Chapter Three: Alnilam

The Alnilam landscape always made the Doctor feel calm. It could have been something about the multicolored vegetation, lavender sky and the silent water flows, or the sight of the animals living, in essence, in harmony with each other.

In either case, he stepped outside and inhaled the scent of the planet, then glanced over to Rose to see her reaction. She was staring, open-mouthed, at the landscape and, mostly, at the creatures grazing happily up ahead.

“Doctor,” she exclaimed in a happy squeak, “those’re unicorns!”

One by one the equines raised their heads at the outburst. While most of them went back to what they were doing, two smaller ones came galloping up to the time traveling pair.

The first was a gray female with a yellow mane and tail, a white horn and fluffy white wings. The second was smaller, male, with blue and yellow fur, red mane and tail, a tiny red beard, a small lavender horn, and a sun and star on his coat. Mistral and Nightsun.

“Oh, Doctor, they’re beau’iful!”

The filly nickered appreciatively. Thanks! said a voice directly into their heads.

“What was that?”

Me! The gray filly pranced around. I’m Mistral and this is Nightsun.

The Doctor nudged the blonde at his side. Taking the hint, she said, “Um…I’m Rose.”

Hi! Doctor, y’know Lisa’s been really worried about you, right?

He looked a little guilty. “Yes, I know. We need a guide through the forest.”

Nightsun neighed excitedly, and Mistral answered him. He whickered back to her, and the filly nodded. Yeah. Come on, Doctor!

The two unicorns spun on their back legs and took off towards the herd. Rose and the Doctor looked at each other, and he simply gave her a smile, took her hand, and they both ran after them.

The filly and the foal led them to a beautiful mare with a bright yellow coat, red mane and tail, orange horn, lavender hooves and a sun on her flanks. This was Nightsun’s mother, Corona.

The mare nickered at her son and his friend before catching notice of the Doctor and Rose right behind them.

“Oh, hello, Doctor,” the mare said, speaking English, and Rose stared. Nightsun whickered, to which Corona replied, “Yes, of course I can lead you through the forest. Lisa’s very worried.”

“I know, I know…” the Doctor defended. He knew the unicorns all loved Lisa almost as much as he did, and he knew that putting her through what he had wasn’t exactly the smartest thing he’d done in his nine hundred years of time and space. Still, he didn’t need to hear it at every turn.

“Follow me. Mistral, Nightsun, go play.”

Bye, Doctor! Mistral said while Nightsun whickered and they both turned and galloped away.

“Come on, Doctor.”

He and Rose followed the yellow mare through the multicolored forest. While they walked, Rose took the opportunity to grill him with questions.

“She’s speaking English?”

“Yep,” said the Doctor. There was no need to tell her about the TARDIS’ translator yet.

“Yes,” said Corona from ahead of them, overhearing. “We are born able to communicate with each other. To humans, that communication sounds like the creatures you call horses.” She neighed. “That is our language for ‘hello’. Nightsun speaks this way, because he’s too young, yet, for the next step, which is telepathy. Mistral, as you heard, uses this.” I can, too, as can the majority of us.

Rose glanced at the Doctor, who simply smiled at her.

“The final step is the spoken language. English, if you will. Most adults, if not all, can speak like this.”

“So…Mistral’s older than Nightsun…?” asked Rose.

“By nine months. We learn telepathy after the first year of life, then the spoken after the fourth year. Here we are.”

The Doctor didn’t even realized they’d come to the meadow where Lisa’s house was until Corona had said something.

“Don’t keep her waiting any longer than she has already, Doctor.” Corona turned and trotted away.

“I can’t get over how beau’iful they are,” said Rose.

The Doctor wasn’t listening. He was staring at Lisa’s large stone house. Knowing her, she already knew they were there. That theory was confirmed as they approached, for the front doors flew open and a red-and-gold blur flew towards them and practically knocked him over as Lisa embraced him tightly.

“Don’t ever do that to me again!”

End chapter three.

Back *~*~* Chapter Two *~*~* Chapter Four