The Story of the TARDIS

Chapter 12

"She's... What?!" Rory asked.
"Her soul. It becomes my TARDIS. You already knew the TARDIS was living, didn't you?" The Doctor asked the two of them.
"Yes, but... Her? How and why?" Amy asked.
"I DON'T KNOW!!!" The Doctor suddenly shouted. He quickly shook his head and regretted what he said soon after. "I'm sorry. I just... I don't like not knowing things."
"Well... Since you don't know that... How are we going to get her and us out?" Rory asked quietly and uncertainly. Lanus was hanging around near the back of the room. He seemed to be trying to remake some part of his arm from the vines and plants on the walls. All he had to do was touch the plant.
"Just... Follow my lead," said the Doctor, and with that he walked away from them.
"What did you mean by saying that someday I might make someone live forever?" The Doctor asked thoughtfully.
"I mean..." Lanus came close to the Doctor. "One day, you might make someone live forever. For you."
The Doctor was confused, which isn't a good thing for a Time Lord. "Why would I do that? I wouldn't do that," he said.
"Maybe you would do it... Out of love, and out of being desperate," said Lanus tauntingly.
"Ok, I have a lot of qualities, including smart and hot, but not desperate," replied the Doctor cheekily.
"You'd be surprised by how desperate you can be, Doctor. I've seen what happens to you, and your TARDIS, and your two companions. Would you care to see?"
"I'd like to get through things myself, thank you," said the Doctor. "But you know, plants can and will exist forever, but each one eventually withers and dies while others live, right?"
"Yes, and I'm part of the plants that live," said Lanus. He takes a few steps, and stands beside Talya's tube, as if sensing that the Doctor was trying to do something.
"Well yes, but aren't certain things messing with the long lives of plants?" The Doctor asked.
Lanus murmured a yes. "For example, humans," he said, looking towards Talya.
"Oh yes!" The Doctor pointed a knowing finger at Lanus. "Humans can do a lot of damage to plants. They can cut trees down to make paper, or make room for a new building. But some humans are learning, Lanus. Right Rory?"
"Huh, what?" Rory asked, looking up at the Doctor.
"You know lessons about trees right? About cutting down trees?" The Doctor sincerely hoped that they would both catch onto what he was doing.
"Yeah, like 'Go Green!'" Amy jumped in. Thankfully, she did it right.
"Yeah. And 'Save Trees,'" said Rory awkwardly.
"Great job, Rory," said Amy quietly, nudging him.
"Well I tried," whispered Rory.
"Yes, and those are valuable life lessons that children are learning now. Ah, humans. The only species to cut down trees, make paper with it, and have "Save Trees' printed on it," said the Doctor.
"That is very true," called out Amy. The Doctor turned around and looked at Amy, motioning for her to be quiet. She immediately looked down again.
Lanus sighed. "Your point, Doctor?"
"My point, is that humans not only cut down plants, many other species do as well. And they cut the plants..." The Doctor slowly fingered his sonic screwdriver in his jacket. "At the root!" He pulled it out swiftly and was about to cut one of the vines, which were Lanus's life force, until Lanus took it out of his hands with an extended vine.
"Nice try, Doctor. Anything else you'd like to try?" Lanus asked tantalizingly. He discarded the screwdriver behind him, near Talya's tube. "Oh, and just in case you get any funny ideas." He extended another vine to capture Amy and Rory. They were pushed up against the green, leafy wall. Amy struggled to bite the vine, but it just resulted in her having her mouth covered by the vine. Rory tried to get to Amy, but his vines were tightened and his mouth got covered as well.
The Doctor looked over at his friends, all trapped. "Actually, I do have another plan." He knew that Lanus wouldn't expect this. He let it show in his expression, but he meant it to. He started running towards the lever that would let Talya out, and of course Lanus caught him with his vines. But just as he was caught with the vines, he stretched out his long legs and kicked the lever as hard as he could.
It didn't go down all the way, and to this Lanus snickered. But this wasn't the only part of his plan. As he was pulled across the room, he used his foot to lightly hit the button on his sonic screwdriver. Lanus hadn't noticed the Doctor push the button on his sonic screwdriver. Now, all the Doctor had to do was hope everything would work.
He was pulled up against the wall, with the vines tightening around his body. Lanus approached the Doctor with malice in his expression. "Now, I believe we are ready to kill your TARDIS." The Doctor was starting to feel nervous. What happens if it doesn't work?
Suddenly, he saw a bit of movement coming from behind Lanus. He didn't notice it though. Then a voice called out, "If you're talking about me, then I don't think so."
Lanus snarled and turned around and finally the Doctor could see behind Lanus. Talya was standing there, with a knife in his hand. Her tube was shattered, most likely from her knife breaking the glass. Combined, the lever being kicked down a bit and the sonic screwdriver helping along with the opening of the tube helped Talya get back her consciousness.
"Now, let's see... A sonic screwdriver, or a knife. Which one would be more effective in cutting a plant, you say?" Talya asked, picking up the screwdriver. She held the knife and the screwdriver in her hands and looked at them.
Lanus used his vines to get Talya, but she was too quick. She clicked the button on the sonic screwdriver and it took out his vine. And by taking out his vine, she destroyed the rest of the plant.
The Doctor, Amy, and Rory fell to the ground, as Lanus shrieked and fell to the floor. Talya continued to point the emitter tip at Lanus, just in case he was able to regrow himself.
"Someday..." Lanus crooned evilly. "Someday you will find out what happens to you, why everyone wants to kill you." The Doctor could see Talya's eyes widen, could see that she wanted to know those things. Lanus was soon reduced to a shriveled up leaf, until all of a sudden the building started to shake.
"What's happening?!" Rory asked, his voice vibrating along with the building.
"The building's owner has died, and now it is dying as well, since it has nothing to live for. We need to get out, now!" The Doctor answered. They all started to run as fast as they could, past the vines falling and collapsing to the ground. There were man-eaters, or, to call them what they actually are, half-formed Rhizomians, running as well, but they weren't able to get out.
Talya found the exit, and they all slid out quickly and watched the last remnants of the building collapse. As the Doctor was watching, Talya poked him in the shoulder. "Here's your screwdriver," she said, handing it to him. "Oh, and one question for you: What does he mean, about everyone wanting to kill me? I knew that... But it sounded like he knew you found out what it meant. And you weren't telling me."
The Doctor looked down. He couldn't look at those blue, blue eyes. "I do know, but I haven't told you yet because it's... Not the right time." He looked at Amy and Rory. "Now, it's time to go back to Ian and the others, and get them to board their ship."
****************
"Talya!!" Ian said when he saw her. He hugged her immediately, and Talya did as well, but with a bit less effort. The Doctor just ignored it.
When the four of them had gotten back, Ian had been boarding everyone on the ship they had rediscovered. Talya told the pilot the coordinates to her planet, and soon enough, they took off. The Doctor and the others watched as the ship zoomed away at the speed of light. The Doctor turned towards Amy, Rory, and Talya.
"So... Where are we going next?" Amy asked excitedly.
"Oh, we haven't shown Talya the 'time' of going though all of time and space! We're going back in time," replied the Doctor happily.
Talya smiled at that, and the Doctor could see in her eyes that she still really wanted to know what everything wanted with her. But he couldn't tell her... Not now.
They closed their eyes... And off they went.