Soul Of The Matter

They stumble into the TARDIS, their old trusted Mark 40, before the regeneration can happen. They hit a few switches, setting a random destination before collapsing against the console. The Doctor looks at Aika, his dæmon, the little spaniel breathing heavily, too heavily.

'I'm so, so sorry.' He whispers.

Then it happens. The ripping of his body, the transformation of his soul. The ultimate change and the death of number Eight. His hair shrinks, his ears grow and Aika bursts into a shower of Dust, her body reforming as the light fades.

Doctor number Nine faces his dæmon and marvels at her new form. 'Bit big, Aik.'

The wolverine laughs slightly, using her teeth to tug on his sleeves. The clothes, which had been form fitting before, are now slightly too small and he has to change.

They chose carefully; clothes that will hide them in plain sight. After the war, they are the last and don't want anyone to see them. The leather jacket and dark trousers will make anyone pass over them.

'Earth, 21st Century.' Aika says, looking at the console. 'Looks like the Nestene are up to no good.'

The Doctor smiles. 'We'll have to fix that.'

Rakkaus stares at the squirrel monkey that has just appeared out of sparkling dust. Aika has disappeared, replaced by this much smaller creature. The dog dæmon, a border collier, takes a step forward but jumps back when the monkey looks up.

'Rakkaus?'

The collier pulls back again, hiding behind Rose's legs.

'What I am?' The monkey says, ignoring Rakkaus' fear. 'Come on, Kaus. What am I? No, I'll check.'

The monkey twists, taking in her own tail, her brown fur.

'Where's Aika? What have you done with her?'

Rakkaus growls, hearing his human having a similar conversation with the man in the Doctor's clothes.

'Kaus, it's me. I'm Aika. I just changed with the Doctor. We were dying, we had to change.'

Rakkaus shook slightly. 'Can you change back?'

The monkey's eyes droop. 'Do you want me to?

'Yes. Can you?'

'No.'

The two of them stare at each other before the monkey whines, her whole body convulsing. She looks at the man, who breaths out a golden light. He starts running around and the monkey whips after him, the two of them switching between shouting and screaming in pain.

Rose and Rakkaus huddle together, staring at their once friends.

'Don't say anything.'

Aika raises an eyebrow at her Time Lord, the words unspoken. 'Rose would have done it.'

Her voice is mocking, the squirrel monkey's ears twitching in an irritating manner, her tenth companion stands up in anger.

'So I was wrong about her. Shut up.'

'Martha's not as good as Rose. Martha's not as clever as Rose. Martha's not-'

'Shut up!'

Their companion has just left them, after doing the near-impossible. She stopped the Master. Yet all the Doctor can think of is Rose.

Aika wonders forward, her brown fur blending in with his brown coat. 'It's not fair you know. Thinking about one whose gone so much you ignore throne who's there.'

Ten shakes his head, eyes facing down. 'I know, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

'You say that too much. Not everything can be solved with apologies.'

He scoops her up, holding her close. 'We're alone you know.'

'I know.'

Koschei's capuchin Amante had held onto Aika as she faded, not making any noise. The Master himself had looked fondly at the squirrel monkey and Theta had stroked the capuchin to calm her down.

'Well, we carry on. We always do.'

He flicked a switch.

Agnoise, perched on Martha's shoulder, glares at the Master and his small monkey dæmon. They've been 'caught' after a year of running and he seems so happy. The monkey walks forward as the Master rants, that maniacal grin spread across both their faces. The monkey, the Doctor called it Amante, creeps froward, wrapping a hand around Agnoise and pulling him away.

The frog, with his bright colouring, bristles but Martha ignores it, too busy laughing at the Master and explaining away their little plan. Agnoise stiffens, letting out a small amount of poison, just as the telepathic field burst forth. Amante screeches, dropping the frog.

Agnoise jumps away, scurrying to Martha's arms. They watch the two Time Lords, the Doctor holding the Master in a tight embrace. Strangely, paradoxically, the capuchin seems to cling to the squirrel monkey equally tight.

When the gun goes off, Agnoise clings tighter to Martha, his skin sticking to hers. She can't be poisoned by him and the closeness is comforting.

The Doctor and the Master are huddled together, their dæmons between them in a tight embrace. The Master has one hand on Aika's back while the Doctor strokes Amante's fur.

Martha holds Agnoise tighter.

Donna scratches Enpotan's neck, trying to calm the white tiger down. Something is wrong, the dæmon can feel it, but Donna refuses to notice. She is too happy with Lee and Joshua and Ella. Enpotan is happy as well, happy to curl up with Begeye, Lee's arctic hare, when their humans go out in a date, happy to lift Laraka to bed when Joshua won't sleep, happy to run with Mulagi when Ella is playing with Lee. But that doesn't mean he likes it. Doesn't mean it makes sense.

Doesn't stop the vague memory of a small monkey that scratched at his ankles.

Donna grips the tiger's neck as Enpotan growls at their guest. Doctor Moon is 'just checking' on the two but he dæmon suspects something sinister is happening. The doctor's dæmon is no where to be seen and the doctor never acts like she's anywhere.

Doctor Moon smiles, tilting his head sideways.

Later, when the doctor is gone, Enpotan looks at Donna and smiles. The memory of the monkey, the unsettling feeling and all the worries are gone. Just gone.

'Shall we take the kids to the park?'

Donna grins and they leave the house, without a care.

