ROSE TYLER, NINJA ASSASSIN
Chapter Nine "This is so much easier than walking," Donna said as they rode up the mountain. "She complains a lot, doesn't she?" Rose said to the Doctor. The Doctor snickered and looked over his shoulder, seeing Donna's incensed look. "She does but you get used to it," the Doctor said to Rose. Rose looked over her shoulder at Donna. "If you wish, I could teach you a couple of things so you can help out." "Train me to fight like you?" Donna said. "Well, I can teach you a few things. To be able to fight like me, it takes years of training," Rose said. "I'd take her up on her offer, Donna. You might be a Noble ninja warrior someday," the Doctor said. "Yeah, that's hilarious, that is," Donna said when the Doctor snickered. "Um…I hope you realize our friend is waking up now," Donna said, pointing to the samurai. The Doctor looked back and noticed the samurai was now moving his head and groaning. He stopped his horse, slid off it and walked back to him. He pinched a nerve in his neck and sent him back into unconsciousness. "What'd you do?" Rose said while everyone else watched him walk back to his horse. "Nerve pinch to render him unconscious," the Doctor said, getting back on. "You know about pressure points then?" Rose said, excited. "Oh yeah, I was trained in the use of pressure points among other things," the Doctor said as they urged their horses on. Rose and Akira shared a look. "You're unusual," Akira said to the Doctor. "Most Englishmen do not know about pressure points." "I'm not like the Englishmen," the Doctor said. "I've been trained by several masters in pressure points, chakra healing, acupuncture and other Eastern philosophies and techniques." "What about you?" Rose asked Donna. Donna gave her a blank stare. "I know how to put a plaster on a cut," she said while the Doctor sniggered. "I know I look like an idiot but I've only been traveling with him for a year and what I know is a drop in the bucket to what he knows." "Although she briefly know what I knew but she lost that knowledge so I reign supreme once more," the Doctor said before giving Donna a wink. Donna tried to be annoyed with him but had to chuckle at her friend's teasing. As they neared the top of the mountain, they could see several ninjas watching them as well as the two lookouts with the telescope. The ninjas standing on the trail were wearing kimonos and had their faces uncovered. When they reached the top, they told them that Toshi wished to see them and pointed to his house. They rode towards it and Donna noticed that several people were giving her dirty looks as she rode past them. "I see news travels fast here," she muttered as she hurried past their scowling faces. "One wrong decision and already I'm the village pariah." They reached Toshi's house and got down from the horses. Toshi slid open the door and stepped out onto his porch, giving the samurai a curious look. "They said you captured one," he said, pointing to the samurai. "Yes. I thought we could try to get some information from him," the Doctor said. He and Donna bowed at the waist when Rose and Akira paid their respects. Toshi nodded his head and invited them all inside after he called for several ninja to tie up the samurai and put him and the war horses somewhere for safekeeping. "Come, I have some tea ready," Toshi said, heading back inside. Everyone followed him inside. The house was sparsely furnished, similar to the guest house the Doctor and Donna were using. There were a few bamboo scrolls hanging on the walls, mostly of battle scenes. In the main room, there were several pillows on the floor and Toshi told them to sit while he went into the other room. He came back several minutes later, carrying a tray. On the tray were ceramic teacups filled with tea. He put it down in the midst of his visitors and they took the cups while he settled himself down on his pillow. "I have heard rumors that you did not participate in the battle," he said to Donna. Donna sighed. "I'm not trained like you are, alright? There's no way I could have gone through the trees and I'm not trained in the use of samurai swords. I would have been cut to ribbons so I made the decision to stay with the horses. I'm sorry." "And what about you? What did you do?" Toshi said to the Doctor. He explained his role in the battle and Rose confirmed it. Toshi, Akira and Donna were all impressed when he finished. "I cannot fault you for not knowing our ways," Toshi said to Donna. "After all, you are English and most English do not fight the way we do. You, however, seem to possess such knowledge," he said to the Doctor. "Toshi-sama, Doctor-sama comes from another world. Donna-san does not," Rose said. Toshi and Akira shared a look. "You are from the stars?" Toshi said. "Yes. I'm from a world far from here." "But you claim not to be kami?" Toshi said. "I'm not a kami. I'm a man, just a different sort of man than a human," the Doctor said. "I frequently select people to travel with me through time and space and most of those people have been from Earth. That's why Donna is English and I'm not." "And what are you?" Toshi asked. "You look human." "I'm a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey." "Indeed," Toshi said with interest. "Well, if you are willing to ally yourselves with us, you are welcome to stay here and move freely among us. I will make an announcement and tell the village that you are not to be harmed." "I'm honored," the Doctor said. "And so am I," Donna added. "The honor is ours. We have read tales from long ago of star people coming down to visit humans. It is nice to know that some of the tales were true." "I would like to make a request, if I may? I would like to interrogate the samurai when he wakes up." "If that is your desire, I will allow it." "Thank you, Toshi-sama," the Doctor said. "You are most welcome. And now…let us relax and drink our tea and talk of trivial things. We can discuss more weighty matters later," Toshi said. The Doctor nodded and he and Donna made small talk with their new friends while they sipped their tea.
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