Cages
Cages
By: Memory Dragon
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, nor do I make any claim to.
Characters: Third Doctor, Real Syaoran, Mokona Modoki
Warnings: Not much for this fic by way of warnings. Just some spoilers for Tsubasa, I guess. More on that in the timeline.
Notes: A companion piece for The Price of a Wish, set more or less during the same time for both sets of characters. I don't think you need to have read Tsubasa in order to understand this fic, but I don't recommend reading it if you've only read part of Tsubasa. Then it would get confusing due to some of the more spoiler-y bits. So if you've never heard of it, you should be good. If that makes any sort of sense...
Timeline: After the Tokyo arc, but before Infinity for Syaoran. Which is really the best time to play with the characters, since they're all so raw after what happened in Tokyo. Set sometime after Colony in Space for the Doctor, though that doesn't really come into play in this story at all.
Thanks: Thanks to
narwhale_callin for the beta, even if she hates Mokona. I still don't understand how you can hate Mokona, since it's basically a marshmallow with springs, but to each their own. <3 I love her anyway.
~
"You know he means well," Jo scolded him.
"The idiot scared away my one chance of acquiring a new dematerialization circuit by waving a gun around!" The Doctor put on his cloak and driving gloves, not waiting for Jo's reply as he walked out the door.
"To be fair, they were threatening to destroy all of London," Jo said soothingly as she followed behind him. "How were we to know that it was all just a con to get resources?"
The Doctor knew that. He did. And he wouldn't put getting a new circuit before saving people. But that didn't help his temper right now. "He could have let me negotiate!" the Doctor said, sliding into Bessie's driver seat as he tried not to sound like he was sulking.
He could tell by Jo's smile that he hadn't succeeded. "You know the Brigadier's policy on negotiating with terrorists. We couldn't have known!"
"He could have listened when I said the Ximol were harmless." Except that was the problem. The Brigadier had listened and decided that the best way to be rid of the menace from the Mira galaxy was to bring out the big guns to scare them away and good riddance. He couldn't have just waited five minutes to let the Doctor bargain a circuit out of them.
Jo put her hands on her hips, but the Doctor started the engines before she could continue. He heard her calling after him as he drove off, but he didn't want to listen.
The Doctor felt caged. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate UNIT for taking him in when he had nowhere else to go while stuck on this planet, but he was still a prisoner to this time and place, subject to military bureaucracy. He'd left Gallifrey to avoid that sort of thing, and now he was chained to it.
At least the British countryside had a calming effect on his temper. Jo was right. Getting in a huff about it all wasn't productive. He certainly wasn't going to get a new dematerialization circuit driving aimlessly out here. As much as he wanted to blame the Brigadier, it wasn't his fault the Doctor was still in exile.
Sighing, the Doctor continued down the little road. It was an overcast day and if the Doctor were to guess, he'd say it would rain in a few hours. Best not to go too far then, if he didn't want to get caught in the rain which would only make his current mood worse. He would just have to return and try making a new circuit again. Maybe he'd get it working tomorrow. Where there's life, there's hope.
Regardless of his resolutions, the Doctor continued driving. He wanted time away from UNIT HQ to keep it from feeling like a cage. He could at least leave it, if he really wanted to. Just because it was the best place to stave off boredom and get the materials he needed didn't mean he had to stay, which buoyed him on the worst days. Staying with UNIT was still his choice.
He was just about to find somewhere to turn around when he saw a body in the road. The Doctor pulled over and looked around, but there didn't seem to be anyone else about. Getting out of Bessie, he went to check on the downed man.
A child, not a man. Teenager, he believed the correct human term to be, looking to be about sixteen or seventeen. The boy was oddly clothed, wearing a plain white shirt with short sleeves and slacks that looked as though they had seen better days, neither of which conformed to the styles of the time. He certainly wasn't dressed for English weather either.
"Syaoran! Syaoran!" a small voice cried softly.
The Doctor looked around again, but still didn't see anyone other than the boy. There was definitely someone crying though. "Excuse me, but I'd like to help," he called out, attempting to ascertain the boy's health from where he was. He didn't want whoever this disembodied voice belonged to to think he was a threat, as much as he wanted to help the boy, so he kept a decent distance away.
A small, white creature jumped up from the other side of where the boy was laying. It looked like some odd cross between a floppy eared rabbit and an egg, with a bright red gem on its forehead and a matching earring on one ear. "Please," it cried. "Can you help Syaoran? He won't wake up."
"An artificial construct?" the Doctor asked in surprise at seeing the white ball of fluff. It was certainly an odd creature, if someone had made it. Then he shook his head. Whatever this strange creature was, the Doctor needed to check on the boy first. He could wonder at how such a creature was made later. "Alright, let me see what I can do."
Kneeling down beside the boy, the Doctor was relieved to see the lad was still breathing regularly. There were scorch marks all over the boy's body, but none too deep or severe. Carefully, the Doctor turned the boy's head so that he could check his pulse. "He looks worse than he is, I suspect," the Doctor said after noting the boy's pulse was normal. There was a small cut above his cheek, but it wasn't bleeding. "Do you know what happened to him?" he asked the creature as he took off his cloak to wrap around the boy.
"We just arrived," the creature said with a sniffle. "There were these green jelly fish creatures that attacked us. Mokona and Syaoran got separated from the others and one of the jelly fish zapped Syaoran with lighting."
Jelly fish creatures? Jelly fish creatures with an electric attack. The Doctor didn't like the conclusions he came to on those descriptions. "This boy is Syaoran, correct?" he asked.
The creature nodded, bouncing to Syaoran's shoulder. "And Mokona is Mokona! Will Syaoran be alright?"
"Yes, I think so," the Doctor said, just as happy with the prognosis as Mokona was. "Let's get him out of the street."
Picking the boy up, the Doctor carried him back to Bessie and laid him out comfortably in the back seat. Mokona jumped up on the Doctor's shoulder, proving that it could bounce awfully high for such a small thing. "Thank you for helping!" Mokona said, hugging the Doctor's neck.
The Doctor smiled down at the small white creature, charmed in spite of his earlier foul mood. "You said that you were separated from other companions? What do they look like?"
"Sakura is really pretty with short hair and green eyes," Mokona said. "And then there's Fai, who is tall and skinny, with blond hair. He lost one of his eyes recently." At this, Mokona's voice became sad and it sniffled again. "I think Fai will be with Sakura. Last is Kurogane. He's dark and looks scary, but he's been looking after everyone since..."
"It's alright, little fellow," the Doctor said as Mokona trailed off. "Why don't you sit up here on the dashboard and you can tell me if you see any of them while we get this young man's wounds treated."
Mokona gave a cheerful affirmative as the Doctor started up Bessie. They sounded like an odd assortment of travelers. How had they 'just arrived' as well? This was far in the countryside, about five miles from the nearest town. With those names, they were more than likely foreigners.
Before pulling back onto the road, the Doctor looked over to the small creature. "Mokona," he asked, "where do you come from?"
