly as well.
"I have access to the Dalek Net, and the Daleks know a lot about the future, Clara. I'm also a Guardian so that gives me a little insight into it too. I can't say any more than that though. Sorry," Oswin said.
"I'll take it. I'll take the job," Cydonia suddenly said.
"What?" Oswin asked surprised at her quick answer.
"I said I'll take the job and whatever power you're willing to give me," Cydonia said.
"Just like that?" Oswin asked
"Yeah. I've wanted to do something more with my life for some time now. Clara's not the only one who's been just a tad depressed about her future today," Cydonia said.
"Maybe it's a Clara thing because I've been feeling the same way myself. I never get to do anything that I want to do anymore, and that's why I wanted you to share my Guardian duties with me. Are you really sure that you want the job?" Oswin asked.
"Definitely. I want to do something meaningful, and I want to make up for the war. This seems to be a good way to do both," Cydonia said.
"Hold out your hands then," Oswin said.
She grabbed both of Cydonia's hands in hers, and a golden glow suddenly covered both of them as she transferred part of her power to her. Cydonia smiled and laughed with jubilation as soon as she received her new powers.
She suddenly realized that this was meant to happen. She was always headed towards this her whole life. Everything she had ever done had just been a dress rehearsal for this. She had always been meant to share the power and responsibility of the Gold Guardian with her sister. That was why she was here. It was why she had survived the war when so many others hadn't.
"Are you okay, Cy?" Clara asked.
"I'm perfect. Just perfect," Cydonia said still smiling from ear to ear.
"To think I was worried that she'd turn me down," Oswin said as she put her arms around John.
"It looks like you lucked out, Clara. I'm glad too because I've really been feeling neglected lately," John said as he began to do a fake pout.
"I'll just have to fix that then, won't I?" Oswin said as she kissed him.
Clara meanwhile was still worried about Cydonia. She was smiling just a little too much.
"I'm fine. Stop giving me the troubled look. I'm just happy, Clara. I'm happy for the first time in a very long time. I feel like my old self again. In fact, since I feel like the old me why don't I do something to reflect that," Cydonia said.
She used her new power to quickly change her appearance, and now Clara gasped as she looked just like her first incarnation again. In other words, she looked just like Clara and Oswin once more.
"I've really missed this old face even if I was just a little bit too short in this body," Cydonia said.
"Well, at least we're all proper looking Claras once again," Oswin said laughing.
"Now the Latimer kids are really going to be confused, aren't they?" John said.
"The Latimers?" Cydonia asked.
Then she suddenly knew with her new power that Miss Montague had returned. She began to smile again. She had another Clara to talk to!
"It's pretty cool, isn't it? It's like being a part of a very special club," Oswin said grinning.
"Would it be cheating for me to have improper thoughts about being with so many Claras at once?" John said joking.
"Yes, it would. I don't care if they all look like me. I'm the only me that you should be having any kind of thoughts about, improper or otherwise," Oswin insisted.
"I agree with that," Clara said looking very uncomfortable.
"I was joking," John said holding his hands up in surrender.
"I know. That's why you're still alive," Oswin said with an evil grin.
"You really are the Empress of the Daleks, aren't you?" John said as he kissed her.
"Oh, yes, and I'm just as deadly as they are if you cross me. Don't ever forget that," Oswin said smiling in order to show that she wasn't being serious.
"Oh, I like it when you threaten me. Do it again," John said.
"Okay. I'll exterminate you if you so much as even look at one of my sisters the wrong way, got it?" Oswin said kissing him.
"I like it. Just don't say things like that around Epsilon. He's liable to actually shoot me and claim that he thought you were giving him an order," John said.
"Yeah, he probably would," Oswin said laughing as she kissed him again.
Clara looked away with a grimace as she said, "Can we go to the nineteenth century now before I lose my lunch? I've done that enough recently when I had that stomach virus. I'm trying to keep my food down these days."
Oswin laughed as she said, "Jealous, Clara?"
Clara smiled as she said, "No, I'm happy for you. I really am."
"Thanks," Oswin said smiling back at her.
"I just don't want to see you two making out especially not when you're using my face. Well, I know it was your face first, but well, you know what I mean. I'm rambling, aren't I?" Clara said sighing.
