One day this past week, when another of the Doctor's experiments to bring his vision back failed and he went off to sulk, Bill had come over so they could have a girls nigh in, which had included an eager inter-dimensional space ship. They had spent nearly twenty three hours immersed in eight fantastic movies, though Ophelia's favorite movie had to be the first one. She could relate to how it felt to find out a whole new world out there, to take uncertain first steps or trying not get associated with the wrong sort. Though those kids first step into a magical castle, how their eyes widened, hearts nearly stopping in wonder, hit way too close to home. Now more than ever as they emerged into what looked like a copy of Hogwarts' main lobby, except a lot gloomier.
From where they'd stepped into, an octagonal space with doors leading out of it and a tiled mosaic of a geometrical sun in whites and browns, the Haereticum rose impossibly high. Gas lamps did little to illuminate such vast darkness.
"Very few know this place exists." Angelo got promptly ignored by both girls, who kept marveling at those criss-crossing stairs, stretching across the atrium with no support as if they'd been left free to move around. "The library of blasphemy, the Haereticum."
"Harry Potter!" Bill's astonishment earned a cardinal's dirty look.
"Language!" The Doctor advised.
"Please, stay close to me." Their guide warned. "The layout is designed to confuse the uninitiated."
"Sort of like religion, really." His jesting got silence in response.
"You happy in those shades?" Bill asked, sticking close to her best friend as they went into unknown territory. "Not dark enough for you?"
"In darkness, we are revealed."
Ophelia let awkward silence last for a few more beats, praying to whatever was out there that this idiotic man would just come clean but no such thing happen. Each step seemed to lead him further down memory lane, so much that he didn't notice his companion letting go to walk arm in arm with Bill.
"So... how was your date?" She asked, hoping it'd gone well.
"Er, it was good." Bill's tiny smile seemed hopeful. "Penny seemed into it until she saw the freaking Pope in my bedroom. Don't think I'm getting a second one."
Their walking stopped when after a corner, light suddenly flooded the hallway in front of them. It stretched for a long way until it reached something most unusual.
"The very centre of the Haereticum." Angelo declared, pausing all of them for moments. "Home of the Veritas for over a thousand years."
"Truth in the heart of heresy." The Doctor began to lead them towards that caged square where his possible demise awaited.
"And death in the heart of truth." What was it with old men and being dramatic?
"You'd be wizard at writing Christmas crackers, you two." Nardole took a jab at both before once again they all stopped due to having a beam of light cut their way, coming from an adjacent corridor. "Doctor!"
"What's that?" Bill stepped back.
"I don't know." Angelo's actions mimicked hers while the time lord turned to the others for help.
"From what we can see, it is just a mysterious light." Ophelia began before trailing off, like she was just stating something obvious.
"Yeah." Nardole gave her a thankful look for making it sound believable instead of audio description in a DVD. "It's shining round a corner, approximately ten feet away."
"Hello? Who's there?" Angelo recovered quickly. "This library is forbidden!"
"No, wait!" Bill's plea got ignored as they walked a few more steps to see that there was someone in the light.
YOU ARE READING
ADIUTRIX | DOCTOR WHO
Fanfiction"you can always trust the helper." The Doctor expected many things from a twentieth-second century party, not one of them had included a new companion. {I also don't own Doctor Who}
