The Infernal Doctor

Hyde Park

             After winding through several streets, we finally made it to Hyde Park. It was beautiful. There was a small pond with ducks squaking at one another. I had been to modern day Hyde Park, but this was a wonder. It looked so different, so beautiful. Sure modern-day Hyde Park hadits own beauty, but this, this was amazing. To think, we had never visited past London! It was a wonder, seeing the city I had grown up in long before my time. In some ways it looked the same, while in others it was completely and utterly different. It was a sight to behold. I found the city completely beautiful. I knew others would hate the smog, the crowdedness, the smell of the Thames, but as they say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I was absolutely in awe of everything. "Come on," the Doctor said, tugging me out of my reverie and toward the pond. There was baby duck sitting beside the pond, and it was absolutely gorgeous. I stood to the side just looking at it, knowing the mother was near and wouldn't appreciate me picking up her duckling. The Doctor, having no such sense, went and picked it up. He was holding it in the palm of his hand, gazing down at it in wonder. Then he yelped, nearly dropping the duckling. I looked down and saw the mother duck trying to bite the Doctor's legs, succeeding at times. Eventually, he put the duck down and ran from the mother, all-the-while, I sat their laughing more than I had since this trip began. "What? It's not funny, that duck tried to kill me," the Doctor exclaimed. I was still doubled over laughing when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I turned toward it, my daughter dying out, but I saw nothing. There it was again! I turned, but, again, there was nothing there. I could faintly hear the Doctor asking me what was wrong as I stared around, trying to find the thing from the corner of my eye. "You can see me only if I want to be seen," something rasped in my ear. I turned, terror on my face, and I heard a sinister laugh prancing away from me. "Did you hear that," I asked the Doctor. "Hear what," he said, confusedly. "I can only be heard by those I want to hear me, dearie," It cackled, this time farther away. I must have looked truly terrified, because the Doctor was glancing around now with me. Suddenly, a creature appeared before me, and by the Doctor's yelp, I could tell he saw it too. It was a hobbled little thing; hunched back, gnarled fingers, barely knee-high. I stumbled back into the Doctor. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me flush against him. "Wh-what are you," I stuttered. "Oh, well those who see me usually call me Rumplestiltskin, and no, that is not my name. You humans and your silly faery tales." He went on. "Then, what are you," I asked. "Oh, the Nephilim and the rest of the Shadow World call us faeries of the Unseelie Court, but you all know no such thing exists. They call us Downworlders, how foolish they are," he exclaimed, "Even those poor humans infected with Lycanthropy and Vampirism, they think they are mystical creatures! How stupid you all are. Just because the Nephilim have their little ideas of the world, everyone else assumes it to be true. The race that can do no wrong, the race that makes and delivers the Law to a world they don't even fully understand. The Nephilim don't even know what they truly are," he spat. I looked to the Doctor in confusion, but his eyes said he'd explain later. "And those beings they call Warlocks, they are so stupid. Even the Warlocks believe they descend from the demons of the inner depths of Hell. You two though, you know the truth I can sense it off of you, but I can feel you wondering about the Faeries. What do I have to say about them? I am a blasted Faerie! Well, that's what the Nephilim call us. Descended from angels and demons, but the truth is far worse. Far, far worse," he cackled. The thing leered at us, obviously enjoying our discomfort. "Oh, but I must kill you now. You see, I'm not supposed to speak of these things, seeing as we are the only ones who know the truth. And we will remain the ones who only know the truth." He lunged at us, before being jerked backwards. "You have broken the Accords for attempting to harm two humans, and that is punishable by death," he said, slashing down his sword. The thing - the Faerie - split in half from the strength of the sword. And the person wielding it was Will with Jem and Tessa flanking him. Tessa ran to me, "Are you okay, Rose?" "Y-yeah I'm fine," I said, not believing she was actually speaking to me, much less worried about after what I had done. "Wh-what are Downworlders," I asked her. She then went about explaining as best as she could the different types and how they came into existence. There were vampires, werewolves, faeries, and warlocks. She explained that vampires and werewolves only existed from a demon disease transferred through bites and sometimes scratches to humans. Faeries were spawned of angels and demons, or so said the legends. They had all of the beauty of angels and all the deviancy of demons. Warlocks, which Tessa said she was, were descended from demons and humans spawning children together. They all, also carried some sort of warlocks Mark, the devils mark. Tessa said they could be anything; there was a warlock she met with green skin and horns, one with a red forked tail, though sometimes they could be less conspicuous. She told me of a warlock she knew with cat eyes named Magnus Bane. She also told me that warlocks could live forever, but they still had the ability to die, and like most cross-breeds, were sterile. So, that meant Tessa couldn't have children. She cast her eyes down as she said the last thing. "Oh, Tessa. I'm so sorry," I said, sadly. "It's fine," she said forcing a smile. "So, what's your warlock's Mark, if you don't mind my asking," I amended. "I-I don't have one," she said. "I thought you said all -" "I don't for some reason, I'm the only known exception to this rule," she interrupted. After explaining everything she went over to converse with Jem and Will. I noticed she wouldn't completely look at Will, and I immediately felt ashamed again. Suddenly, I heard Will yelp, "Get that bloodthirsty beast away from me." He said, pointing at a duck. I started laughing at him, "You're afraid of ducks," I gasped out between my laughter. He then proceeded to tell a story about a race of cannibal ducks he had attempted to breed by feeding them a mallard pie. "They ate it too, bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck," he finished. The Doctor and I were staring at Will in complete and utter astonishment, before we started laughing at him. Eventually, Jem and Tessa joined in. "You have to admit," gasped Tessa, "that is quite the tale. Also, a Shadowhunter afraid of ducks?" She asked, incredulously. "Well, he does have a point. That duck did try to eat me earlier," I heard the Doctor say. Will pointed at the Doctor and belted out a laugh, "See, I told you. It is not utter nonsense!" We all just laughed at him and the Doctor. "We should get back to the Institute," Jem said, gasping for breath. "We should," said Will, indignantly. He stalked off toward the park exit, expecting us to follow. Which, we did. We continued to laugh at Will the entire way back to the Institute, and a couple times I could have sworn I saw him crack a smile.