Contrasting Tranquility |COMPLETE|

Chapter Five

"Instinct is a marvellous thing. It can neither be explained nor ignored."

-Agatha Christie

Witnessing the demise of another soul, while standing idly by, is an anguish that penetrates the depths of one's heart. It wasn't long ago she delivered the message to Donna Noble; it somehow felt like no time at all. A blink of an eye.

She leaned down and whispered into her ear. "Tell him this. Two words. Bad Wolf."

With that, Donna's eyes closed and she died.

Rose breathed shakily as she made her way down the road. The Universe had been right to torture her. She was the bad guy. She had sent an innocent woman to her death, and it now lay upon her shoulders. Parallel world or not, this version of Donna was still a living, breathing human; a spark in the creation of the Galaxy. And she took it away: an Angel of Death, a Messenger of Misery. How could she ever forgive herself?

The tug of light and warmth pulled at her physical form again and Rose relished in the slight pain she felt. She needed to be punished; one way or another.

Her body hit the grated flooring of the TARDIS. She was back in her own world. But no. Wait. Something was wrong. The TARDIS was shaking violently.

Rose flung her eyes open and gasped. She frantically looked around at the exploding console, fiery pits of hell raising from the ground. She analysed her surroundings and spotted a scared Donna hiding behind the jump seat.

Rose leaped forwards and tried to help the woman up, but her hand passed through.

No. Not again.

Thump thump thump.

What was that?

Thump thump thump.

A heartbeat. There was a heartbeat. Only not her own.

Thump thump thump.

Rose listened closely to the sound and followed it around the console. She stared down at the Doctor's hand in a jar. What? How come she'd never seen it before? Had it always been there?

Thump thump thump.

It was a calling. Golden streams of light nuzzled the container, the liquid bubbling and boiling. She'd seen this kind of light before, back when the Doctor-

"No." she whispered. He couldn't have. He can't.

Rose surveilled the hand and gently approached.

Thump thump thump.

She knelt next to it, unsure. Her hand reached slowly to the energy and she felt herself get yanked towards it. There was merging, and warping and twisting. Particles swam and pulled; dissipated and converged. Her own head filled with ideas and thoughts, burning at the edge. Blood rushed through her veins, crowded by energy and oxygen.

Rose screamed in agony as her body grew heavy. She gasped and choked and cried.

And then, it stopped.

Her heartbeat returned to normal and the throbbing headache inside her brain subdued. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head.

"It's you." Donna's voice called.

Rose turned to stare at the woman. "What?"

"And now we're gonna die!" Donna added.

Rose snapped her gaze to the time rotor. She jumped towards it and pressed a button to dematerialise themselves away. Once done so, she sat on the jump seat with a heavy sigh.