There was a groan from the backseat, effectively cutting off Mokona's response. "Syaoran!" Mokona shouted, bouncing back to the boy happily. "Syaoran, you're awake!"
The Doctor turned off Bessie again, deciding to see how Syaoran was fairing first. He turned around, glad to see the boy awake and hugging Mokona. "You gave us quite a scare," the Doctor said, smiling warmly.
Syaoran looked up, but was silent until Mokona prodded his cheek. The Doctor was struck by the curious feeling that Syaoran had forgotten he could talk. "I'm sorry for worrying you. The others..?" Syaoran asked.
"We're about to set off in search of them," the Doctor said, regarding the strange young man who was wrapping the Doctor's cloak tighter around him. He had warm brown eyes and a sorrowful expression that didn't suit someone so young. "Mokona has explained what happened, but perhaps you could help me find these 'jelly fish' that attacked you. It's important to make sure they don't attack anyone else."
He'd expected to see fear in Syaoran's face, but instead the boy just nodded grimly. Then he hesitated again, and the Doctor waited a moment for Syaoran to speak. "Thank you for taking care of me," Syaoran said finally with a small bow of his head. "Ah..."
"How terribly rude of me. I'm the Doctor," he said, reaching out to take Syaoran's hand with a firm shake. "And you are Syaoran, correct?"
Again, Syaoran nodded and fell silent. He was a peculiar young man, so polite and quiet. Someone who wasn't afraid of the monsters that had nearly killed him, and so very young to be that brave and melancholy.
"Do you know where the jelly fish had come from?" the Doctor asked after a moment or two to make sure Syaoran was finished talking.
"They came from over that hill," Syaoran said, pointing off the road.
The Doctor made a mental note of the area, making sure he would be able to recognize it again. "Let's get your wounds treated then," the Doctor said as he checked the road for traffic.
"Please, I'm alright," Syaoran said. "I'd rather search for the others, if you don't mind."
The boy wasn't too badly hurt, it was true, though the Doctor wished he had warmer clothes to give the lad. But if these 'jelly fish' turned out to be what he feared... He didn't need UNIT for reinforcements, naturally, but Jo's company was preferable.
No, he was going to prove that he didn't need the Brigadier's interference. He could go without UNIT this time, without his usual cage. Giving Bessie a fond pat, the Doctor got out of the car. "I'm afraid Bessie's four wheel drive has been-" torn out and still not replaced after the last time it had refused to work "-comprised recently. We'll have to walk to investigate. Are you up to it?"
He watched Syaoran carefully after the boy nodded and got out of the car, but he seemed up to walking. They made for the hill Syaoran had pointed to in relative silence. This wouldn't do at all, the Doctor thought. He was half tempted to fill the silence with humming, but he was still curious about these mysterious travelers. "Why don't you tell me about where you're from while we walk, Syaoran."
"We're from another world!" Mokona said cheerfully from its spot in Syaoran's arms. "A looooooong way from here."
"Another world?" the Doctor asked. He looked back at Syaoran and Mokona, wondering if he had misjudged them. "Then are you human?"
"I am," Syaoran explained. "What Mokona means is not from another planet, but from another dimension."
"How fascinating." Travelers from another dimension. That was difficult even for the Time Lords. He'd only done it once himself, and that had been an accident. It wasn't a very pleasant memory either. He couldn't help but feel a bit envious at the information though, traveling through dimensions as well as places... "How do you travel from each dimension, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Mokona takes everyone!" the creature said.
"Mokona!"
"Don't worry, old chap. I'm not out to steal Mokona," the Doctor assured him, though his eyes never left the white creature. "And you're a created construct, aren't you, Mokona? Who made you?"
"Yuuko made me! She's the Dimensional Witch!"
Now there was a name he had only heard whispers of. The Doctor thought she was a myth created by some of the lesser races to explain mysterious circumstances. Certainly there was nothing about her in Time Lord history. "And is it true that she grants wishes?" the Doctor asked, unable to help himself.
Mokona bounced out of Syaoran's arms and onto the Doctor's shoulder. "Does the Doctor have a wish?"
The Doctor smiled, an expression that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You could say that."
This time when they fell into silence, the Doctor started humming a Venusian aria. The Dimensional Witch, a person who could grant any wish for a price. He'd heard a little about her from the Tallby people on Craexus. They spoke of a powerful witch with a shop that sold wishes, that one could only visit if it was foreordained. He'd been most interested in seeing her at the time, and had been very put out to learn he wasn't one of the few who could see the dimensional shop. That had been before he'd been exiled though. Now that he had a wish, would he be able to meet her? And what would the price be, he wondered.
They reached the top of the hill and Mokona bounced on his shoulder. "There's Kurogane!"
The Doctor looked in the direction Mokona pointed to see a large, dark-haired man in a similar white shirt and black trousers combination as Syaoran wore. He had a katana in his hands as he fought off what the Doctor had feared - a Rutan.
The man was very skilled with the sword, but anything metal left a strong weakness the Rutans could exploit and there were many more Rutans converging on the man. He was already fighting five of them, with four more joining in the fray. One of the tentacles reached out from behind the man...
"Kurogane!" Mokona shouted as a warning, but it was too late. The dark man fell to his knees as the shock coursed through him and the whole lot of them disappeared in a flash of white light before the Doctor and Syaoran could even get close.
"Where did they take Kurogane-san?" Syaoran asked as they stopped running, worry in his eyes.
"That mode of transportation..." the Doctor said, his mind racing through the possibilities. That was a form of transport that worked like a transmat, except it hadn't been used in the Sontaran/ Rutan Host war in over a thousand years. And a white flash, instead of the usual yellow-green... Not to mention the Rutan's attacks hadn't been fatal to Syaoran, which was a puzzlement in and of itself.
"Doctor?" Syaoran asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"I have an idea," the Doctor said finally as they neared the site of the fight. "And for once if I'm right, we'll be in a much better situation. I don't think the lighting would be fatal, not if it only knocked you out earlier."
Mokona was reassured by this, but Syaoran still looked worried. "Is there something else you're concerned about, Syaoran?" the Doctor asked when the boy still hadn't said anything.
Syaoran started, as if he were surprised to be spoken to. "I... If these creatures took Kurogane-san, why didn't they take me as well?" he asked finally.
"I suspect you were out of range from the transport," the Doctor explained. "Though I don't think we want to take their mode of transport to where ever the others are. If the Rutans come back, I suggest we make a run for it."
Syaoran nodded and the Doctor petted Mokona's head reassuringly. "So those jelly fish are called Rutans?" Mokona asked.
"The Rutan Host to be precise. They're shape shifters, or they would be if we were actually dealing with them. I have a suspicion that these aren't the real thing." The Doctor was fishing through his pockets as he explained. Finally, he found what he was looking for - an electronic pulse detector. This far out in the countryside, the strongest reading had to be the alien ship they were looking for.
