The Feast of Fools

Chapter Five: Attempt the Plan

By Lumendea

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any spinoff material, and I gain no income from this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

….

Rose wasn't one for migraines, but the ache building up behind her eyes certainly felt like what had been described to her in the past. The only thing they had going for them was that at least Black and White had stable projections in place. They weren't flickering in and out like she'd witnessed in the past.

"Wonderfully simple, you said." Rose looked back at the other Guardians. "Explain how. What needs to be set up?"

"Well, you can do it. You're a Guardian," White said with a slight smile. "You just need to focus-"

"That is not helpful." Rose fisted her hands and swallowed. "White, I'm a baby Guardian. Brand new. Apparently, I heal myself to keep from dying, and that was not a fun revelation… yesterday? Today? I'm not sure. The Sacred Flame helped me activate my powers on Karn. I don't know how to do that normally." Rose's eyes shifted over to the console, and she briefly considered opening the Heart of the TARDIS again. But with the TARDIS in poor condition herself, that probably wasn't a good idea. "So, you need to explain this like I'm five. And an idiot."

Black chuckled, and White coughed delicately. "Forgive me, Gold," White said carefully. "We were created as we are. There was never a period of transition to us."

"Any chance that Violet or Blue are available? What about Red? I've yet to meet the Red Guardian."

"Red isn't awake, not to you, at least."

Rose somewhat understood what that meant. It wasn't helpful, though. "And Blue and Violet?"

"As the Guardian of Balance, Blue is working to restore equilibrium in places where the rifts caused damage. Violet is dream walking and altering memories to try and restore a few civilizations that were damaged."

Rose flinched. That made sense. Earth had been the epicenter, but… it was foolish to think that they'd gotten off so lightly. At least two of the Guardians were actively helping put things back together, and White and Black were trying. She had to remember that. They were trying. Working together wasn't their natural inclination because of how they'd been made. Taking a deep breath, Rose rolled her shoulders and flexed her fingers.

"Alright, that's fair." She closed her eyes for a moment. "So, what am I focusing on? Is this a visualization thing, or does it work another way?" Rose opened her eyes and turned her attention back to the two other Guardians.

"Will. You need to want it," Black said. Then he paused in consideration. "You must command the universe to shift around the Ravenous to hold it."

That sounded insane. Rose's eyes widened. There was no way that she could do that. Staring at the Black Guardian, Rose waited for more information. He simply stared back at her.

"Uh, how do I do that, Black? I wasn't created as a Guardian. No one downloaded the manual into my brain."

Black scowled, displeasure rolling off of him. Jack hissed and tensed beside Rose. She wasn't bothered. Instead, she met Black's irritated glare head-on and waited. He still didn't offer any further information. Turning her attention to the White Guardian, Rose stared at him for a long moment.

"It is difficult to explain an instinct," the White Guardian finally offered. "It would be like you trying to explain how to breathe."

"Except that, I do have some instincts," Rose pointed out. "Such as knowing something is correct when I say it. Action is more complicated."

The other two Guardians looked at each other. Jack put his hand on Rose's shoulder. Her fingers tightened around empty air. She really wished the Doctor was here to help them. In the absence of her being able to wiggle her fingertips and achieve what she wanted, he'd have some ideas.

"That is true," White said carefully. Then he smiled. "But you've always done well when the situation truly required the use of your abilities. I'm sure that now you know what it is and what you need to do that your power will manifest."

He sounded so confident. Rose really wanted to take comfort from that. "There are limitations to my abilities, though, outside the Hall of the Universe."

"Unfortunately," Black grumbled. "To keep us from having fun."

"To keep us from breaking anything too significant," the White Guardian corrected. "Balance, Gold. Balance is key."

He was smiling again, and Black was scowling. Rose felt more like grumbling herself. Then the Guardians started to flicker. White looked around and sighed dramatically.

"I fear that our connection is weakening. There is still much to do. We'll check in a bit later. But I have full confidence in you, Gold."

