Apocalypse Rising (Book Two)

Prologue

"6 pm," the Apocalypse muttered to herself as she ran around the console, occasionally checking a monitor. "Tuesday . . . October . . . oh, we'll go with 5006 . . . on the way to Barcelona!" She spun around, smirking at the human standing by a pillar. "Now then . . . what do I look like?"

Rose Tyler opened her mouth when she held up a finger. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." Rose quirked an eyebrow. "No. Don't tell me." She looked herself over. "Let's see . . . two legs, two arms, two hands . . . " She blinked, wringing her wrist. "Slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle, apparently . . . " She grinned when she caught sight of her hair. "Oh, that's a nice color! Blonde, and with the curl, too! Never been like this before, Third's was hacked, Four's was more wavy, Five's was always up in some sort of way . . . " She grinned. "And American! That's never going to change!" She frowned. "Then again, I just went from Israeli to American . . . oh well. Overall, no real complaints." She smirked at Rose. "So! What do you think?"

Rose looked her over for a minute before looking her over before looking right at her. "Caly?" she whispered.

The Apocalypse smiled, leaning forward and beaming. "Hello, Arkytior," she answered with a knowing grin.

"Oh, thank God!" Rose gasped, hugging her tightly.

"That's my sister!" the Apocalypse laughed, hugging her just as tightly. "Rose Tyler, first word I ever said to you - run!"

"And look how far we have!" Rose laughed, gesturing her over.

"And we never stopped, did we?" the Apocalypse crowed, running around the console. "All across the universe. Running, running running . . . and that one time we had to hop." She grinned. "Do you remember? Hopping for our lives!" She demonstrated, and Rose doubled over laughing. This was definitely not the same Apocalypse, but this one was definitely a lot more fun. "Yeah? All that hopping? Remember hopping for your life? Yeah? Hop?"

"Yeah, you're different," Rose giggled.

The Apocalypse smirked at her. "You know what? Cancel Barcelona!" Rose blinked at that as the Apocalypse moved around the console. "Change to London . . . the Powell Estate . . . ah, let's say the 24th of December." She grinned at Rose. "Consider it a Christmas present."

"I'm going home?" Rose asked softly.

"Christmas Day," the Apocalypse told her. "A Christmas present for the folks back home, hey?" Rose grinned at her. "Back to your mum. It's all waiting! Fish and chips, sausage and mash, beans on toast . . . " She frowned, shaking her head. "No, it's Christmas! It's turkey! Although . . . having met your mother . . . " She wrinkled her nose. "Nut loaf would be more appropriate." Rose giggled at that, and the Apocalypse smirked. "Was that a laugh?"

"Yes," Rose replied.

"That was a laugh."

"Yes, it was."

"Good to know I still know - " She cut off suddenly before gagging, and the TARDIS shuddered around them.

Rose. "Caly?"

"I said good to know I - " She started retching as the TARDIS jerked violently, and she blinked, looking at Rose. "Uh oh."

"Are you all right?" she asked worriedly, approaching the console. The Apocalypse opened her mouth to reply, but she retched again, and gold energy flew from her mouth. Rose blinked, looking at it in shock. "What's that?"

"Oh . . . just the change going a bit wrong and all," the Apocalypse replied before gagging and collapsing to her knees.

Rose ran over. "Look, maybe we should go back," she told her. "Let's go and find Jack, he'd know what to do."

"Gah, he's busy!" the Apocalypse replied, jumping to her feet. "He's got plenty to do rebuilding the Earth!" She eyed something across the console, and a wicked gleam glinted in her eyes. "Oh, I haven't used that one in years." She pointed at it.

The lever flipped, and the TARDIS shuddered, the worst yet. Rose shrieked as she was almost knocked off her feet. "What're you doing?!" she shouted.

"Putting on a bit of speed!" the Apocalypse whooped in reply. "That's it!" Rose tried to hang onto the console as the Apocalypse darted around, doing more stuff on the console. "My beautiful ship! Come on! Faster! That's a girl!" She grinned at Rose, looking like a mad woman. "Faster! Wanna break the time limit?"

"Stop it!" Rose shouted at her, taken completely aback. She knew the Apocalypse had said her sixth incarnation had tried to strangle a companion who became her sister, but this? This was insane!

"Ah, don't be so dull!" the Apocalypse snorted. "Let's have a bit of fun! Let's rip through that vortex!" She suddenly paused, looking at Rose, and for a second, she seemed sane again. "The regeneration's going wrong," she warned the younger blonde. "I can't stop myself - " She grimaced. "Ah, my head . . . " she whimpered before she jumped up to attention, going back to being crazy. "Faster!" she shouted. "Let's open those engines!"

Rose looked up when a deep bell began to toll. "What's that?" she asked.

The Apocalypse grinned. "That would be the Cloister Bell, signaling that we're gonna crash land!"

Rose stared at her. "Well, then, do something!" she shouted over the bell.

"Too late!" the Apocalypse giggled hysterically. "Out of control! Oh, I love it! Hot dog!"

"You're gonna kill us!"

"Hold on tight! Here we go!" They were jolted forward by the TARDIS, and Rose met the Apocalypse's eyes, seeing her wink. "Here comes Christmas Eve!"

***

And heeere comes Book 2, starring Leven Rambin and Billie Piper! :D

I can tell you these things about this book:

1: Many, many sweet Apocalypse and Rose moments.

2. Many, many hating on Mickey moments (maybe a bit of extra push and shove from the Apocalypse in a certain tin dog's direction)

3: A very heartbreaking ending.

I can't wait to get started. :) Who's ready???