Syaoran looked at the small black device in the Doctor's hands as he fiddled and tuned it to different frequencies. It started to beep steadily after a few seconds. "Yes, this way, I think," the Doctor said, starting off down the hill confidently.
"What are we looking for?" Mokona asked as Syaoran scrambled to keep up with them.
"A space ship, probably buried for centuries," the Doctor said as he searched the area. "I do recall something in the news about an archeological dig of some Roman ruins in the area. Perhaps they dug up something they weren't expecting."
Syaoran looked interested at the word 'archeology,' but before he could say anything, five Rutans appeared with another white flash. "Run!" the Doctor said, pointing in the direction where the beeps were the strongest.
They took off, but the steep hill made the going difficult. The Rutans didn't appear to have any trouble, which wasn't very fair to the Doctor's way of thinking. It was even less fair when a rock presented itself right in front of his shoe. Mokona bounced off his shoulder as the Doctor rolled to break his fall, trying to protect the electronic pulse detector as much as he could.
There was no way to avoid the electric shock of the tentacles as the Rutans gained on him. As the Doctor rolled to a stop, he doubted his Venusian karate would help him either, even if he could get into a position with which he could use it. Raising a hand to protect his face, the Doctor was surprised to find Syaoran kicking the Rutan away with a sword in his hand.
Where the devil had he gotten that?
Picking himself up off the ground, the Doctor winced as he put weight on his left foot. Probably sprained. He didn't have time to baby it either, not if they were going to get away. He picked up Mokona and started back in the direction of the beeps. "Syaoran, let's get out of here," he called out, waving the young man to follow.
The sword disappeared into Syaoran's arm as he took off after the Doctor. A contamination effect, mixing the atoms of the sword to that of Syaoran's arm? The Doctor nearly stopped in surprise at seeing it. Very impressive, but the Doctor needed to save his curiosity until they were safe!
A few moments later there was a hand on his arm, not a tentacle, that pulled him to a stop. The Doctor turned around to see that all the Rutans had disappeared. Syaoran was the one who had stopped him.
"Where did they go?" Mokona asked. "Are we out of range again?"
"I rather think it's the opposite, Mokona," the Doctor said with a smile. "If you were in charge of a training ship, you wouldn't want the practice to get too close and damage something vital."
"A training ship?" Syaoran asked.
Hearing Syaoran ask a question without being prompted startled the Doctor, but he smiled encouragingly back at the boy. So he could talk in a normal conversation after all. "Yes, the Rutans disappearing prove it. The ship we're looking for was part of a Sontaran training fleet, probably on its way to the Traxus galaxy. Something must have gone wrong and they crashed to the planet. They're a nasty group, the Sontarans, but I doubt any of them could survive this long."
It was easy enough after that to find the dig. It was deserted, but there was no sign of a struggle. The Doctor assumed the archeologists must have been picked off as they left for the night. Recently too, since UNIT would have heard of a mass kidnapping of archeologists.
It started to rain lightly as the Doctor tried the sonic screwdriver on the air lock door. When that didn't work, he and Syaoran used more physical measures to get the door open. Stale, but breathable air came out, which boded well for the kidnapped persons.
Inside, signs of damage were everywhere. Wires were torn out and there were burn marks from a fire - internal damage. Probably an engine malfunction rather than an attack that did them in. The dull black metal walls were nothing to write home about either. Typical Sontaran aesthetic, with no eye for cheerful colors or creativity. Still, it worked to their advantage, since it made the layout of the ship easier to guess.
Ducking under a low-hanging coil, the Doctor felt too tall for the interior of the ship. He nearly had to stoop to be able to walk, and he bumped his head a few times. Still, he lead the way through the dead ship after passing Syaoran a torch. The infirmary and reprogramming facilities shouldn't be too hard to find.
He was surprised to find Syaoran's hand on his arm again, a silent request to pause. "Well, what is it?" he asked, impatient to find the other people.
Syaoran held up a rod that he had picked up from the rubble. "For your foot," he said, when the Doctor stared at him blankly.
The Doctor hadn't even mentioned his foot was bothering him and he was certain he hadn't been limping, even though his left foot was throbing painfully. "Thank you," he said, touched by how observant Syaoran was, and how kind. Patting Syaoran on the back, he took the rod and used it as a make shift cane. Immediately, he could feel the difference of not having to put his full weight on his left foot. "Yes, this does help nicely." Syaoran merely nodded, continuing carefully through the rubble.
"It should be one of these doors," the Doctor murmured as they approached a new hallway. He attempted to open the door with the three-fingered button on the wall next to it, but nothing happened. "I didn't think it would be that easy," he sighed.
It took both him and Syaoran to pry open the doors, one by one. It gave the Doctor time to think about where the power to the training system had come from, since none of the doors were working. The training systems must have been knocked off the power grid somehow, but then, how had it managed to get a new power source? He'd been about to explain all of this to Syaoran when Mokona let out a small cry. "It's Sakura! She's in here!"
Mokona bounced through the small opening as the Doctor and Syaoran gave one last push to open the door. Syaoran immediately raced in, the Doctor not far behind him.
"Sakura! Fai! Kurogane!" Mokona cried as it bounced between its sleeping friends. "They won't wake up!"
The Doctor moved to the gentleman they had seen fighting on the hill. There were others in the room too, presumably the archaeologists. He checked the dark man's vitals before moving on to one of the others, and he could see Syaoran doing the same. "Don't worry, Mokona. They're all still alive, just sleeping. They don't seem to have anything more serious than a few bruises and burns."
"How do we wake them up?" Mokona asked, worriedly poking at the girl's cheek.
"We'll need to get the power up and running again," the Doctor said, already moving to the controls. He was relieved to find they were still intact and mostly unharmed from whatever damage had caused the ship to crash. It must have been far enough away from the fire's center. "They're currently in stasis, probably hit with a chemical to keep them sleeping until their performance on the field could be reviewed and be given a tactical debriefing. All they need is the 'antidote' as it were, and that should be easily administered with these controls."
The Doctor didn't mention how lucky these people were, since the training had been set on the easiest level. He doubted the Rutan's attacks do more than give a static shock to a Sontaran. But to humans, the effect would be far more deadly. If the power level had been any higher, none of these people would be alive. That information would only worry Syaoran and Mokona though, so he kept it to himself.
Flipping a few switches, the Doctor shook his head. "It's just like the doors. There's no power."
"Then how is the training program still working?"
"That's a very good question, Mokona," the Doctor said, rubbing his chin. If the sleepers couldn't be woken up, they would eventually die. Again, the Doctor didn't mention that fact. "They seem fine here for now, so let's go and see."
"Mokona will stay with Sakura and the others!" the creature said, when Syaoran looked anxious. It bounced to Syaoran's shoulder. "No worries! Mokona will protect them!"
Syaoran smiled at the egg-shaped ball of fluff, hugging it lightly before it bounced back to the girl. "Thank you, Mokona."
