Post by Soldeed on Dec 7, 2006 19:39:35 GMT
Jasmine closed her eyes while Krongeist's hand rose like a claw above her face. Then something like a swarm of wasps seemed to fill the air around them, a dizzying, noisy, fuzzy sensation that made trees, ground and sky alike seem far away and unreal.
Krongeist released her. He stood bemused, flicking his hand vaguely at the air.
"Um. Right. What's this?"
"It's my parents," said Jasmine, the relief and triumph overwhelming as the realisation came to her. "They've come to save me."
"Really?" He frowned. "Parents?"
"She's right." Incredibly, the elder Doctor was shakily arising from his crumpled heap on the ground. "They made it. And that means, Krongeist, that this poor broken excuse for a reality of yours is dissolving."
"And that means," added the younger, clambering stiffly to his feet, "That we're all going back where we ought to be. Including you."
"I..." In gathering anxiety Krongeist turned this way and that, seeking an escape route through the thickening haze around them. "I... oh no."
He looked petulant, aggrieved at the unfairness of what was happening to him. He looked round at the three people surrounding him in the slowly fading forest, met the eyes of each of them in turn, and his features relaxed into a rueful smile. As he slipped away into nothingness, he was visible clapping his hands neatly in an ironic round of applause.
Jasmine felt the draining weakness of post-adrenaline comedown running through her veins, but the elder Doctor's voice distracted her:
"Good heavens. This is an interesting sensation."
He was melting away, along with everything else, and there was a sting of panic at the thought that she had almost missed the chance to say goodbye.
"Doctor!"
"Jasmine." What was left of him turned to face her. "It's been a pleasure and a privilege."
"I've missed you."
He looked genuinely touched at hearing this, and smiled that gentle, crumpled smile.
"And I look forward to meeting you for real."
He turned to his future self.
"And you, young man." He inclined his head in Jasmine's direction. "You remember what I said."
"I'll remember," the Doctor told him.
Jasmine felt a hollow space at the centre of her chest as her childhood friend, mentor, teacher, grandfather, raised a hand in farewell and faded away.
Suddenly they were standing on wet, solid earth on the hillside. It was dawn, and a fresh, chilly breeze carried the smell of dew-laden flowers up from the gardens of the little wooden village around the ruins of the old fort. Everything was quiet and still. The Doctor looked out with an inquisitorial air at the view across the valley and checked them off: pristine mountains, rolling green slopes, sparkling clear stream.
"Good." He shoved back his coat with a flourish to push his hands into his trouser pockets. "That's that, then. Let's get back to the Tardis."
Jasmine sighed and trotted after him.
"Where are we going now?"
"Going? We're not going anywhere except for a hot bath and a change of clothes. We're on holiday, remember?"
Some days later, the Doctor stood waiting impatiently at the centre of the square. Jordo, Seram and someone else who looked like he must be their brother relaxed and chatted on a bench in the shade of a tree. They didn't notice him, they didn't recognise him.
"Doctor!" Jasmine rushed up, out of the little shop where she had been buying a last minute souvenir. She was wearing an enormous floppy hat in an interesting shade of mauve. She posed for him proudly, in profile, tipping the brim down to a rakish angle. "What do you think?"
The Doctor drew breath for a quick response, but swallowed it. With an effort, he made himself look at her in a thoughtful, appreciative manner. He nodded slowly.
"Well, I think its a... I think you look..." He grimaced and gave up with a brisk shake of his head. "No. You look absolutely idiotic, Jasmine. I'm embarrassed to be seen with you."
The girl shrugged unconcernedly.
"Oh well. At least I'm not the one who thinks a lemon cravat goes with a scarlet shirt."
He gave her the required frown but the wide-eyed insolence of her upturned face unblinkingly returning his gaze sent the corner of his mouth curling upwards of its own accord. Her eyes twinkled and as if sharing some unspoken secret they found themselves standing smiling at each other in silence. They turned onto the road out of town, and if anyone had spared them a glance as they headed away up the hill they would have seen his arm slip about her shoulders and hers about his waist.
"What's wrong with the cravat?" came the Doctor's voice.
The movement of the huge hat indicated a pitying shake of her head.
