Doctor Who - The Mad God

CHAPTER ONE

There was always a subtle hum from his sonic screwdriver when it rested coyly in his palm. It was like a small reassuring whisper. A quiet thinking hum which echoed his own. When he was alone in the depths of his thoughts and brooding it was his only comfort. Especially now that his companions were gone and his TARDIS rested in orbit in the quietest part of the universe he could find.

"Are you expecting it to do something? Is it planning on running away from you? Like the others?" The voice was old, gravel and mirth. And familiar. Though not usually heard from this side of his ears..

He looked up, instinctively pointing his sonic at the new presence in the room.

"Who.. You?" he blinked, but his deft fingers didn't lower. The hum of the sonic screwdriver seemed more angry, sensing his nerves.

"This is not what I need right now... why are YOU here?!" Before him stood an image of a short man with a small shaggy mop of black hair and squinted playful eyes. There was a smudge of dirt on his face and a wedge shaped nose.

"Now, is it really so out of the ordinary for you to carry on conversations with yourself?" He chuckled, with a quick clownish laugh before he looked himself over. "My my... I think you remember yourself a bit shorter then normal. Were you really this short? You seem so tall now!"

The Doctor tilted his head and arched a brow. "No, it is not really all that uncanny. It seems I am always talking to myself. Perhaps I'm the only company I can stand keeping... even then; not so much. But you are not me. You look the part. You sound the part.. but you don't speak it." he looked the image over. "But you are the right height I'm afraid. I grew up."

The image nodded, smirked a familiar smile. "Well I'm not claiming to be you exactly. Here, let me change."

And for a few seconds the image of the second Doctor disappeared and flickered in and out of existence. It reminded the actual Doctor of the flicker of static from old earth television, or ancient holograms.

When the image solidified again it was another, albeit completely different form. This form was almost the exact opposite from the first form. Golden tight curls bobbed and framed a gorgeous red lipped smile and eyes as sharp at diamonds. Her form, curved and sensual was clothed in an elegant white dress. Her shoulders clothed in a white furred shawl.

"Hello swee-"

"Don't." His voice was sharp, menacing and dripped anger. "Don't you dare."

"Ah.. too close. I feel that now. No harm meant, but your mind... it's not so easy to find the right forms. It's so Long and so Pained. It's like shifting through shards of broken glass!" She propped her hands on her luscious hips and breathed deep.

It hurt to look at her, so he turned to his main counsel and looked over the controls. He barked out quickly. "Choose another form. Now. You will not wear HER."

The being blinked out of existence again, flickering in and out as it tried to find something from his past that didn't bring back floods of pain for him. It was far more difficult then expected. Finally when it solidified there was a bit of an exhale from the both of them.

The form was that of a child. A young girl. Likely one of many he'd past over the hundreds of years he'd lived – although the memory of them seemed distant and far. Like the memory of an old dream. There was this feeling that he should know this person - but somehow didn't.

"I.. this will have to do?" The child looked up, clear eyes which were an odd shade of lavender. The Doctor, although relieved, was chilled by those eyes. "It's.. complicated. Hard to.." the child trailed off a moment as if confused.