The Adventures of the Doctor and Rory the Roman: Nine Round Two
1147 AD
Rory was tired of fanatical monks. He’d met at least five so far - not counting that monastery mess back in 1054 - but Rudolf was the worst of them all. It was a little bit ridiculous, but he was thinking about writing an essay or something listing all the things that would be better uses of people’s time than persecuting Jews. Rory wasn’t sure what Rudolf’s motives were but he kept on saying preposterous things about the Jews not contributing monetarily to the Crusades. That was a whole other essay Rory wanted to write.
Unfortunately, Rudolf’s mania extended not solely to the Jews but to mysterious artifacts that nobody had been able to open in the last thousand years. The Pandorica had lately been on a tour of sorts. The current Pope seemed to think it was a sign of good fortune and that if the people were to actually see it, that it would cause them to get all excited about the Crusade. Rory was trying to think of it as a walking tour. There really wasn’t much he could do about it without over-exposing himself and his best weapon was mystery.
He did feel at the top of his game though, which was a very good thing. The Doctor’s upgrade or whatever it had been, was working like a charm. All of Rory’s extra plastic features, strength, vision, hearing, were working fine. And all of his learned skills, like his languages, ambidexterity, the fighting arts, and medicinal knowledge were all still intact. He was almost raring for a fight - he was never raring for a fight - and if Rudolf persisted in his claims that the Pandorica was of the devil, Rory was going to let him have it.
He still didn’t feel like much of a warrior though. Rory the Rabbit was a much better nickname for himself, he thought. He often amused himself by coming up with different titles. There was currently a heated debate among scholars as to whether to call him the Last Centurion or the Lone Centurion. He favored the latter himself, but he’d discovered that legends don’t get to name themselves or have any input - which was logical - but it seemed unfair somehow. In the long run it probably wouldn’t be important. He hoped that someday the fascination with the Pandorica would wane and that he himself would be lost to the mists of time - ideally not literally - and he and Amy could get on with waiting for the Doctor. That’s what they did. They waited.
But Rory had to wait a little bit more actively than he would like. Which is why he was usually lamenting the fact that every time he managed to get the Pandorica harnessed and ready to move at a moment’s - try hour’s - notice, somebody would unearth it and rearrange all his plans. That was the only nice part about the touring Pandorica. It was moved by other people. He moved along with it, trying to stay out of sight most of the time. It wasn’t until Rudolf had physically tried to open the box that he’d stepped in - from a distance - acting as a sniper anytime someone tried to get too close. It was working well, but Rory felt horrible because it seemed like every time Rudolf was thwarted from the Pandorica, he just went back to persecuting the Jews.
Rory hated having to make decisions like that. The good of the now or the good of the future. Amy or the people. One time period or all of time. One planet or the universe. He could go on like that forever. He empathized with the Doctor more than ever. Still, there he was, the Lone Last Centurion, and that was his purpose.
He’d started freeing people locked up by Rudolf and his men though. Either they were locked in stocks in the town square and that was very easy to arrange an escape from, or they were in jail cells and one good shot to the lock would open the doors. He hoped that would help make a difference other than making Rudolf go crazy and start killing people or something extreme like that.
It had been about four days since Rudolf’s last attempt to open the box and Rory guessed that he wouldn’t try again. Not by himself anyway. They were calling a town meeting and Rory hoped that the men from the Pandorica’s guard who had been dispatched to warn the Pope of the situation would arrive with help before this escalated any further. He really didn’t want to reveal himself.
“People, I beg you to listen to me,” Rudolf ranted below. Rory was perched in a tree, on the hill close behind them. “People, we have a serious problem on our hands. There is division and conspiracy among us. There is betrayal in the air. Can you, who are loyal citizens and Christians, truly sit there and do nothing? I think not. I ask you to help me. Take hold of this box and cast it into the ocean. Let us be rid of its menace.”
Rory wanted to be sick. Unfortunately - actually fortunately - that wasn’t something Autons did. But he was a bit worried. The people were being stirred up and muttering among themselves. That was never a good sign. Rory debated whether or not to flip his hand open, but as good a shot as he had become, he didn’t want to take the chance of hitting anybody he wasn’t aiming at.
There was a further commotion from the back of the crowd and Rory scanned it, thankful for his eyes. There were men coming into the town and approaching the town square where the Pandorica was displayed and Rudolf was ranting. There were guards and a man in a robe marking him high in the clergy. Another man was riding beside him. It was the Doctor, the ninth one, and he looked absolutely out of place. There was no mistaking him.
Rory felt better immediately. While he’d handled countless situations like this for over a millennium without the Doctor’s help, the times when the man showed up - whichever man - were always better.
Whispers followed the men as they moved forward. Rory didn’t have to strain hard to hear.
“Bernard of Clairvaux. Who is that with him? What’s he doing here? Bernard. The Pope must have sent him. What’s going on? Who’s the other one? Bernard of Clairvaux.”
That was impressive company the Doctor was keeping. Rory got down out of the tree and prepared to get closer.
The horses reached the front of the crowd and Bernard swung off his horse, striding close to the less confident looking Rudolf.
“What heresy is this?” he boomed. “What lies are you spurting? Why are you harassing these people?”
“The box is evil,” Rudolf blurted out, sounding terrified. Rory noticed he didn’t mention anything about trying to turn people against the Jews. “We must destroy it.”
