Apocalypse Rising (Book Two)

A Look To The Past

Rose entered the TARDIS late the next evening, after she'd checked to make sure her mother was still asleep. She found the Apocalypse working at the scanner, seeming like she was determined to find something. "Caly?" she asked.

The Apocalypse looked over with a grin. "Arkytior!" she cheered with a grin before frowning. "Hang on. What are you doing up?"

"I wanted to come over," Rose answered, tugging her dressing gown tighter around her and walking over. "What're you doing?"

The Apocalypse paused before sighing. "I'm trying to find out more about the Time War," she admitted, stepping back and running a hand through her hair, which was now loose and curled. "About what happened to the Doctor and the Master."

"Did you find anything?" Rose asked softly.

She shook her head. "Not yet," she admitted before turning. "I want to show you something. I think you deserve to."

Rose ran after her as they went through the TARDIS's twisting halls. "Where are we going?" she asked before stopping in the room the Apocalypse stopped by.

The Apocalypse snapped her fingers, and the lights in the room lit up, along with seventeen different monitors. "It's Christmas, isn't it?" she asked, holding out her arms. "Welcome to the Ghosts of Christmas Past. Or Apocalypses and Doctors Pasts, I suppose is the better wording."

Rose swallowed, brushing her fingers against the monitor with the last Apocalypse, the Ninth, the woman smirking at them before moving on. "These are all of you?" she asked, looking back.

The Apocalypse nodded. "And the Doctor. The ones that I know of."

Rose checked the next monitor. The Eighth Apocalypse, if she had the regenerations correct, had startling ginger hair that was hanging loose and wavy, her grey eyes piercing. Her smile lit up the monitor, her hands firmly on her hips. This version appeared to like wearing a dress, wearing a glossy emerald colored one with a curious choice of brown army boots. Rose noted the same watch on her wrist before moving to the next monitor.

She blinked a little at the darkness radiating from the screen. The Seventh Apocalypse was taller, her eyes grey, but much darker, and full of a dark promise. Her dark brown hair was twisted into a single braid over her shoulder, her arms folded in front of her, and she was standing in a soldierlike stance. Rose couldn't even tell what she was wearing under the buttoned-up black trench coat, it was up all the way to her throat. But she could still see the same watch she wore.

The Sixth Apocalypse had wavy brow hair with red streaks shot through. Her black pants flared out at the ends, and she wore crazy heels that made Rose do a double check on her own Apocalypse's heeled boots. She raised an eyebrow at that. "You seriously wore those heels?" she asked.

The Apocalypse smiled sadly. "Peri," was all she said.

Rose understood when a photo of another brunette appeared. She could see the similarities between the Sixth Apocalypse and the woman named Peri Brown. The Apocalypse merely wore a patterned dark violet thin-strap tank top and a black suit jacket, but Rose could see the identical amethyst pendants both women wore around their necks. And there it was again: the Apocalypse's wristwatch.

She smiled, then went onto the Fifth Apocalypse. She was giving off a more fun tone, her blonde hair twisted into a playful knot, wearing a cream-colored blouse and khakis and white sandals. "I was always rather fond of her," the Apocalypse behind her said. "I don't know what it was. I just did."

Rose nodded, going to the Fourth Apocalypse. She had to snort at that. The Fourth Apocalypse was sitting cross-legged on a rather nice table, looking like she didn't have a care in the world. Her blonde hair was wispy and tangled, but she didn't seem to notice that, either. She wore a patterned white and pink checkered button-down shirt under a beige jacket, blue jeans, and black Converse tennis shoes. "On that table? Really?"