Ssylphiel and Calliope spoke alone after the celebration. “Heck of a way to start a birthday, huh?” said Ssylphiel.
“No kidding,” agreed Calliope. “To learn that there are realities beyond what our gods created for us? …That’s a bit heavy.”
“…Calliope, look, we’ve had our moments. I don’t agree with your methods and you don’t agree with mine. …But you fight against evil in your own way and…well…that DOES make you an ideal candidate to replace Anacassandra-.”
“Lady Octopus herself snuck out and spoke to me,” replied Calliope.
“I thought I saw her missing after a bit,” said Ssylphiel.
“Well, I’m sorry to say that my answer then is the same as now. I must refuse. I feel like being a Divine Cecaelia would blunt not only my life, but my employees’ and Lukas’. …I DO know of one who’s more than capable, though.”
“Oh?” asked Ssylphiel.
“She’s a mermaid that’s done a lot for me and she’s tried to help ease the suffering of others in her spare time. Have you heard of Maris?”
“You know, I think I’ve met her on a few occasions. Green hair, blue tail, lost an eye and had it replaced with a crystal, and wears a sea rose in her hair?”
“That’s the one!” confirmed Calliope. “If you like, I can inform her of her good fortune.”
“…Knowing you, you need something in return,” mused Ssylphiel.
“…I DO want to make a deal, but that does not need to be a term within that deal. …I want your word that, should anything happen to me, my employees and Lovely Lukas…they will be safe under your protection.”
“…That seems reasonable,” said Ssylphiel. “I vow that no harm shall come to them. They will be safe under my care should anything happen to you.”
“…Thank you. And, on the off chance something happens to you, all those you love will be safe under my care.”
“…Shall we draw up a contract then?”
“A Sacred Oath, please.” Ssylphiel’s eyes widened.
“…You’re that serious?” she asked. “…In that case, your hand.” Calliope and Ssylphiel shook each other’s hand. “I, Ssylphiel Emerald Goldcoil, do swear that, should anything happen to you, Calliope, all those you love will be safe under my protection. Let Lady Snake, Lord God, Lady Rose, Lady Rabbit, Lady Green, Lord Sand, Lord Fire, Lady Divine, and Lady Black be my witnesses!”
“I, Calliope Crystal Seer-legs, do swear that, should anything happen to you, Ssylphiel, all those you love will be safe under my protection! Let Lady Octopus, Lord Deal, Lady Lotus, Lord Bat, Lady Blue, Lady Sea, Lady Water, Lord Immortal, and Lady Black be my witnesses!” Their handshake was surrounded by light as the runes attributed to their respective Zodiac signs flashed above them. The runes and light then faded, and they broke off the handshake.
“It’s not often people like us make the Sacred Oath,” remarked Ssylphiel.
“Well, we clearly trust each other, even if we’re not friends,” replied Calliope.
“…Enough of that,” chuckled Ssylphiel. “What say we enjoy our birthday?”
“Sounds heavenly to me!” purred Calliope.
While Ssylphiel and Calliope made their Sacred Oath, the Doctor and Tysar returned to the TARDIS. “So the Toymaker knows about the recent developments?” asked Tysar.
“She’s not happy, but she DID declare ‘mission accomplished’,” replied the Doctor. “She and Grand Zeno will make sure everyone keeps a lookout for the Dalek Sorcerer. We’re cleared to go back to our universe.”
“Thank goodness,” sighed Tysar. “I’d like to just deal with the Grouping and…uh oh.”
“Uh oh?” asked the Doctor. She then looked back to see their local friends coming back. “Oh. Someone thinks we’re skiving.”
“Doctor?” asked Ssylphiel. “You’re not leaving, surely?! You haven’t been properly honored!”
“Believe me, Ssylphiel,” soothed the Doctor, “I am quite adequately honored. I’m sure things will run smoothly here without us or the Daleks to muck everything up.”
“No, we can muck things up on our own, as Anacassandra proved,” remarked Nora.
“You WILL help those the families of the soldiers that lost their lives to the Daleks, won’t you?” asked Tysar.
“Naturally,” replied Calliope.
“Just as we’ll ensure that all traces of the Daleks’ presence here will be destroyed,” promised Ssylphiel. “Even the Ryuginese Empire won’t touch the schematics of Dalek gunsticks, calling them honorless. We will not tolerate a Dalek foothold in the world that our Gods labored so hard over!”