"Definitely. I think maybe you need to come traveling with me a little more often, Sis. The Doctor's corrupting you. If you don't watch out, you'll wind up wearing bow ties and talking about how clever you are," Oswin said.
"If I ever start doing that, you have my permission to have your Daleks shoot me and put me out of my misery," Clara joked.
"Let's go before I have to hold you to that," Oswin said.
The four of them soon left and arrived at the Latimers' new household. Everyone was gone for the moment as the family had gone off on vacation, but Miss Montague, who had been hired on as the new governess and housekeeper, was still there and let them all in immediately.
"It's so nice to know that you're okay. You are okay, aren't you? I know I'm not so sure I'd like being a Dalek puppet," Clara said as she gave Miss Montague a quick hug.
"No, I'm fine. I really don't feel any different now than when I was alive. I could easily forget that I'm still dead," Miss Montague said.
"That's not creepy at all," Cydonia said shivering.
"No, it's not like that. What I mean is I feel normal. I don't feel odd or off in any way whatsoever. The only way you can tell is that I don't have a heartbeat," Miss Montague said.
"Plus you kind of look pale," Clara said.
"It's kind of like being Zombie Clara, isn't it?" John joked.
"If that's true, then I'm a nice friendly zombie. I don't eat brains. I don't eat anything as a matter of fact," Miss Montague said with a grin.
"Well, I guess that's one way to keep from gaining weight," Clara said.
"I certainly wouldn't want to go that far though," Cydonia said.
"I'm fine. I promise," Miss Montague said.
"Are you sure? I know that a lot of the Dalek puppets seem to have psychological and emotional problems from time to time. I'm trying to help them the best that I can but what's been done to them has deeply affected them. If you have any problems at all, you can always contact me anytime," Oswin said with concern.
"I really am fine. Stop worrying and beating yourself up over it," Miss Montague said.
"Alright. Well, what do we call you anyway? Miss Montague is a bit too formal for our crowd," Oswin said.
"How about Zombie Clara? Or maybe FrankenClara? Clarula?" John said with amusement.
Four Claras glared at him at once as he said, "What? I thought it was funny."
"How about Clara Oswin?" Miss Montague suggested.
"It could be confusing. I'm Oswin and she's Clara. Well, we're all Clara, but you get my point. How about Nina instead?" Oswin suggested with a mischievous grin.
Miss Montague looked at her oddly for a moment and then smiled as she said, "I like it. I always fancied that name. I'm Nina. Nina Montague. Francesca and Digby's adopted parents have been asking me for a first name for some time now, and I can't use my old one since that woman's dead so that one will do just fine."
"You're goofy. Did you know that?" Clara said as she shook her head at Oswin.
"Who is Nina?" John asked with sudden interest.
"No one. No one you need to know about anyway," Oswin said mysteriously.
"Now I really want to know. Who is she?" John asked because her comment had made him start to worry.
"No one special. I promise," Oswin said with an earnest tone to her voice.
John accepted that for now but resolved to ask her again about her later.
"So now that I've taken you two to meet Nina and I've transferred about two thirds of my powers and responsibilities as a Guardian to Cydonia, I'd really like to finish my date with John if that's alright. I'll send you two home, and then we'll leave you alone, Nina. I'm sure you want us to get out of your hair anyway," Oswin said.
"Will you be coming back sometime? I've really enjoyed getting to meet all of you," Nina said.
"We'll be back I promise. It seems like we're always having crossovers between all of us of some kind or another. It's almost as if the universe just can't stand to leave us apart for too long for some reason. Maybe it's afraid we'll get into too much trouble on our own," Oswin said.
"I can talk to you too if you want me to," Clara said.
"What?" Nina asked.
"I have a mental link with all of the other mes. I use it to talk to them even when I'm back in my own time. Don't get shocked if I suddenly start talking to you out of the blue someday. You're not mad. That's just me," Clara said smiling.
"Well, whether I'm mad or not is debatable, but at least I'll know I'm not hearing voices anyway," Nina said smiling back at her.
Just as they all started to leave though, they suddenly heard the thumping sounds of heavy footsteps slowly coming towards them. Oswin's heart sank as she instantly recognized what was making the sounds and so did Clara and Cydonia. They all immediately tensed up ready for anything as Nina asked in fear, "What is it?"