"You just haven't a clue, have you?"
Behind the counter at the souvenir shop, Inchel watched them go with a dull, weary resentment, and got on with serving his next customer.
Krongeist released her. He stood bemused, flicking his hand vaguely at the air.
"Um. Right. What's this?"
"It's my parents," said Jasmine, the relief and triumph overwhelming as the realisation came to her. "They've come to save me."
"Really?" He frowned. "Parents?"
"She's right." Incredibly, the elder Doctor was shakily arising from his crumpled heap on the ground. "They made it. And that means, Krongeist, that this poor broken excuse for a reality of yours is dissolving."
"And that means," added the younger, clambering stiffly to his feet, "That we're all going back where we ought to be. Including you."
"I..." In gathering anxiety Krongeist turned this way and that, seeking an escape route through the thickening haze around them. "I... oh no."
He looked petulant, aggrieved at the unfairness of what was happening to him. He looked round at the three people surrounding him in the slowly fading forest, met the eyes of each of them in turn, and his features relaxed into a rueful smile. As he slipped away into nothingness, he was visible clapping his hands neatly in an ironic round of applause.
Jasmine felt the draining weakness of post-adrenaline comedown running through her veins, but the elder Doctor's voice distracted her:
"Good heavens. This is an interesting sensation."
He was melting away, along with everything else, and there was a sting of panic at the thought that she had almost missed the chance to say goodbye.
"Doctor!"
"Jasmine." What was left of him turned to face her. "It's been a pleasure and a privilege."
"I've missed you."
He looked genuinely touched at hearing this, and smiled that gentle, crumpled smile.
"And I look forward to meeting you for real."
He turned to his future self.
"And you, young man." He inclined his head in Jasmine's direction. "You remember what I said."
"I'll remember," the Doctor told him.
Jasmine felt a hollow space at the centre of her chest as her childhood friend, mentor, teacher, grandfather, raised a hand in farewell and faded away.
Suddenly they were standing on wet, solid earth on the hillside. It was dawn, and a fresh, chilly breeze carried the smell of dew-laden flowers up from the gardens of the little wooden village around the ruins of the old fort. Everything was quiet and still. The Doctor looked out with an inquisitorial air at the view across the valley and checked them off: pristine mountains, rolling green slopes, sparkling clear stream.
"Good." He shoved back his coat with a flourish to push his hands into his trouser pockets. "That's that, then. Let's get back to the Tardis."
Jasmine sighed and trotted after him.
"Where are we going now?"
"Going? We're not going anywhere except for a hot bath and a change of clothes. We're on holiday, remember?"
* * * * *
Some days later, the Doctor stood waiting impatiently at the centre of the square. Jordo, Seram and someone else who looked like he must be their brother relaxed and chatted on a bench in the shade of a tree. They didn't notice him, they didn't recognise him.
"Doctor!" Jasmine rushed up, out of the little shop where she had been buying a last minute souvenir. She was wearing an enormous floppy hat in an interesting shade of mauve. She posed for him proudly, in profile, tipping the brim down to a rakish angle. "What do you think?"
The Doctor drew breath for a quick response, but swallowed it. With an effort, he made himself look at her in a thoughtful, appreciative manner. He nodded slowly.
"Well, I think its a... I think you look..." He grimaced and gave up with a brisk shake of his head. "No. You look absolutely idiotic, Jasmine. I'm embarrassed to be seen with you."
The girl shrugged unconcernedly.
"Oh well. At least I'm not the one who thinks a lemon cravat goes with a scarlet shirt."
He gave her the required frown but the wide-eyed insolence of her upturned face unblinkingly returning his gaze sent the corner of his mouth curling upwards of its own accord. Her eyes twinkled and as if sharing some unspoken secret they found themselves standing smiling at each other in silence. They turned onto the road out of town, and if anyone had spared them a glance as they headed away up the hill they would have seen his arm slip about her shoulders and hers about his waist.
"What's wrong with the cravat?" came the Doctor's voice.
The movement of the huge hat indicated a pitying shake of her head.
"You just haven't a clue, have you?"
Behind the counter at the souvenir shop, Inchel watched them go with a dull, weary resentment, and got on with serving his next customer.
END