That settled, they went back to prying open doors. It took them five more attempts before the Doctor pressed a switch that slid open half way before the hinges rusted. "Well, I'd say we're getting somewhere," he said as Syaoran pushed the door the rest of the way. The Doctor narrowly avoided hitting his head against the door frame as they walked into the lit control room.
The Doctor went to the controls and tried to reroute the power. However, his earlier assumption had been correct: the controls appeared to be jarred in the crash, cut off from the rest of the ship. While that explained why the rest of the ship didn't have power, it didn't explain why this section of the ship did.
The Doctor had been expecting questions as he started to pull apart a panel that he could hopefully rewire to the rest of the ship. He was almost annoyed not to have them, because he was being particularly clever right now and that's what humans were supposed to do, ask questions. Even the Brigadier recognized that function, though he'd come to expect most of the answers would go over his head. He looked over at Syaoran, who was hesitating as he held his torch steady. "You don't talk much, do you?" the Doctor asked.
Syaoran nodded, then remembered to speak. "I'm not used to it," he admitted.
"And why is that?" The Doctor lowered himself down to the wires as he spoke, shifting his bad foot out of the way so he wouldn't put more pressure on it.
There was a long pause, but before the Doctor could prompt him again, Syaoran answered. "I was captured for many years by the man who is interfering with our journey," he said quietly. "I could see what was going on, but I couldn't talk or move. I... couldn't help anyone. Because I had to pay the price for a wish."
The Doctor looked up from the wires in surprise. To be able to see everything, yet not be able to do anything, to not be able to even touch the world around him... And to do that to someone as young as Syaoran... What sort of wish could have a price like that?
It made the Doctor angry to think about it, but he kept his voice gentle. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried," he said finally.
Syaoran shook his head. "It was my wish. I knew it was wrong, but I had to try to help her."
To help someone. That person must be very important indeed, if Syaoran was willing to pay that price. This shop of wishes suddenly didn't seem half as pleasant as he thought it might. In his own exile to Earth, the Doctor could at least make a difference. He knew too well the meaning of a cage, but perhaps the Doctor hadn't realized how much freedom he really did have.
Freedom that was also available to Syaoran as well. Smiling, the Doctor inched out of the panel and pointed to the controls he'd vacated earlier. "Well, you're certainly able to help now. See that flashing light? When it stops, I need to you press the two long switches next to it and let me know if anything changes."
Syaoran nodded and walked over to the console, studying it carefully. The Doctor went back to his rewiring, explaining as he went about the power source and his suspicions without being prompted, along with what a few of the controls on the panel did.
"Now what have we here?" the Doctor interrupted himself as his fingers brushed across something soft. Crawling further under the panel, the Doctor pulled out a feather with strange markings on it. "How did you get in here?" he asked it thoughtfully, running his fingers down the spine of the feather. It made him think of a warm spring day, despite how he was quite sure the feather itself was room temperature.
"Doctor, the control panel has gone dead," Syaoran said, moving his torch to help the Doctor as the lights dimmed. They were back to the same darkness as the rest of the ship as the Doctor pulled the feather out.
"Now that is interesting," the Doctor said as he turned the soft feather over in his fingers. "I thing I've found our source of energy, though how it works is beyond me. I'm not even sure how it got here."
Syaoran pointed his torch to see what the Doctor was looking at. "It's Sakura's feather!" He took a half step towards the Doctor, reaching out to the feather before pulling back.
"You've seen this before then?" the Doctor asked.
Nodding, Syaoran hesitated. The Doctor handed over the feather, since it seemed to be important to the boy. "It's very powerful," Syaoran explained finally. "And very important to the princess. It's been used a source of power before, in the Piffle World. These feathers are the reason we travel."
"In that case, let's make this easier on ourselves," the Doctor said. He stood up and ignored the pain in his leg, brushing himself off and motioning for Syaoran to follow back to the room with the sleepers.
"Did you find something to wake everyone up?" Mokona asked as they entered the room.
"I rather believe we have," the Doctor said with a smile. He pulled off the panel for the main console, giving it a cursory glance to make sure there were no dangerous wires that might spark once power was applied. "Syaoran, if you would put the feather down there for now. Don't touch any of the wires if you can help it. It doesn't look damaged, but be careful. Just place the feather on top of them."
Syaoran's eyes lit up in understanding as he did as the Doctor asked. "A bit further in, please," the Doctor said as Syaoran disappeared under the console.
The control panel came to life with a low hum. It was a task of a few seconds to set the controls and make sure the chemical used to wake everyone wouldn't be lethal to humans. Shortly after, Mokona was happily proclaiming that everyone was waking up. "Come on," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Let's get these people out of here before they realize they are in a space ship."
The archaeologists were very flustered, but easily cowed by the identification the Brigadier insisted the Doctor carry around with him. He supposed it was useful on occasion, but he'd never tell the Brigadier that. A few calls from the camp ensured UNIT was on their way and even they couldn't mess this one up. No one had died, a fact that cheered the Doctor greatly as well. Not even a bit of rain or a sprained ankle could dampen his mood.
The travelers were set to go as well. Sakura had gotten her feather back and they were preparing to leave before UNIT would need to question them. For a brief moment, the Doctor was tempted to ask if he could join them. But he couldn't just leave the TARDIS, and he would miss Jo quite a lot. And the family he had made in this time period, though he'd never admit that either.
"Doctor!" Mokona exclaimed, bouncing on to his shoulder with a light 'plop.' "You had a wish, right? Would you like to talk to Yuuko?"
To be free of his exile... Though the price, was it worth the wish? He suspected it would be a rather heavy one, if he were right about how that shop worked. It wasn't just money that would be exchanged. "No, that's alright, Mokona," he said thoughtfully. "I think I'll grant my own wish." His exile couldn't be permanent. He'd make sure of it and until then, he'd stay with the humans that took him in.
Syaoran looked up at the words and returned the smile the Doctor gave him. It was the first one he had seen the boy give, and the Doctor clapped his shoulder encouragingly as Syaoran returned his cloak. "Good luck with your journey, Syaoran," the Doctor said.
"Thank you for all your help, Doctor," Syaoran said with a small bow. "I hope you get your wish someday."
"Likewise," the Doctor said.
Mokona bounced off his shoulder and into the air, mysterious wings unfolding from its back. "Bye-bye!" it said, before swallowing up the travelers and disappearing itself.
The Doctor was surprised by the unconventional means of travel, but he supposed it wasn't the strangest method of matter transference he had ever seen. After all, he traveled around in a police call box! "My wish, hm?" he said, rubbing the back of his neck as UNIT jeeps came up the road. "Yes, I suppose I should get back to it."
~FINI~
Quote of the Fic:
"There are many unusual things in this world. Everyday events occur that cannot be explained. Bizarre phenomena that often go unnoticed because people close their eyes to what they don't understand. But the truth of the matter is, there are many unusual things in this world. And people.... People are the most mysterious of them all.”