It was the strangest feeling, for both of them. They were both expecting it, the feeling of disappearing but coming back was incredibly strange. The Doctor reappearing in his TARDIS, Aika forming out of Dust on his shoulder, her chipmunk form as small as ever. They took one second to run around the TARDIS, not at each other, check bow tie before leaving.

They smile at Amy instantly, watching her as she seems victorious. He looks around at the guests as Aika hops down next to Varjon, the two dæmons rubbing against each other. Amy goes to kiss the Doctor but he spins her around, letting Rory take her. Aika scurries up the Doctor's leg as Heishi, a bigger than normal fox, stands above the smaller rabbit-dæmon. The Doctor smiles, Aika giggling in his ear.

'Let's dance.' She whispers.

They ignore Amy's laughs, dancing the traditional, Gallifreyan way. Well, they are the last Time Lords left so whose going to say they're lying. Aika jumps around with the children's dæmon while the Doctor waves his arms in the air.

Later, while the Doctor watches his companions dance together, Aika shuffles over to their dæmons, quickly embraced.

'I missed you.'

Varjon looks down at the baby, their baby. A small, fragile pup is cuddled up next to the baby, wrapped in the blanket. Melody and Atolim are tiny and delicate but most importantly, his. His and Amy's and Rory's and Heishi's. And, he supposes, the Doctor's and Aika's. Not by blood, but their child will live and grow in the TARDIS. Melody will love her, 'Uncle Doctor' and he expects Atolim will try to mimic, Aika's small form, along with his own fluffy one and Heishi's big, lithe one.

'Varjon.'

The dæmon turns at the sound of his name, watching Amy. She's been talking to their baby, telling Melody about her father. Now, Kovarian stands there, her panther dæmon, Gospothus, stalking closer to them.

Varjon hopes down, standing in front of the panther. Gospothus could easily eat him but shouldn't underestimate the power and ferocity of a rabbit threatened.

'Stand down, bunny.' The panther says, crouching down, ready to pounce.

'Try it, Gospothus. I'll do you.' Varjon's thick Scottish accent never left him, nor did his nature to fight.

Melody's crying makes him turn and Gospothus leaps over him, grabbing Atolim.

Amy clings to Varjon as their baby is taken.

'You are so beautiful.'

Heishi clings to Varjon as she feels herself disappearing. Rory is holding Amy but the fox, small and orange, wants to stay with the rabbit. Wants to stay alive.

Heishi fades into Dust.

Rory dies.

Heishi wakes up.

They are in a tent, surrounded by people they recognise in the back of their mind. Rory, looking at the strange, roman-like uniform, casually drifts a hand across Heishi's back.

Her much longer back.

He looks down, noticing her fur has darkened to an almost-black brown. She has doubled to three times the size she was before, now nose-to-tail-tip reaching from the top of his head to his knee. He guesses she would reach his hip when stood up. They look at each other, wondering what could have happened, how she could have changed.

How they are alive.

Rory shakes his head, standing up to get on his uniform. It fits easily and he puts it on without a thought. Without a thought, he slings the sword- gladius, he corrects himself- around his waist. Another soldier with a dog dæmon, pops in his head.

'Roranicus, Cleopatra's here.'

Heishi growls and the two leave.

River, for that is the name her current face claims, watches the Doctor interact with her parents. Milota sits next to her, watching Heishi. The Teumessian fox, a fast, uncatchable creature that normally comes from the far off planet, Teumessia. Milota's own form, a Banshee, is an earthen creature that originally came from a planet from the same system. Heishi creeps closer to Varjon, standing watch.

Milota looks up at River and she crouches down. 'I don't think she likes me.'

River raises an eyebrow. 'She has no idea who you are, Milo. You do seem very threatening.'

Milo laughs, his whole body shaking. 'I'm going to see Aika.'

River has to smirk as she watches Milo stalk the chipmunk, his tail stroking the smaller dæmons chin. Aika regards him with a cautious look, as if she expects him to bite her.

'Excuse me.' River, still crouched, looks up at the dark brown fox. Heishi glares slightly. 'Is your dæmon a threat?'

River frowns. 'Don't you want to know if I'm a threat?'

Heishi laughs and River sees Rory smirking. 'We already know you are. We just wonder about the Banshee.'

River smiles. 'Then no. He won't ever hurt you.'

Clara stands, facing the 'wound', Mustahil wrapped around her shoulders. The ermine is shaking, watching Aika slowly fade, the Dust still clinging to the Doctor.

'We have to do something.' Mustahil says, his claws digging into Clara's shoulder.

She nods, not looking back as she steps into the stream of light. It hurts, like her entire body setting in fire, but she has to do it. Has to save him.

Clara Oswald and Mustahil.

Oswin Oswald and Stah.

Clara Oswin Oswald and Mushil.

Clara Oswin and Stahil.

She is repeated, throughout history. Mustahil goes with her and they try so hard to save the Doctor, stopping the Great Intelligence at every turn. They battle through time, a thousand Clara's, a thousand Intelligence's, a thousand Mustahil's, all fighting, all battling over the life of a Time Lord that doesn't even know they are there.

Clara feels herself pulled to the ground, watching people pass her. She knows them, better than she knows herself. Except for one, the one at the edge of the cliff. Her heart tells her to stay away and Mustahil hisses at the stranger and his hidden dæmon.

They have done their job and they saved the Doctor.