Needle and Thread

That's

Time skip! ~ weeks later~

[@2D3D4D]Benny looked nervously at the sleek, metallic body of the rocket."You all right?" Nereida asked.

"I'm fine." Benny took a deep breath. "It's just... it's not every day that I board a spaceship and prepare to fire myself and another person towards a place I've only ever heard of in hopes of reuniting with my friends, who might look, act, and even sound different from the last time I saw them." He paused, then said, "It's not that I'm afraid of dying. I will, of course, but one version of me won't. And that's me. I can see that. But... I don't know if my friends are people I really like anymore."

"Shouldn't you know that too?" Nereida asked. "C'mon, you told me things even I don't know about my ship after just one touch."

"I don't think it applies to people," Benny said sadly. "I know a lot. But I also know that I can't know much more through this kind of power. I've got to figure it out. And some of it's repressed, or it's sunk into the back of my head..."

"Hey, don't worry," Nereida said. "You'll be fine. They're different, sure. But  I think that you're different too. So maybe the differentness will even out somehow."

"Yeah, maybe." Benny looked around at the island one last time. In the last few weeks, it had become a hub for activity. A few had come to actually live there as citizens, retiring from the pirate life. One of Benny's original abductors, who had brought him to the ship that first time, now owned a tavern. A few others fished or grew vegetables.

"Seems peaceful, huh?" Nereida asked. "I can't imagine why they'd want peace, but whatever. To each their own. Come on, you'll miss your own flight." She pulled a silent Benny forward, up the steps of the rocket, and into the padded interior.

Benny flattened himself against the floor of the rocket next to Nereida and breathed deeply as the door shut and crackling, buzzing sounds filled the small room that would be his home for the next three days. Finally, the white noise sharpened to a voice.

"This is Command Isle Juaga, do you read us?"

"We read, Command IJ," Nereida said. "Ready for takeoff when you are."

"Cool. Let's get you off this rock. You remember procedure?"

"Yes," Benny replied. "Release the fuel cells on time, don't waste anything, and don't try to get up unless we float there."

"Roger. You're spacebound in five, four, three, two..."

[$^$]

Winter eyed the gate suspiciously. "I don't like it," he said. "Why haven't we seen any monsters in there?" He asked. "It's a perfect ambush site. So..."

"So there must be something keeping the monsters away," Ananda finished. "Yes. But perhaps it is friendly."

"When has anything ever been wholly friendly?" Winter asked tiredly. "Man, I thought that defeating the Monster Lord or whatever would make all of the monsters leave us alone. But after that first night, it's almost the opposite."

"They have a new master, I suppose," Ananda said cautiously.

Winter gave her a look. "You've been saying things like that all week. What's going on? Do you know?"

Ananda swallowed nervously, licked her lips, and said, "I believe that the Universe Destroyer is becoming more active."

"Universe Destroyer? Like the Universe Boss?"

"Yes, you call him that. He sleeps under the skin of the worlds, watching, waiting, manipulating the fate of all who come into contact with him.... he is One who would seek an opponent strong enough to interest him. You are becoming that opponent, and so, he rises." Ananda blinked. "I am sorry. I got a bit carried away."

"Yeah, just a little," Winter said. He turned back toward the gate. "I still don't like it," he muttered, and pushed it open.

It was beautiful, just like Roxy had said. Flowers bloomed along neatly manicured, grassy paths. He could see a pond in the distance, its waters glimmering faintly. But there was something not quite right about it. He shivered, and realized what it was. The temperature here was much cooler than that of the one outside the garden.

"I wonder what's keeping the warmth out," Ananda whispered.

"Probably the same thing keeping the monsters out," a voice said. Instinctively, Winter jumped back, drawing his sword before leaping forward, ready to strike.

Almost immediately, he tripped and fell. He probably would have stabbed himself on accident if Ananda hadn't caught him and pulled him back.

"What?" The newbie said. "Don't you remember me?"

Winter looked at her for a second. "Roxy? Your hair is so much longer now."

Roxy patted her curly hair, which now fell just past her shoulders. "Yeah, I guess it is. Yours is getting long too."

"Uh, yeah." Winter rubbed his arm, looking at her. When he'd met her, she'd looked so different. Had she always been that tan, or had she gotten even tanner?

"Uh, anyways... Hey, you wanna see the TARDIS?"

"Uh, sure? I... don't really watch Doctor Who, but—"

"You don't?! We'll have to fix that. There's a TV in my room, c'mon." Winter followed her over to a patch of shimmering air, where she opened a pair of nigh-invisible doors and stepped inside.

A soft "Whoah," escaped Winter. Behind him, Ananda looked around in wonder.

"I didn't make you a room," Roxy was saying. "I hope that's okay. I mean, I tried, of course. But it didn't feel right, and I ended up converting it to a small infirmary. And a couple of laundry rooms, but don't use the last machine on the left or your laundry may or may not end up in the time vortex—"

"We thank you for your kindness," Ananda interrupted. "How would Winter create his own room?"

"Yeah, thanks... Ananda, right? Winter mentions you a lot during our chats." Roxy took a deep breath. "It's hard to explain. You just sorta... type in your name and then merge your intention with time and space and then... yeah, let me just get the instructions." Roxy disappeared down one of the halls in the back of the control room. After a few minutes, she returned with a book that looked like it could be used to crush cars. She set it down on a counter with a sigh of relief. "Here you go," she said. "Knock yourselves out. I'll see if I can order up a Doctor Who DVD library or something."