-xxxHolic
By: Memory Dragon
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, nor do I make any claim to.
Characters: Third Doctor, Real Syaoran, Mokona Modoki
Warnings: Not much for this fic by way of warnings. Just some spoilers for Tsubasa, I guess. More on that in the timeline.
Notes: A companion piece for The Price of a Wish, set more or less during the same time for both sets of characters. I don't think you need to have read Tsubasa in order to understand this fic, but I don't recommend reading it if you've only read part of Tsubasa. Then it would get confusing due to some of the more spoiler-y bits. So if you've never heard of it, you should be good. If that makes any sort of sense...
Timeline: After the Tokyo arc, but before Infinity for Syaoran. Which is really the best time to play with the characters, since they're all so raw after what happened in Tokyo. Set sometime after Colony in Space for the Doctor, though that doesn't really come into play in this story at all.
Thanks: Thanks to
narwhale_callin for the beta, even if she hates Mokona. I still don't understand how you can hate Mokona, since it's basically a marshmallow with springs, but to each their own. <3 I love her anyway.
~
"You know he means well," Jo scolded him.
"The idiot scared away my one chance of acquiring a new dematerialization circuit by waving a gun around!" The Doctor put on his cloak and driving gloves, not waiting for Jo's reply as he walked out the door.
"To be fair, they were threatening to destroy all of London," Jo said soothingly as she followed behind him. "How were we to know that it was all just a con to get resources?"
The Doctor knew that. He did. And he wouldn't put getting a new circuit before saving people. But that didn't help his temper right now. "He could have let me negotiate!" the Doctor said, sliding into Bessie's driver seat as he tried not to sound like he was sulking.
He could tell by Jo's smile that he hadn't succeeded. "You know the Brigadier's policy on negotiating with terrorists. We couldn't have known!"
"He could have listened when I said the Ximol were harmless." Except that was the problem. The Brigadier had listened and decided that the best way to be rid of the menace from the Mira galaxy was to bring out the big guns to scare them away and good riddance. He couldn't have just waited five minutes to let the Doctor bargain a circuit out of them.
Jo put her hands on her hips, but the Doctor started the engines before she could continue. He heard her calling after him as he drove off, but he didn't want to listen.
The Doctor felt caged. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate UNIT for taking him in when he had nowhere else to go while stuck on this planet, but he was still a prisoner to this time and place, subject to military bureaucracy. He'd left Gallifrey to avoid that sort of thing, and now he was chained to it.
At least the British countryside had a calming effect on his temper. Jo was right. Getting in a huff about it all wasn't productive. He certainly wasn't going to get a new dematerialization circuit driving aimlessly out here. As much as he wanted to blame the Brigadier, it wasn't his fault the Doctor was still in exile.
Sighing, the Doctor continued down the little road. It was an overcast day and if the Doctor were to guess, he'd say it would rain in a few hours. Best not to go too far then, if he didn't want to get caught in the rain which would only make his current mood worse. He would just have to return and try making a new circuit again. Maybe he'd get it working tomorrow. Where there's life, there's hope.
Regardless of his resolutions, the Doctor continued driving. He wanted time away from UNIT HQ to keep it from feeling like a cage. He could at least leave it, if he really wanted to. Just because it was the best place to stave off boredom and get the materials he needed didn't mean he had to stay, which buoyed him on the worst days. Staying with UNIT was still his choice.
He was just about to find somewhere to turn around when he saw a body in the road. The Doctor pulled over and looked around, but there didn't seem to be anyone else about. Getting out of Bessie, he went to check on the downed man.
A child, not a man. Teenager, he believed the correct human term to be, looking to be about sixteen or seventeen. The boy was oddly clothed, wearing a plain white shirt with short sleeves and slacks that looked as though they had seen better days, neither of which conformed to the styles of the time. He certainly wasn't dressed for English weather either.
"Syaoran! Syaoran!" a small voice cried softly.
The Doctor looked around again, but still didn't see anyone other than the boy. There was definitely someone crying though. "Excuse me, but I'd like to help," he called out, attempting to ascertain the boy's health from where he was. He didn't want whoever this disembodied voice belonged to to think he was a threat, as much as he wanted to help the boy, so he kept a decent distance away.
A small, white creature jumped up from the other side of where the boy was laying. It looked like some odd cross between a floppy eared rabbit and an egg, with a bright red gem on its forehead and a matching earring on one ear. "Please," it cried. "Can you help Syaoran? He won't wake up."
"An artificial construct?" the Doctor asked in surprise at seeing the white ball of fluff. It was certainly an odd creature, if someone had made it. Then he shook his head. Whatever this strange creature was, the Doctor needed to check on the boy first. He could wonder at how such a creature was made later. "Alright, let me see what I can do."
Kneeling down beside the boy, the Doctor was relieved to see the lad was still breathing regularly. There were scorch marks all over the boy's body, but none too deep or severe. Carefully, the Doctor turned the boy's head so that he could check his pulse. "He looks worse than he is, I suspect," the Doctor said after noting the boy's pulse was normal. There was a small cut above his cheek, but it wasn't bleeding. "Do you know what happened to him?" he asked the creature as he took off his cloak to wrap around the boy.
"We just arrived," the creature said with a sniffle. "There were these green jelly fish creatures that attacked us. Mokona and Syaoran got separated from the others and one of the jelly fish zapped Syaoran with lighting."
Jelly fish creatures? Jelly fish creatures with an electric attack. The Doctor didn't like the conclusions he came to on those descriptions. "This boy is Syaoran, correct?" he asked.
The creature nodded, bouncing to Syaoran's shoulder. "And Mokona is Mokona! Will Syaoran be alright?"
"Yes, I think so," the Doctor said, just as happy with the prognosis as Mokona was. "Let's get him out of the street."
Picking the boy up, the Doctor carried him back to Bessie and laid him out comfortably in the back seat. Mokona jumped up on the Doctor's shoulder, proving that it could bounce awfully high for such a small thing. "Thank you for helping!" Mokona said, hugging the Doctor's neck.
The Doctor smiled down at the small white creature, charmed in spite of his earlier foul mood. "You said that you were separated from other companions? What do they look like?"
"Sakura is really pretty with short hair and green eyes," Mokona said. "And then there's Fai, who is tall and skinny, with blond hair. He lost one of his eyes recently." At this, Mokona's voice became sad and it sniffled again. "I think Fai will be with Sakura. Last is Kurogane. He's dark and looks scary, but he's been looking after everyone since..."
"It's alright, little fellow," the Doctor said as Mokona trailed off. "Why don't you sit up here on the dashboard and you can tell me if you see any of them while we get this young man's wounds treated."
Mokona gave a cheerful affirmative as the Doctor started up Bessie. They sounded like an odd assortment of travelers. How had they 'just arrived' as well? This was far in the countryside, about five miles from the nearest town. With those names, they were more than likely foreigners.
Before pulling back onto the road, the Doctor looked over to the small creature. "Mokona," he asked, "where do you come from?"
