Ssylphiel and Calliope spoke alone after the celebration. \u201cHeck of a way to start a birthday, huh?\u201d said Ssylphiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo kidding,\u201d agreed Calliope. \u201cTo learn that there are realities beyond what our gods created for us? \u2026That\u2019s a bit heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Calliope, look, we\u2019ve had our moments. I don\u2019t agree with your methods and you don\u2019t agree with mine. \u2026But you fight against evil in your own way and\u2026well\u2026that DOES make you an ideal candidate to replace Anacassandra-.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLady Octopus herself snuck out and spoke to me,\u201d replied Calliope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI thought I saw her missing after a bit,\u201d said Ssylphiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I\u2019m 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\u2019 and Lukas\u2019. \u2026I DO know of one who\u2019s more than capable, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh?\u201d asked Ssylphiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a mermaid that\u2019s done a lot for me and she\u2019s tried to help ease the suffering of others in her spare time. Have you heard of Maris?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know, I think I\u2019ve 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?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the one!\u201d confirmed Calliope. \u201cIf you like, I can inform her of her good fortune.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Knowing you, you need something in return,\u201d mused Ssylphiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I DO want to make a deal, but that does not need to be a term within that deal. \u2026I want your word that, should anything happen to me, my employees and Lovely Lukas\u2026they will be safe under your protection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026That seems reasonable,\u201d said Ssylphiel. \u201cI vow that no harm shall come to them. They will be safe under my care should anything happen to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Thank you. And, on the off chance something happens to you, all those you love will be safe under my care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Shall we draw up a contract then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA Sacred Oath, please.\u201d Ssylphiel\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026You\u2019re that serious?\u201d she asked. \u201c\u2026In that case, your hand.\u201d Calliope and Ssylphiel shook each other\u2019s hand. \u201cI, 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!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI, 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!\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not often people like us make the Sacred Oath,\u201d remarked Ssylphiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, we clearly trust each other, even if we\u2019re not friends,\u201d replied Calliope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Enough of that,\u201d chuckled Ssylphiel. \u201cWhat say we enjoy our birthday?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSounds heavenly to me!\u201d purred Calliope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Ssylphiel and Calliope made their Sacred Oath, the Doctor and Tysar returned to the TARDIS. \u201cSo the Toymaker knows about the recent developments?\u201d asked Tysar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s not happy, but she DID declare \u2018mission accomplished\u2019,\u201d replied the Doctor. \u201cShe and Grand Zeno will make sure everyone keeps a lookout for the Dalek Sorcerer. We\u2019re cleared to go back to our universe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank goodness,\u201d sighed Tysar. \u201cI\u2019d like to just deal with the Grouping and\u2026uh oh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUh oh?\u201d asked the Doctor. She then looked back to see their local friends coming back. \u201cOh. Someone thinks we\u2019re skiving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoctor?\u201d asked Ssylphiel. \u201cYou\u2019re not leaving, surely?! You haven\u2019t been properly honored!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBelieve me, Ssylphiel,\u201d soothed the Doctor, \u201cI am quite adequately honored. I\u2019m sure things will run smoothly here without us or the Daleks to muck everything up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, we can muck things up on our own, as Anacassandra proved,\u201d remarked Nora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou WILL help those the families of the soldiers that lost their lives to the Daleks, won\u2019t you?\u201d asked Tysar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNaturally,\u201d replied Calliope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust as we\u2019ll ensure that all traces of the Daleks\u2019 presence here will be destroyed,\u201d promised Ssylphiel. \u201cEven the Ryuginese Empire won\u2019t 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!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s good to know,\u201d said Tysar. \u201cJust promise us one thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnything,\u201d said Coilzette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe battles, the loss of life, don\u2019t 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?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a promise,\u201d agreed Ssylphiel. \u201cWar will NOT be glamorized as long as I rule Serpentia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTysar, are you sure you\u2026don\u2019t wanna\u2026?