TRIAL OF A TIME LORD: THE VALEYARD

Chapter Six

Rain stepped out of her house, her spirits sinking as she thought of her husband and brother and what they must be going through. This wasn't a shock to her; she knew the moment would come ever since Jenny had her vision. But over the years when nothing happened the event slipped to the back of her mind and was only remembered now. As if that wasn't bad enough, now there was the realization that they might not survive their ordeal. Her family members had tried to comfort her and she appreciated that but she finally told them she needed to be alone for a moment.

"Oh, Thete, I hope you and Alan get out of this alive," she murmured as she walked. "I don't think I can bear to be without you, not after all these years."

She frowned when she neared a corner and heard Hamish's voice. She turned the corner and froze when she saw an unfamiliar woman speaking with him. She neared closer to them and stopped when the women caught sight of her. She saw a momentary flash of sadness in her green eyes and she attempted a mind link, trying to determine her identity. Her eyes narrowed when she realized the link was being blocked, preventing her from learning the stranger's name. Red flags went off in her mind as she came closer to her.

"Hamish, who is this?" she asked as she eyed the redhead. "Who are you? Why are you blocking your identity?"

"My name is Compassion," the woman said.

"Hello, I'm Rain. I've never seen you before," she said to her. "No offense but why are you here? Are you a friend of Hamish?"

"Yes and no."

"Yes and no? What's that supposed to mean? Who are you?"

"I can't say."

Rain folded her arms over her chest.

"And why not? Who are you? Are you working for the Valeyard?"

"No, I..."

"Where are my husband and brother?" Rain snarled as she advanced towards her menacingly. "Tell me or I'll beat the living snot outta ya!"

"Please listen, I'm from the future!"

"Oh, I know you are. So's the Valeyard, now where are they?"

"Wait, Rain, hear her out," Hamish said, holding up his hand. "She was trying to explain things before you came."

Rain folded her arms over her chest.

"Make it good," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Look, I...I don't know if I should tell you. I need Hamish's help but..."

"The Valeyard took my husband and brother along with my husband's other lives. I'm very much involved so anything you have to say is for my ears too, thank you very much. Now out with it."

Rain sighed when she saw the anguish in her eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry. But you have to understand I'm upset. I lost two people that I love very much and so far there seems to be no way to get them back and I'm desperate. If you're working for the Valeyard then please know that whatever he's offered you or whatever reason you're working for him, he's going to eventually turn on you."

"I'm not with the Valeyard. The Thirteenth Doctor sent me."

Rain stared at her.

"Are you a family member then?" she said.

"Yes."

Rain tried to probe her mind again and sighed when she found it was still blocked.

"Are you a family member yet to come and that's why you won't let me find out who you are with the mind link?" she said in exasperation.

"No, it's just that..."

She sighed and took Rain's hand.

"Mummy, it's me, Namid," she said.

Hamish's eyes bulged as Rain's breath caught in her throat. Namid felt tears come to her eyes as Rain stroked her cheek.

"Baby? Oh my God...you're so beautiful," she said. "And you're a redhead; I bet your father is jealous."

Namid chuckled.

"No, he was a redhead in his twelfth life," she said as Rain took her hand. "So he's past being jealous."

"But why did he send you...by yourself? You didn't bring anyone else to help?"

Namid shook her head.

"No, I came alone but I need Hamish's help."

"What about me?"

"Mum, I..."

"Please let me help," Rain said. "If you know a way to find the Valeyard, then I want to come and help you."

"Let her help, Mi-mi," Hamish said. "You're gonna need it."

Namid nodded.

"But you have to promise not to tell the others about me or my abilities since at this point in time I'm still just a kid."

"Abilities? What abilities?" Rain said.

"About a hundred years from this time, the TARDIS finally reveals to me my full destiny. She told Daddy that I had a special purpose but she didn't tell him what it was. But the TARDIS made me into...a living TARDIS."

"What?" Hamish said as Rain's mouth dropped open.

"What do you mean a living TARDIS?" Rain said.

"I mean that I have the abilities a TARDIS has, I can travel through time and space and I can convert people into energy, take them into me and they can travel inside me."

Rain staggered back.

"Why? Why did the TARDIS do this to you?" she said.

"Because it was time for the TARDISes to evolve and I was chosen for that purpose. I underwent some training so I could mature enough to handle it and then when I was ready the TARDIS opened up and I looked into her heart and was changed into a half Time Lady, half TARDIS. Once that happened, I named my TARDIS self Compassion to distinguish that part of me from my Time Lady part."

"But you're alright?" Rain said. "Rose said she looked into the heart of the TARDIS and..."

"And became the Bad Wolf and it nearly killed her," Namid said, nodding. "The TARDIS told me about that and told me that the Bad Wolf didn't come from the TARDIS. The Bad Wolf is a protector that has been in Rose since her birth and the energy woke her but Rose didn't have the training to control her which was why Daddy had to take the energy out of her. The energy killed Daddy because he doesn't have something like that inside him but it never would have killed Rose. Daddy just freaked because he assumed since she was human the energy would burn her up. But Rose was never meant to look into the heart of the TARDIS, not without being trained to control the Bad Wolf. That's why the TARDIS prepared me for years before she finally let me see into her and that's why I am able to control the TARDIS side of me. I'm a normal girl, Mummy, but if I concentrate I can become Compassion."

"What did your father have to say about this?" Hamish asked. "I ken you said that he ken you were gonna be special but to be a living TARDIS..."

"Yeah, it freaked him out at first because he thought like Mummy did, that I would be like the TARDIS and just be immobile and be a thing. But that's why the TARDISes want to evolve so they can move around and help. But I've helped Daddy out several times and he's very proud of me and that's why he chose me to come back and help his past selves escape."

"And you can take us to them?" Hamish said.

"I think so. I can convert you both into energy and take you inside me and when we get there I can reverse the process and give you back your bodies."

Rain shook her head.

"This is just too bizarre," she said.

"Now you know why I was reluctant to tell you, Mummy. I shouldn't have told you anyway but I'm trusting you'll keep this a secret from everyone else."

"I will, you have my word," Rain said.

"And mine as well," Hamish said.

"Okay, well, come close to me and put your arms around me and I'll convert you into energy so we can go rescue Daddy and Daddy Alan," Namid said.

Both of them came forward and put their arms around Namid. Rain smiled and kissed her cheek.

"I'm glad you're still alive in the future and I'm very proud of you too, Baby," she said.

Namid blushed and kissed her mother's cheek.

"I'm glad you found me, Mummy. I miss seeing you this way, both of you," she said.

She closed her eyes and Rain felt her body dissolving into energy. She glanced over and saw Hamish's body was glowing and dissolving the same way hers was. Then she felt herself relieved of her body and compressed into a ball of energy before entering her daughter's body.

Compassion finished converting her family members into energy and taking them into herself. Her mind connected to the time line and found a destination before she closed her eyes. There was a faint wheezing again as Compassion disappeared with her precious cargo.

A/N: Compassion is a character in the Eighth Doctor's novels and audio books. I like the idea of a living TARDIS so I decided to combine aspects of Compassion with Namid.

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