There was a groan from the backseat, effectively cutting off Mokona's response. "Syaoran!" Mokona shouted, bouncing back to the boy happily. "Syaoran, you're awake!"
The Doctor turned off Bessie again, deciding to see how Syaoran was fairing first. He turned around, glad to see the boy awake and hugging Mokona. "You gave us quite a scare," the Doctor said, smiling warmly.
Syaoran looked up, but was silent until Mokona prodded his cheek. The Doctor was struck by the curious feeling that Syaoran had forgotten he could talk. "I'm sorry for worrying you. The others..?" Syaoran asked.
"We're about to set off in search of them," the Doctor said, regarding the strange young man who was wrapping the Doctor's cloak tighter around him. He had warm brown eyes and a sorrowful expression that didn't suit someone so young. "Mokona has explained what happened, but perhaps you could help me find these 'jelly fish' that attacked you. It's important to make sure they don't attack anyone else."
He'd expected to see fear in Syaoran's face, but instead the boy just nodded grimly. Then he hesitated again, and the Doctor waited a moment for Syaoran to speak. "Thank you for taking care of me," Syaoran said finally with a small bow of his head. "Ah..."
"How terribly rude of me. I'm the Doctor," he said, reaching out to take Syaoran's hand with a firm shake. "And you are Syaoran, correct?"
Again, Syaoran nodded and fell silent. He was a peculiar young man, so polite and quiet. Someone who wasn't afraid of the monsters that had nearly killed him, and so very young to be that brave and melancholy.
"Do you know where the jelly fish had come from?" the Doctor asked after a moment or two to make sure Syaoran was finished talking.
"They came from over that hill," Syaoran said, pointing off the road.
The Doctor made a mental note of the area, making sure he would be able to recognize it again. "Let's get your wounds treated then," the Doctor said as he checked the road for traffic.
"Please, I'm alright," Syaoran said. "I'd rather search for the others, if you don't mind."
The boy wasn't too badly hurt, it was true, though the Doctor wished he had warmer clothes to give the lad. But if these 'jelly fish' turned out to be what he feared... He didn't need UNIT for reinforcements, naturally, but Jo's company was preferable.
No, he was going to prove that he didn't need the Brigadier's interference. He could go without UNIT this time, without his usual cage. Giving Bessie a fond pat, the Doctor got out of the car. "I'm afraid Bessie's four wheel drive has been-" torn out and still not replaced after the last time it had refused to work "-comprised recently. We'll have to walk to investigate. Are you up to it?"
He watched Syaoran carefully after the boy nodded and got out of the car, but he seemed up to walking. They made for the hill Syaoran had pointed to in relative silence. This wouldn't do at all, the Doctor thought. He was half tempted to fill the silence with humming, but he was still curious about these mysterious travelers. "Why don't you tell me about where you're from while we walk, Syaoran."
"We're from another world!" Mokona said cheerfully from its spot in Syaoran's arms. "A looooooong way from here."
"Another world?" the Doctor asked. He looked back at Syaoran and Mokona, wondering if he had misjudged them. "Then are you human?"
"I am," Syaoran explained. "What Mokona means is not from another planet, but from another dimension."
"How fascinating." Travelers from another dimension. That was difficult even for the Time Lords. He'd only done it once himself, and that had been an accident. It wasn't a very pleasant memory either. He couldn't help but feel a bit envious at the information though, traveling through dimensions as well as places... "How do you travel from each dimension, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Mokona takes everyone!" the creature said.
"Mokona!"
"Don't worry, old chap. I'm not out to steal Mokona," the Doctor assured him, though his eyes never left the white creature. "And you're a created construct, aren't you, Mokona? Who made you?"
"Yuuko made me! She's the Dimensional Witch!"
Now there was a name he had only heard whispers of. The Doctor thought she was a myth created by some of the lesser races to explain mysterious circumstances. Certainly there was nothing about her in Time Lord history. "And is it true that she grants wishes?" the Doctor asked, unable to help himself.
Mokona bounced out of Syaoran's arms and onto the Doctor's shoulder. "Does the Doctor have a wish?"
The Doctor smiled, an expression that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You could say that."
This time when they fell into silence, the Doctor started humming a Venusian aria. The Dimensional Witch, a person who could grant any wish for a price. He'd heard a little about her from the Tallby people on Craexus. They spoke of a powerful witch with a shop that sold wishes, that one could only visit if it was foreordained. He'd been most interested in seeing her at the time, and had been very put out to learn he wasn't one of the few who could see the dimensional shop. That had been before he'd been exiled though. Now that he had a wish, would he be able to meet her? And what would the price be, he wondered.
They reached the top of the hill and Mokona bounced on his shoulder. "There's Kurogane!"
The Doctor looked in the direction Mokona pointed to see a large, dark-haired man in a similar white shirt and black trousers combination as Syaoran wore. He had a katana in his hands as he fought off what the Doctor had feared - a Rutan.
The man was very skilled with the sword, but anything metal left a strong weakness the Rutans could exploit and there were many more Rutans converging on the man. He was already fighting five of them, with four more joining in the fray. One of the tentacles reached out from behind the man...
"Kurogane!" Mokona shouted as a warning, but it was too late. The dark man fell to his knees as the shock coursed through him and the whole lot of them disappeared in a flash of white light before the Doctor and Syaoran could even get close.
"Where did they take Kurogane-san?" Syaoran asked as they stopped running, worry in his eyes.
"That mode of transportation..." the Doctor said, his mind racing through the possibilities. That was a form of transport that worked like a transmat, except it hadn't been used in the Sontaran/ Rutan Host war in over a thousand years. And a white flash, instead of the usual yellow-green... Not to mention the Rutan's attacks hadn't been fatal to Syaoran, which was a puzzlement in and of itself.
"Doctor?" Syaoran asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"I have an idea," the Doctor said finally as they neared the site of the fight. "And for once if I'm right, we'll be in a much better situation. I don't think the lighting would be fatal, not if it only knocked you out earlier."
Mokona was reassured by this, but Syaoran still looked worried. "Is there something else you're concerned about, Syaoran?" the Doctor asked when the boy still hadn't said anything.
Syaoran started, as if he were surprised to be spoken to. "I... If these creatures took Kurogane-san, why didn't they take me as well?" he asked finally.
"I suspect you were out of range from the transport," the Doctor explained. "Though I don't think we want to take their mode of transport to where ever the others are. If the Rutans come back, I suggest we make a run for it."
Syaoran nodded and the Doctor petted Mokona's head reassuringly. "So those jelly fish are called Rutans?" Mokona asked.
"The Rutan Host to be precise. They're shape shifters, or they would be if we were actually dealing with them. I have a suspicion that these aren't the real thing." The Doctor was fishing through his pockets as he explained. Finally, he found what he was looking for - an electronic pulse detector. This far out in the countryside, the strongest reading had to be the alien ship they were looking for.