"You're the Gold Guardian," Black added with a nasty smile. "You can destroy and end a life without it disrupting the balance. Enjoy it."

That part was not comforting. Then they were gone, and Rose sighed. "Even with me as a Guardian, those two remain a mess."

"Your mess though, it seems," Jack pointed out.

"Oh, please don't put it that way." Rose shook her head and then chuckled. "But yeah, I'm gonna be dealing with them for a very long time, aren't I?"

"In theory."

Rose didn't want to think about that. She'd known for years that she'd age slower, that she'd live much longer than a human normally did. But… it was going to be a very long time, wasn't it?

"Do you think we should try their idea?" Rose asked. She cast her eyes around the TARDIS, searching for anything that inspired an alternative. "I mean… they might be right."

Jack turned to look at her, searching her face. Rose was pretty sure that she looked tired and worried. Slowly, he nodded.

"We'll try, but be ready to run back to the TARDIS. If nothing else, maybe we can wake up the Doctor after he sleeps a bit more. Absolutely worst… maybe I could get a signal to the Time Agency. An unknown creature in Earth's past is supposed to be the sort of thing they help with. Then you fly the TARDIS away, so we don't have to encounter them."

Now Rose nodded. They needed to try something. Stepping outside, Rose inhaled the mixed scents of food, human sweat, and an old city. It was oddly comforting. It was solid and real. She was still here to smell things like that. Her palms were sweaty, and Rose had to reach up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ears.

Acrobats were performing a routine in the center of the square. The crowd had moved back to create an open area for them, and Rose could see the third layer of people stacked atop each other over the heads of the crowd. People were cheering and laughing. She let out a soft sigh of relief. The Ravenous hadn't started feeding yet. Her eyes scanned the crowd and nearby shadows. They weren't sure how many there were. One? Two? Three or even more?

"Okay," Rose said softly. "When you see it, move back, but also try to commit its appearance to memory. We need to figure out how many we're dealing with."

"Right."

Jack sounded confident. He was smiling warmly at her. On the surface, Jack seemed fine with the plan. Rose knew him better than that. He was tense and worried. His focus was spreading across the square. Jack's near military bearing was in play. Rose should be grateful for it, but it only made her feel guilty about this whole situation.

She'd handled it, he'd told her. At least, that was what Rose thought he'd said. Was her memory correct or not? Too many out-of-order events jumbled things. What if she was supposed to get help from the Doctor? And what did handle it mean? In theory, it could mean that she and Jack had made a plan, and he'd only helped a little. For all of his bravado and vanity, the Doctor could be oddly deflective about helping. She could see him exaggerating in order to reassure her about regeneration, given all of his issues around it.

"Rose," Jack called. He touched her arm carefully. "Hey, you with me?"

"I'm trying to remember something the Doctor said before to me about when he regenerated," Rose admitted. There was no point in hiding that from Jack. "And I'm just… not sure."

"Then ignore it," Jack said firmly. Rose blinked and looked at him. "Look, I'm a former Time Agent. I know how important it is to maintain timelines, but sometimes it is as simple as someone lying or not giving the whole story. And around you and the Doctor, things seem to usually work out." Jack gave Rose a reassuring smile. "Don't overthink it."

"It's hard not to."

"I can understand that." Jack's smile became more teasing and wide. "And don't think I didn't notice the whole 'my children' thing earlier. I knew Adam Tyler was your son!"

"Grandson, actually." Rose sighed and smiled a little. "Do not tell him. Don't even hint to him."

"I won't," Jack promised. "That's a dangerous time loop to mess with, given that Adam hosts your first date and helps us on New Earth."

"Exactly." Rose rubbed between her eyes. "I'm out of my depth here, Jack. I really want him to wake up. For many reasons, but also to help." She studied the busy square and nervously touched the doors of the TARDIS behind her. "This could go so wrong so quickly and-"

"Stop it. Don't borrow trouble that hasn't happened yet and might not. The Doctor may be out for the moment, but you have me. I'll lure that thing in."