Her question was answered in the very next instant as several Cybermen suddenly appeared out of nowhere and quickly surrounded them in all directions. The Cybermen slowly lumbered towards them until they were within five feet of them, and then they suddenly stopped.
Oswin looked at them in confusion and wondered what they were waiting on until she saw them all part and make way for someone else who began slowly walking towards them. It was an older brunette woman in a long red dress that reached all the way to the ground but that looked out of style even in this time period. She was carrying an equally red umbrella with her and held it fully open over her head even though it wasn't raining as she walked toward her with a sinister smile on her face.
"Hello. I'm sure you have plenty of questions about what's going on here and exactly who I am. This is the first time that we've ever met after all, and you know absolutely nothing about me. I know quite a bit about you though. I've been learning a lot about you, Oswin Oswald," the woman in the red dress said as she smiled at Oswin like a shark looking at its next meal.
"Who are you and why haven't the Cybermen converted you?" Oswin asked suspicious.
"Oh, but they have converted me. A long time ago as a matter of fact. My name is Mercy Hartigan, and I am the CyberKing. I am the new supreme leader of the Cybermen," Mercy said.
"Nonsense. The Cybermen don't let anyone stay unconverted, and you don't act anything like any Cyberman I ever met," Oswin said.
"I have a strong will, Miss Oswald, and that kept me from being fully converted either mentally or physically. Not that it mattered in the end. I was still defeated by the Doctor as he destroyed me and my Cybermen before we could take over the world in 1851. Or at least he thought he had. My consciousness was actually stored in the Cyberiad, our version of your Dalek Net, and preserved there until the Cybermen might have need of me once more. Now is that time apparently. I suppose they decided that since the Dalek Empress was a human female who also enjoyed wearing red that I was just a natural choice to bring back as their new leader in order to combat you. I have to say though that I definitely have more style than you do, and I'm much better looking," Mercy said grinning evilly.
"I hate her already," Oswin muttered.
Mr. Thanatos and Marie suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked Mercy with their fists. To their complete surprise though, both of their hands went right through her.
"Interesting. The two of you were cloaked from my senses so thoroughly that neither I or my Cybermen detected either of you. You're very good, Miss Oswald. Very good indeed. I'm not so bad myself though as you've now noticed. What you see here before you is a hologram based on my original form that is being projected through my Cybermen from the Cyberiad itself where my consciousness is still being housed. I'm not actually here at all, but I thought it was only proper that I make some kind of appearance so that you know exactly who it is that you're dealing with now," Mercy said.
"What are you doing here? What is it that you want?" Oswin asked.
"I'd say that's pretty obvious. I want you. I'm going to kill you and leave your Daleks completely at my, ahem, mercy. I love a good pun. Now do be a dear and die for me, won't you? Destroy her and all of her friends!" Mercy ordered the Cybermen.
As the Cybermen started forward though, they suddenly stopped in their tracks as one of them said, "Incoming temporal energy traces detected."
Suddenly to Oswin's surprise, more Claras suddenly appeared out of nowhere to stand beside her. Some of them she knew, and some of them she didn't.
"What's going on?" Oswin asked.
"I think I did it. I was wishing that we had some help, and then I felt strange like I had done something. Suddenly these other Claras are here. Sorry," Cydonia said apologetically.
"Maybe it was a bad idea to give you my power after all at least not without some training first," Oswin said sighing.
"What is going on? Where am I?" one of the Claras asked.
"I know you, right? You're the Clara from the world where you're in love with the Doctor?" Clara asked.
"That's right. I thought you looked familiar. Well, besides for the obvious reason of course," the alternate Clara said.
"I don't know any of you, but I can sense that this is an alternate universe for me too. This is a universe where I was not made as a human receptacle for the consciousness of the TARDIS. Lucky you! I have to hear Idris in my head all of the time since in a way I am her," Clara Idris said.
"You're the Old Cow and me at the same time?! You poor, poor girl!" Clara said shuddering.
"Clara Prime? How did I get here, and how do I get back?" the echo of Clara from the year 2140 that Clara called Jenna said in fear.
"It's alright Jenna. It's going to be okay. Don't worry," Clara reassured her.