Syaoran looked at the small black device in the Doctor's hands as he fiddled and tuned it to different frequencies. It started to beep steadily after a few seconds. "Yes, this way, I think," the Doctor said, starting off down the hill confidently.
"What are we looking for?" Mokona asked as Syaoran scrambled to keep up with them.
"A space ship, probably buried for centuries," the Doctor said as he searched the area. "I do recall something in the news about an archeological dig of some Roman ruins in the area. Perhaps they dug up something they weren't expecting."
Syaoran looked interested at the word 'archeology,' but before he could say anything, five Rutans appeared with another white flash. "Run!" the Doctor said, pointing in the direction where the beeps were the strongest.
They took off, but the steep hill made the going difficult. The Rutans didn't appear to have any trouble, which wasn't very fair to the Doctor's way of thinking. It was even less fair when a rock presented itself right in front of his shoe. Mokona bounced off his shoulder as the Doctor rolled to break his fall, trying to protect the electronic pulse detector as much as he could.
There was no way to avoid the electric shock of the tentacles as the Rutans gained on him. As the Doctor rolled to a stop, he doubted his Venusian karate would help him either, even if he could get into a position with which he could use it. Raising a hand to protect his face, the Doctor was surprised to find Syaoran kicking the Rutan away with a sword in his hand.
Where the devil had he gotten that?
Picking himself up off the ground, the Doctor winced as he put weight on his left foot. Probably sprained. He didn't have time to baby it either, not if they were going to get away. He picked up Mokona and started back in the direction of the beeps. "Syaoran, let's get out of here," he called out, waving the young man to follow.
The sword disappeared into Syaoran's arm as he took off after the Doctor. A contamination effect, mixing the atoms of the sword to that of Syaoran's arm? The Doctor nearly stopped in surprise at seeing it. Very impressive, but the Doctor needed to save his curiosity until they were safe!
A few moments later there was a hand on his arm, not a tentacle, that pulled him to a stop. The Doctor turned around to see that all the Rutans had disappeared. Syaoran was the one who had stopped him.
"Where did they go?" Mokona asked. "Are we out of range again?"
"I rather think it's the opposite, Mokona," the Doctor said with a smile. "If you were in charge of a training ship, you wouldn't want the practice to get too close and damage something vital."
"A training ship?" Syaoran asked.
Hearing Syaoran ask a question without being prompted startled the Doctor, but he smiled encouragingly back at the boy. So he could talk in a normal conversation after all. "Yes, the Rutans disappearing prove it. The ship we're looking for was part of a Sontaran training fleet, probably on its way to the Traxus galaxy. Something must have gone wrong and they crashed to the planet. They're a nasty group, the Sontarans, but I doubt any of them could survive this long."
It was easy enough after that to find the dig. It was deserted, but there was no sign of a struggle. The Doctor assumed the archeologists must have been picked off as they left for the night. Recently too, since UNIT would have heard of a mass kidnapping of archeologists.
It started to rain lightly as the Doctor tried the sonic screwdriver on the air lock door. When that didn't work, he and Syaoran used more physical measures to get the door open. Stale, but breathable air came out, which boded well for the kidnapped persons.
Inside, signs of damage were everywhere. Wires were torn out and there were burn marks from a fire - internal damage. Probably an engine malfunction rather than an attack that did them in. The dull black metal walls were nothing to write home about either. Typical Sontaran aesthetic, with no eye for cheerful colors or creativity. Still, it worked to their advantage, since it made the layout of the ship easier to guess.
Ducking under a low-hanging coil, the Doctor felt too tall for the interior of the ship. He nearly had to stoop to be able to walk, and he bumped his head a few times. Still, he lead the way through the dead ship after passing Syaoran a torch. The infirmary and reprogramming facilities shouldn't be too hard to find.
He was surprised to find Syaoran's hand on his arm again, a silent request to pause. "Well, what is it?" he asked, impatient to find the other people.
Syaoran held up a rod that he had picked up from the rubble. "For your foot," he said, when the Doctor stared at him blankly.
The Doctor hadn't even mentioned his foot was bothering him and he was certain he hadn't been limping, even though his left foot was throbing painfully. "Thank you," he said, touched by how observant Syaoran was, and how kind. Patting Syaoran on the back, he took the rod and used it as a make shift cane. Immediately, he could feel the difference of not having to put his full weight on his left foot. "Yes, this does help nicely." Syaoran merely nodded, continuing carefully through the rubble.
"It should be one of these doors," the Doctor murmured as they approached a new hallway. He attempted to open the door with the three-fingered button on the wall next to it, but nothing happened. "I didn't think it would be that easy," he sighed.
It took both him and Syaoran to pry open the doors, one by one. It gave the Doctor time to think about where the power to the training system had come from, since none of the doors were working. The training systems must have been knocked off the power grid somehow, but then, how had it managed to get a new power source? He'd been about to explain all of this to Syaoran when Mokona let out a small cry. "It's Sakura! She's in here!"
Mokona bounced through the small opening as the Doctor and Syaoran gave one last push to open the door. Syaoran immediately raced in, the Doctor not far behind him.
"Sakura! Fai! Kurogane!" Mokona cried as it bounced between its sleeping friends. "They won't wake up!"
The Doctor moved to the gentleman they had seen fighting on the hill. There were others in the room too, presumably the archaeologists. He checked the dark man's vitals before moving on to one of the others, and he could see Syaoran doing the same. "Don't worry, Mokona. They're all still alive, just sleeping. They don't seem to have anything more serious than a few bruises and burns."
"How do we wake them up?" Mokona asked, worriedly poking at the girl's cheek.
"We'll need to get the power up and running again," the Doctor said, already moving to the controls. He was relieved to find they were still intact and mostly unharmed from whatever damage had caused the ship to crash. It must have been far enough away from the fire's center. "They're currently in stasis, probably hit with a chemical to keep them sleeping until their performance on the field could be reviewed and be given a tactical debriefing. All they need is the 'antidote' as it were, and that should be easily administered with these controls."
The Doctor didn't mention how lucky these people were, since the training had been set on the easiest level. He doubted the Rutan's attacks do more than give a static shock to a Sontaran. But to humans, the effect would be far more deadly. If the power level had been any higher, none of these people would be alive. That information would only worry Syaoran and Mokona though, so he kept it to himself.
Flipping a few switches, the Doctor shook his head. "It's just like the doors. There's no power."
"Then how is the training program still working?"
"That's a very good question, Mokona," the Doctor said, rubbing his chin. If the sleepers couldn't be woken up, they would eventually die. Again, the Doctor didn't mention that fact. "They seem fine here for now, so let's go and see."
"Mokona will stay with Sakura and the others!" the creature said, when Syaoran looked anxious. It bounced to Syaoran's shoulder. "No worries! Mokona will protect them!"
Syaoran smiled at the egg-shaped ball of fluff, hugging it lightly before it bounced back to the girl. "Thank you, Mokona."