“I don’t know,” the Doctor said, still on his horse, guiding it closer to the box. “A prettier box I never saw. What a shame it would be to try and throw it away without knowing what it was, don’t you think?”
“No one’s been able to get in there for a thousand years,” Rudolf gasped out. “Who are you?”
“I’m the Doctor. Hello.”
“What authority do you have?”
“My own,” the Doctor said calmly. “Old Barney here was good enough to let me tag along. I haven’t ridden a horse in hundreds of years. It was fun, but I’m thinking massage parlor for my next stop.”
Everyone gaped at him and Rory smiled to himself.
Even Bernard looked curious.
“Doctor,” he said, “shall we not examine Rudolf’s testimony to see if it be true?”
“Examine away and be my guest,” the Doctor said, getting off his horse. “I’m going to see if the pretty box has a latch you lot can’t see.”
Rory grimaced. There definitely was a drawback to the whole ‘Doctor forgetting everything’ thing.
He stepped out from behind the box, sword drawn.
“I will not let that happen,” he said firmly. “I shall defend this box even against you, Doctor.”
“You’re a fine one,” the Doctor said, looking closely at him. “You’re not human either.”
“That is debatable,” Rory said wryly. “Doctor, there are four things I’d like to say to you. One, Rory. Two, don’t open the box. Three, I’m not getting into the Tardis with you so don’t bother asking. Four, you are to forget me as soon as you leave.” The Doctor blinked and Rory turned away to Bernard, hardly believing in - but loving - his own audacity. “Thank you for coming. This man is persecuting loyal citizens, specifically the Jewish people. This box is under my protection as well as the Pope’s. Care to argue?”
“Rory!” the Doctor roared, grabbing him by the shoulders and hugging him.
Rory pulled away.
“You’re rather ruining my image, Doctor,” he said, moving his sword so that it wasn’t in danger of cutting off the Doctor’s ears.
And, no, he wasn’t thinking about how that could be an improvement.
“Silly humans,” the Doctor said, but he obviously understood, because he stepped back and wiped the grin from his face.
“I am glad to see you though,” Rory said under his breath.
“Mutual.”
“You would be…?” Bernard asked.
“A bit of a debate about that,” the Doctor said. “Though Centurion will always do the trick.”
“I guard the Pandorica,” Rory said. “That is all anyone need know. Do not attempt to open or destroy it.”
“It is under the Pope’s protection,” Bernard said. “I have strict instructions on that point. I shall have it brought back to a secure location.”
“Thank you,” Rory said, inclining his head gravely.
He stepped back behind the box, but stayed where he could hear everything that was happening; granted, he could do that from a lot further away if need be.
“Rudolf, this is mania,” Bernard said. “You must cease this fanaticism.”
“It is the truth,” Rudolf said. “We must stop the heathens and drive them from the holy places and this rabble will do nothing to help.”
“An army to crusade is one thing,” Bernard said. “Persecution and meaningless violence is another. You will be taken back to your monastery. Guards.” Rory heard the sounds of a slight scuffle and then Bernard addressed the crowd. “Hear this now, on order from the Pope. There shall be no more prosecution against the Jewish people. This box will be taken and put in protective custody. The Crusade lives on!”
The people started to cheer and Rory supposed that the better of the battles had been won. He wasn’t here to avert history; in fact, it would be much better if he could keep it the same. No matter the bits that he didn’t like.
The Doctor stepped around the box and casually leaned against it.
“Watch it,” the Doctor said. “People are gonna think there’s a black hole on the other side of this box. Then, one day, someone will think to look around it and see you’re still here.”
“I’m not usually,” Rory said. “I was waiting for you.”
“You holding up all right?” the Doctor asked.
“The Six upgrade is working out swell,” Rory said dryly.
“I don’t like this numbering thing you’ve got going on,” the Doctor said.
“I call you all Doctor to your face, but you have to admit that with so many of you and only one me, numbering is an efficient way of keeping you all straight.”
“Others have done the same,” the Doctor admitted. “I don’t like my past much.”
“I think you like it better than your present,” Rory said.
“No more psycho analysis,” the Doctor said, but he was smiling.
“Did you ever make it to 2005?” Rory asked and then remembered that this might be a Nine earlier than his first Nine.
Confusing? Oh yes.
“What? Oh yeah. Picked up Rose and now we’ve got Jack too. The Tardis is almost too crowded.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“Shut it, and you better get going before someone sees you.”
“Thanks for the help.”
“Was all you today,” the Doctor said.
“Right, and you will promise to forget me…”
“I always do what’s right,” the Doctor said tightly. “No matter the cost.”
Rory felt a bit uncomfortable for a minute.
“I’ll see you?”
“Most likely. You seem to have almost a magnetizing effect on the Tardis,” the Doctor said.
“I think she probably understands what I’m trying to do and wants to help,” Rory said, trying to remember exactly when he’d found the temerity to start talking about the Tardis like he knew what it/she was.
It probably also helped that he would be consistently alive through two thousand years’ worth of history.
“Likely,” the Doctor said, then rubbed his hands together. “Right, I’d better get back. Rose and Jack have probably converted the whole clergy into belly dancers or something rubbish like that.”
“Right…”
“Barney, let’s hit that road,” the Doctor yelled, going back around to the other side of the box.
Rory permitted himself a moment of leaning against the Pandorica. It had been too long since he’d really been with her.
“And here we go again,” he said.