"Who is this? Cleopatra Clara?" John asked as he looked at the fourth and last new Clara in bewilderment.
"I am the Princess Claranamon, sir. I ask you to address me as such and show me the proper respect. I will not let even someone as handsome as you to get away with mocking me," Claranamon said as she winked at him even though she was pretending to be angry.
"He's mine," Oswin said quickly.
"We shall see," Claranamon said smiling seductively at John.
"Normally, I'd be loving this, but I'm going steady now so no thanks," John said.
"You may change your mind once you get to know me better, sir," Claranamon said winking at him again.
"If you do that again, I'll make sure that eye stays closed," Oswin threatened.
"If you would please tear your eyes away from Mr. Handsome over there, then you would all realize that it doesn't matter how many of you that you bring here to help you. The results will still be the same. I will kill each and every one of you and finally wipe you all from the face of reality forever! No more stalling. Kill them all! Make sure that you get each and every one!" Mercy shouted in anger as the Cybermen started forward yet again.
"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that she's not a big fan of you Claras," John said as he pulled out a huge blaster and began firing on the Cybermen with it.
"I'm so sorry, John. Even now our dates just keep getting interrupted," Oswin said upset as she fired on them with her gauntlets.
"It's not your fault, honey. It's just the kind of life you lead. I understand," John said as he took her hand, and they both fired on the Cybermen together in unison.
Oswin smiled at him as she said, "Well, at least I got you to start calling me honey out of it. I can't believe that you put up with me, Mr. Harkness. I'm just so much trouble."
"Yeah, you are, but you're totally worth it. Where else would I find someone else as crazy as I am and even better looking?" John said grinning as he destroyed a Cyberman with a well-placed headshot that was getting just a little too close to Oswin from behind her.
"I don't know whether to be insulted or flattered. I'll side with flattered," Oswin said as she kissed John while destroyed several Cybermen at once with her gauntlets while her eyes were closed.
"I'd almost rather be converted than to watch much more of this," Clara said with a sigh.
"I would have to agree. It is most sickening," Claranamon said.
"Don't pay any attention to them. They're just jealous," Oswin said as she kissed John again.
Then the time for kissing was suddenly over with as more and more Cybermen were suddenly transmatted in, and they were quickly inundated with them everywhere. Oswin suddenly knew that this was serious, and she decided to call in the big boys.
Seconds later, the skies were filled with Dalek saucers, and a huge army of Daleks flew towards the Cybermen led by Dalek Epsilon who shouted, "PROTECT THE EMPRESS! WIPE THESE PESTS FROM THE FACE OF THIS WORLD, AND SHOW THEM THE TRUE POWER OF THE DALEKS! EXTERMINATE THEM!"
"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!" the Daleks cried out in a chorus.
The entire area was torn apart by the fighting between the two forces as John said, "I'm still counting this as a date and I don't care."
"Of course it's a date, sweetheart. You certainly can't complain that I don't show you a good time, can you?" Oswin said laughing.
"No, I definitely can't complain about that. I'm just glad that they're not firing on me. Again," John said.
"Just wait. The day's not over yet," Oswin joked.
"If I marry you, do I get to be Emperor of the Daleks?" John asked.
"Was that a proposal?" Oswin asked suddenly serious.
"You'll just have to wait until after this fight to find out," John said.
Oswin kissed him passionately and then said, "That's it. These Cybermen are all toast!"
"I thought that might get you motivated!" John said laughing.
"You'd better not be kidding around, Harkness, or you'll feel my wrath next!" Oswin said as she pretended to be angry at him.
"You'll see," John said still grinning enigmatically.
Now Oswin couldn't help but wonder if he was being truthful or not. Sometimes even she still couldn't tell. She was just going to have to survive this and find out.
No big deal. It was only a massive fire fight between the Daleks and the Cybermen. That's all. She'd seen worse.
Like that time that the Doctor made both Lily Wright and Jackie Tyler mad at the same time. Now that was a bloodbath! This was like a schoolyard brawl in comparison to that mess.
Next: It's the Daleks vs. the Cybermen for the lives of Oswin, John, and seven other Claras! Who will win the day and what roles will the eight Claras play in this battle's resolution. Plus what did John really mean? Is this it? Is John really going to propose, and what will Oswin's answer be if he does?