\u201d Bea asked shyly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I\u2019m sorry, Bea,\u201d replied Tysar as she gave the young Bunnygirl Naga a hug. \u201cThis isn\u2019t my world and I have to help the Doctor return our universe to normal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Don\u2019t forget me, okay?\u201d mumbled Bea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m holding you to that same promise, Bea,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026She should be very proud of the work she\u2019s putting into her home and of the work she put into ours,\u201d mused Ssylphiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d mused Bea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Speaking of work to be appreciated, who made that cake?\u201d asked Calliope. \u201cIt looked and tasted amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, that was me!\u201d replied Bea. \u201cIf I might brag, no one can top me in baking. Although, I DID have a question, but it\u2019s more sort of for Nora here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAye?\u201d asked Nora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about the candles,\u201d explained Bea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose were perfectly acceptable candles, Bea,\u201d interjected Ssylphiel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCould you imagine putting an amount of candles equal to our collective life on that cake?\u201d asked Calliope. \u201cDon\u2019t really wanna celebrate a birthday with a fire hazard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, Lukas suggested the two fancy candles,\u201d said Bea. \u201cBut Grandma Coilzette also said something about the origins of birthday candles, about how they\u2019re actually a Dwarven invention.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAye, they are,\u201d replied Nora. \u201cWe lit them so the smoke would carry our wishes and prayers to the Gods. Humans just took that idea later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo they ARE culturally appropriated,\u201d muttered Bea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTechnically, yeah,\u201d said Nora, \u201cbut as it\u2019s been a long time since any Dwarf ever lit candles for that reason, I think humans are okay grandfathering that one in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back in the TARDIS, it drifted through the local time vortex. \u201cDoctor, are we sure that we can go back to our proper universe?\u201d asked Tysar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t worry so much,\u201d replied the Doctor. \u201cGrand Zeno said he needs our help in taking care of the Grouping. So, let\u2019s see\u2026one has to squeeze the rim of the button\u2026\u201d 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. \u201cThere we are!\u201d she said. \u201cBack in OUR time vortex, just as I said! No doubts at all!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure,\u201d replied Tysar. The Doctor then keyed in a query and the TARDIS displayed some readings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Good, Davros IS where and when I left him,\u201d she reported to herself mainly. \u201c\u2026But nothing on the Dalek Sorcerer. No one in time and space has heard of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShouldn\u2019t it be back on Skaro?\u201d asked Tysar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat WOULD be the logical thing to do,\u201d replied the Doctor. \u201cBut Daleks don\u2019t always follow logic. The Movellans taught them that the hard way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026But\u2026that was an entire Dalek Saucer it escaped in,\u201d recalled Tysar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, not a Void Ship,\u201d agreed the Doctor. \u201cUnless they somehow used the technology to make one to modify their Saucer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA Void Ship?\u201d asked Tysar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA ship designed to cross the void between universes,\u201d replied the Doctor. \u201cThe 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. \u2026And I always thought it was impossible until the Cult of Skaro and the prison ship they stole swanned out of it.\u201d Just then, the console beeped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoctor?\u201d quizzed Tysar as the Doctor checked the readings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026A chronal surge!\u201d she reported. \u201cEarth! Japan! \u2026No, Inkadia! The Inklings! Something\u2019s going wrong there!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoctor, what\u2019s Inkadia?\u201d asked Tysar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll explain when we get there!\u201d 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ssylphiel and Calliope spoke alone after the celebration. \u201cHeck of a way to start a birthday, huh?\u201d said Ssylphiel. \u201cNo kidding,\u201d agreed Calliope. \u201cTo learn that there are realities beyond what our gods created for us? \u2026That\u2019s a bit heavy.\u201d \u201c\u2026Calliope, look, we\u2019ve had our moments. I don\u2019t agree with your methods and you don\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[959,1067],"tags":[35,963,962,482],"class_list":["post-7906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-doctor-who-crossings","category-the-specials","tag-doctor-who","tag-fan-companion","tag-fan-doctor","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7906"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7906\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7907,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7906\/revisions\/7907"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}