"There's likely more than one." Rose shivered at the very idea. "You could get swarmed."

"I'll get better."

"Doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt," Rose said. "I know it does. And I hate that you're okay with that."

"Okay isn't the right word," Jack replied carefully. "I accept it, though. If you go down, I will probably go down. And the Doctor can regenerate, but only so many times. Weird as it is, I'm the less fragile person here as long as you're still standing."

"Please don't put it like that," Rose said weakly. Her fears for Jack during the period she was missing came roaring back. She'd seen him during the same years that she'd been dating the Doctor in his tenth incarnation, but that didn't mean Jack lined up with that Doctor. "Just… please don't. You're not expendable. You're not supposed to take the hits."

"Oh, Rosie." Jack shifted enough to kiss her forehead. "Yes, I am. On both counts. Might not be all I am to you, but that's definitely part of why I exist."

He stepped away from her before Rose could argue, grabbing her hand and guiding her away from the TARDIS. It was too loud as they slipped into the crowd to speak with him. Rose settled on glaring at his back. Of course, Jack would try to get in the last word. She peered around Jack, trying to determine where they were going. They were so close to so many people, but she also hated to go too far from the TARDIS.

"Jack?"

"This way," he shouted. Rose still barely heard him over the music.

A man jostled into her. The smell of ale hit Rose hard. He laughed and hiccupped before stumbling forward again. Trying to dodge out of the way of him, Rose was stumbled into by another man. This one was dressed like a monk and burped loudly in her voice before giggling. Jack shifted and tried to help Rose get around the bumbling drunks, only to get hit by a laughing woman. His hand slipped from Rose's, and the crowd swallowed them.

Rose tried to find Jack, but the tall hats and bright banners made it difficult to see over the heads of those around her. Huffing, Rose ducked herself a little and pushed through the throng of happy people in the direction where Jack had been pulling her. She tried to listen for any call of her voice.

Suddenly, Rose's legs trembled as a sense of weakness and dizziness hit her. Something was touching her hand. Pulling it away, Rose pushed her way through a line of people and almost fell into an empty space at the far side of the square. Sucking in a deep breath, Rose shook herself and kept moving to where the crowd completely thinned out. It was in the shadows of one of the buildings, far from the stage and a few streets down from the TARDIS if she had her bearings.

Turning around, Rose gasped as a clown stepped out from the crowd in front of her. People were quickly moving away again. The Ravenous stared at Rose, its smile widening. Taking a step back, Rose felt her heart jump painfully as fear sank its claws into her. She was too aware of the people around them, even as they began to draw back. Some instinct was compelling them away, and Rose was grateful for that. The sounds of music swelled, and the festival continued across the square. They were too close to too many people.

Stepping back, Rose kept her eyes on the clown. This one seemed different. Maybe it was the colors and the shape of the face, but she thought this was a different one than she'd seen in the TARDIS. This one's clothing was faded and tattered, but she thought it had more red in it. The eyes were a bit closer together. Rose hoped that she was wrong.

"Hello," Rose tried. She swallowed. "Can you speak? Can you communicate with me?" The clown- Ravenous, took a step towards Rose and lifted its hands. "I'm sorry for what happened to your species." Anger flared in Rose's chest and the casual way that both Black and White described their transformation. Tears prickled in her eyes. "So very sorry. It shouldn't have happened. But if you stop and give me some time, then maybe we can fix this. Restore your species and return you to your home. It's amazing to think that you truly evolved in the Time Vortex." It came closer, and Rose took a step back. "You need to stop. If you attack me, I don't know what will happen. Sometimes… when things attack me, if it's bad enough, then my powers activate without me trying. Only, they kill then. I was barely able to keep myself from killing this living sun that possessed me."