That settled, they went back to prying open doors. It took them five more attempts before the Doctor pressed a switch that slid open half way before the hinges rusted. "Well, I'd say we're getting somewhere," he said as Syaoran pushed the door the rest of the way. The Doctor narrowly avoided hitting his head against the door frame as they walked into the lit control room.
The Doctor went to the controls and tried to reroute the power. However, his earlier assumption had been correct: the controls appeared to be jarred in the crash, cut off from the rest of the ship. While that explained why the rest of the ship didn't have power, it didn't explain why this section of the ship did.
The Doctor had been expecting questions as he started to pull apart a panel that he could hopefully rewire to the rest of the ship. He was almost annoyed not to have them, because he was being particularly clever right now and that's what humans were supposed to do, ask questions. Even the Brigadier recognized that function, though he'd come to expect most of the answers would go over his head. He looked over at Syaoran, who was hesitating as he held his torch steady. "You don't talk much, do you?" the Doctor asked.
Syaoran nodded, then remembered to speak. "I'm not used to it," he admitted.
"And why is that?" The Doctor lowered himself down to the wires as he spoke, shifting his bad foot out of the way so he wouldn't put more pressure on it.
There was a long pause, but before the Doctor could prompt him again, Syaoran answered. "I was captured for many years by the man who is interfering with our journey," he said quietly. "I could see what was going on, but I couldn't talk or move. I... couldn't help anyone. Because I had to pay the price for a wish."
The Doctor looked up from the wires in surprise. To be able to see everything, yet not be able to do anything, to not be able to even touch the world around him... And to do that to someone as young as Syaoran... What sort of wish could have a price like that?
It made the Doctor angry to think about it, but he kept his voice gentle. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried," he said finally.
Syaoran shook his head. "It was my wish. I knew it was wrong, but I had to try to help her."
To help someone. That person must be very important indeed, if Syaoran was willing to pay that price. This shop of wishes suddenly didn't seem half as pleasant as he thought it might. In his own exile to Earth, the Doctor could at least make a difference. He knew too well the meaning of a cage, but perhaps the Doctor hadn't realized how much freedom he really did have.
Freedom that was also available to Syaoran as well. Smiling, the Doctor inched out of the panel and pointed to the controls he'd vacated earlier. "Well, you're certainly able to help now. See that flashing light? When it stops, I need to you press the two long switches next to it and let me know if anything changes."
Syaoran nodded and walked over to the console, studying it carefully. The Doctor went back to his rewiring, explaining as he went about the power source and his suspicions without being prompted, along with what a few of the controls on the panel did.
"Now what have we here?" the Doctor interrupted himself as his fingers brushed across something soft. Crawling further under the panel, the Doctor pulled out a feather with strange markings on it. "How did you get in here?" he asked it thoughtfully, running his fingers down the spine of the feather. It made him think of a warm spring day, despite how he was quite sure the feather itself was room temperature.
"Doctor, the control panel has gone dead," Syaoran said, moving his torch to help the Doctor as the lights dimmed. They were back to the same darkness as the rest of the ship as the Doctor pulled the feather out.
"Now that is interesting," the Doctor said as he turned the soft feather over in his fingers. "I thing I've found our source of energy, though how it works is beyond me. I'm not even sure how it got here."
Syaoran pointed his torch to see what the Doctor was looking at. "It's Sakura's feather!" He took a half step towards the Doctor, reaching out to the feather before pulling back.
"You've seen this before then?" the Doctor asked.
Nodding, Syaoran hesitated. The Doctor handed over the feather, since it seemed to be important to the boy. "It's very powerful," Syaoran explained finally. "And very important to the princess. It's been used a source of power before, in the Piffle World. These feathers are the reason we travel."
"In that case, let's make this easier on ourselves," the Doctor said. He stood up and ignored the pain in his leg, brushing himself off and motioning for Syaoran to follow back to the room with the sleepers.
"Did you find something to wake everyone up?" Mokona asked as they entered the room.
"I rather believe we have," the Doctor said with a smile. He pulled off the panel for the main console, giving it a cursory glance to make sure there were no dangerous wires that might spark once power was applied. "Syaoran, if you would put the feather down there for now. Don't touch any of the wires if you can help it. It doesn't look damaged, but be careful. Just place the feather on top of them."
Syaoran's eyes lit up in understanding as he did as the Doctor asked. "A bit further in, please," the Doctor said as Syaoran disappeared under the console.
The control panel came to life with a low hum. It was a task of a few seconds to set the controls and make sure the chemical used to wake everyone wouldn't be lethal to humans. Shortly after, Mokona was happily proclaiming that everyone was waking up. "Come on," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Let's get these people out of here before they realize they are in a space ship."
The archaeologists were very flustered, but easily cowed by the identification the Brigadier insisted the Doctor carry around with him. He supposed it was useful on occasion, but he'd never tell the Brigadier that. A few calls from the camp ensured UNIT was on their way and even they couldn't mess this one up. No one had died, a fact that cheered the Doctor greatly as well. Not even a bit of rain or a sprained ankle could dampen his mood.
The travelers were set to go as well. Sakura had gotten her feather back and they were preparing to leave before UNIT would need to question them. For a brief moment, the Doctor was tempted to ask if he could join them. But he couldn't just leave the TARDIS, and he would miss Jo quite a lot. And the family he had made in this time period, though he'd never admit that either.
"Doctor!" Mokona exclaimed, bouncing on to his shoulder with a light 'plop.' "You had a wish, right? Would you like to talk to Yuuko?"
To be free of his exile... Though the price, was it worth the wish? He suspected it would be a rather heavy one, if he were right about how that shop worked. It wasn't just money that would be exchanged. "No, that's alright, Mokona," he said thoughtfully. "I think I'll grant my own wish." His exile couldn't be permanent. He'd make sure of it and until then, he'd stay with the humans that took him in.
Syaoran looked up at the words and returned the smile the Doctor gave him. It was the first one he had seen the boy give, and the Doctor clapped his shoulder encouragingly as Syaoran returned his cloak. "Good luck with your journey, Syaoran," the Doctor said.
"Thank you for all your help, Doctor," Syaoran said with a small bow. "I hope you get your wish someday."
"Likewise," the Doctor said.
Mokona bounced off his shoulder and into the air, mysterious wings unfolding from its back. "Bye-bye!" it said, before swallowing up the travelers and disappearing itself.
The Doctor was surprised by the unconventional means of travel, but he supposed it wasn't the strangest method of matter transference he had ever seen. After all, he traveled around in a police call box! "My wish, hm?" he said, rubbing the back of his neck as UNIT jeeps came up the road. "Yes, I suppose I should get back to it."
~FINI~
Quote of the Fic:
"There are many unusual things in this world. Everyday events occur that cannot be explained. Bizarre phenomena that often go unnoticed because people close their eyes to what they don't understand. But the truth of the matter is, there are many unusual things in this world. And people.... People are the most mysterious of them all.”
-xxxHolic