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Holmes & Xara
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The Last Christmas of
the Wolf |
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It has been fifty years since Xara left the TARDIS, and Holmes.
Sitting in her domicile she looked out of the space station window
at the seven moons of New Venus. She remembers the time she could
not look at a single moon without... the wolf. She would become a
beast of uncontrolled rage; that too was left behind when she left
the Time Lord. Xara wondered where he was now, what adventures he
was having, what face he was wearing. She smiled, and clutched at
the pain in her chest. She wished she could relive those days, but
then looked down at her crippled legs as she sat in her hover chair,
the med report on her bedside table. No cure. She was tired. Days.
The computer beeped; a message. Xara had nothing else to do but read
the message, "Merry Christmas, H." That was all it said, but in
included a code, a shuttle to the Gamma Forests. Christmas? Oh yes,
back in the old calendar this would be Christmas Eve, and old Earth
celebration of peace and well-wishing. But why the ticket? Xara
looked once more at the moons and smiled. Yes, why not.
Grabbing but a shall and her personal computer she pressed the
controls on her hover chair, left her apartment and headed to the
shuttle bay. An Odd accepted her pass, "Do enjoy your journey."
Xara looked at the shuttle, "This is a Warp shuttle?"
"It would take 6 days normally to reach the Gamma Forests," replied
the Ood, "This shuttle will get you there in but two hours." Xara
nodded and smiled. If that med report was right she might not even
have that. She boarded the shuttle.
Xara was surprised to find herself the only passenger. She was tired
and fell asleep, being woken by the Ood, "We have arrived at New
Venus. You may disembark."
"I don't know why I am here," said Xara. "Are you going to wait for
me?"
"The gentleman said you would not be returning," replied the Ood.
Xara nodded and her hoverchair glided across the small grass field
towards the woodland of the Gamma Forest. The Sky was blue, there
was a slight breeze, and a stream could be heard in the distance.
She did not even glance back as the shuttle rose and disappeared
into the sky.
Xara sat at the edge of the forest. She clutched her chest as a pain
struck her. Was this it? Was this where she died. Why did Holmes
send her here after all this time? She looked at the sky, the sun
was setting and the moon was rising. The moon. It had been fifty
years since she had become that beast, not since she had learnt to
control it, not since she left the TARDIS. Could she still do it?
Transform. Her body was sick, she likely could not survive
transforming back. Was that it? Holmes final gift. To run free in
the Gamma Forest. Xara smiled. You silly old man, you did it again,
saved me one last time. Xara took off her shall and with the last
ounce of her strength lifted herself from her chair, collapsing to
the ground. The pain... her eyesight was going blurred. Death?
Years passed.
A man stands in the doorway of a small wooden cabinet looking out
towards the Gamma Forest as night time falls. There is an old rusted
hover chair on the ground. Beyond that a wolfen figure hunches over
just inside the canopy of the woods. The moonlight catches it's eyes
before it flees into the forest.
"Run free my Xara, run free."
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