It wasn't listening. Never blinking, the Ravenous just kept approaching her. Drool trickled out of the corner of its too-wide mouth that was curled into a sharp and vicious smile. Instinct screamed at Rose to run. Predator, it screamed. She couldn't even be sure if it was the human or Guardian part of her that recognized this thing as a danger. Movement at the edge of the crowd made Rose tense and risk a glance away. Another clown was moving through the crowd, with the people shifting away from it. This one looked like the one from the TARDIS.

"Ah, two of you then." Rose backed into the narrow alley between the wood and stone buildings. The sound of the festival echoed off the stone wall. If she screamed, it would likely be lost in the cheers of the crowd. "Please stop; I want to help you. Please, let me help you. Nothing good will come of attacking me."

A hand was reaching for her. It wasn't even touching her, and already Rose's legs felt sluggish. She thought she heard Jack calling her name. Her mouth was too dry, but Rose still tried to call back to him. An icy hand touched her cheek only for a rush of heat to surge through her chest, so hot and sudden that it was painful. The clown hissed and stepped back, its smile dropping even as hungry eyes stared at her.

Jack came rushing down the ally, dusking under the grasp of the second Ravenous. He grabbed Rose's left hand and began to tug her back. The Ravenous both growled and closed in on them. Something shifted in Rose's chest. She brought her right hand up as if to summon her sword but stopped.

Golden energy flared off of Rose's fingertips. It was hot and comforting. Her singular heartbeat echoed in her ears, and Rose's skin was sweaty as she tried to hold onto the energy. Nothing Black or White had said was really helpful. She tried to remember what it had felt like on Karn. Rose tried to recall how she'd done all of that. But the Sacred Flame had been a good crutch. It had jumpstarted something, and then the instincts of the Guardian had taken over. The Heart of the TARDIS had done something similar for her at the Game Station.

"Come on," Rose murmured. "Come on, Universe. This is a problem. Let's fix it."

Then it sputtered out. The glow was gone, and Rose was left dizzy. Stumbling back, she shook her head and blinked. Her vision was blurry. Her hearing was dull, and she… it was hard to keep track of what was happening. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and sharply pulled her back. A cold feeling crashed over Rose as something grabbed at her. But she was pulled away. Her whole body was suddenly shifted, and the wave of dizziness added to her disorientation.

Rose's head cleared as they turned a corner. Jack had swept her up and over his shoulder. Blinking, Rose suppressed the instinctive irritation and looked back the way they had come. The two Ravenous were following. They moved only at a walking pace, never blinking, and focused on her.

"Put me down," Rose managed. "I can run."

"No."

She almost squirmed, but the tone in Jack's voice convinced Rose not to. She peered at the clowns. Her chest still felt warm, but there was no rush of power and no golden light. Glaring at the clowns, Rose tried to summon some flicker of power to trap them. Nothing happened. Jack turned sharply, and she lost sight of the Ravenous behind a wall.

"TARDIS." Jack suddenly set Rose down and pulled out his key. With a sharp action, he opened the door of the TARDIS and pushed Rose inside.

She inhaled the familiar smell of the time machine and moved away from the door, so Jack could enter. He immediately jumped inside and closed the doors firmly behind him. They both waited in silence. But nothing happened.

"Okay," Jack said slowly. "That did not work."

"No," Rose agreed. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the door of the TARDIS. "Not at all." Swallowing, Rose took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Jack."

"Oh, you don't owe me an apology, Rosie." He turned and offered Rose a soft and warm smile. "Honestly… I would have been surprised if this worked. I mean, how often down the first attempt work with us."

Rose chuckled. That did actually make her feel a little better. "But what now. If I can't use my powers…." She shook her head. "Still just a baby Guardian."

"No, it makes sense that this takes time." Jack pushed off the door of the TARDIS and turned to look at it cautiously and thoughtfully. "It's a job, right? Well, there's always a learning curve with a new job."

"Yeah, but what now?" Rose sighed and looked over at Jack. "If my Guardian abilities aren't helpful, then what do we do?"