“That’s good to know,” said Tysar. “Just promise us one thing.”
“Anything,” said Coilzette.
“The battles, the loss of life, don’t glamorize it. Us Thals made that mistake a few times in our history and it cost us deeply. Tell everyone the truth about what happened, all right?”
“That’s a promise,” agreed Ssylphiel. “War will NOT be glamorized as long as I rule Serpentia.”
“Tysar, are you sure you…don’t wanna…?” Bea asked shyly.
“…I’m sorry, Bea,” replied Tysar as she gave the young Bunnygirl Naga a hug. “This isn’t my world and I have to help the Doctor return our universe to normal.”
“…Don’t forget me, okay?” mumbled Bea.
“I’m holding you to that same promise, Bea,” said Tysar. They hugged for a while, then had to separate. The Doctor held the door for Tysar, then entered the TARDIS and shut the doors. The lamp flashed as the TARDIS made its usual takeoff noise and faded, kicking up a strong wind. Eventually, the TARDIS was gone as was the wind it generated.
“…She should be very proud of the work she’s putting into her home and of the work she put into ours,” mused Ssylphiel.
“Yeah,” mused Bea.
“…Speaking of work to be appreciated, who made that cake?” asked Calliope. “It looked and tasted amazing!”
“Oh, that was me!” replied Bea. “If I might brag, no one can top me in baking. Although, I DID have a question, but it’s more sort of for Nora here.”
“Aye?” asked Nora.
“It’s about the candles,” explained Bea.
“Those were perfectly acceptable candles, Bea,” interjected Ssylphiel.
“Could you imagine putting an amount of candles equal to our collective life on that cake?” asked Calliope. “Don’t really wanna celebrate a birthday with a fire hazard.”
“Yeah, Lukas suggested the two fancy candles,” said Bea. “But Grandma Coilzette also said something about the origins of birthday candles, about how they’re actually a Dwarven invention.”
“Aye, they are,” replied Nora. “We lit them so the smoke would carry our wishes and prayers to the Gods. Humans just took that idea later.”
“So they ARE culturally appropriated,” muttered Bea.
“Technically, yeah,” said Nora, “but as it’s been a long time since any Dwarf ever lit candles for that reason, I think humans are okay grandfathering that one in.”
Back in the TARDIS, it drifted through the local time vortex. “Doctor, are we sure that we can go back to our proper universe?” asked Tysar.
“I wouldn’t worry so much,” replied the Doctor. “Grand Zeno said he needs our help in taking care of the Grouping. So, let’s see…one has to squeeze the rim of the button…” The Doctor pulled out the button and squeezed its border. The TARDIS shook a bit, thanks to turbulence. Eventually, the shaking died down. The Doctor checked the readings and smiled. “There we are!” she said. “Back in OUR time vortex, just as I said! No doubts at all!”
“Sure,” replied Tysar. The Doctor then keyed in a query and the TARDIS displayed some readings.
“…Good, Davros IS where and when I left him,” she reported to herself mainly. “…But nothing on the Dalek Sorcerer. No one in time and space has heard of it.”
“Shouldn’t it be back on Skaro?” asked Tysar.
“That WOULD be the logical thing to do,” replied the Doctor. “But Daleks don’t always follow logic. The Movellans taught them that the hard way.”
“…But…that was an entire Dalek Saucer it escaped in,” recalled Tysar.
“Yes, not a Void Ship,” agreed the Doctor. “Unless they somehow used the technology to make one to modify their Saucer.”
“A Void Ship?” asked Tysar.
“A ship designed to cross the void between universes,” replied the Doctor. “The one I first saw was capable of defying all sorts of analysis, meaning it had no detectable mass, heat, age, or radiation. Unsettling, people call it. …And I always thought it was impossible until the Cult of Skaro and the prison ship they stole swanned out of it.” Just then, the console beeped.
“Doctor?” quizzed Tysar as the Doctor checked the readings.
“…A chronal surge!” she reported. “Earth! Japan! …No, Inkadia! The Inklings! Something’s going wrong there!”
“Doctor, what’s Inkadia?” asked Tysar.
“I’ll explain when we get there!” replied the Doctor as she set the coordinates! The TARDIS then spun through the Time Vortex en route to the site of the chronal surge.