‘Life’s all about learning, Taisei,’ the Doctor said. ‘But you have some wise advisors, and I’d
suggest you listen to them as your father did.
Tsugu especially, he may be old, but he’s forgotten more than many people
will ever know. Listen to them, and I
could guarantee that you’ll be a fine successor to your father’s legacy.’
Taisei nodded and smiled.
He rose from the step and turned back to face the great hall. Torches flickered in his eyes.
‘I suppose I could not convince you to stay, then.’
‘I’m afraid not, Taisei,’ the Doctor replied. He rose to stand next to the king and put a
hand on his shoulder. ‘This isn’t my
time…and I have my friend Vastra to return to her time, still.’
Taisei nodded quietly.
‘When will you be leaving, then?’
‘Tomorrow actually, I think we’ve done everything we were
meant to do here. It’s all in your
hands, Taisei.’
‘Tsugu tells me that you travel in a strange shrine. Is that true?’
The Doctor nodded.
‘I should like to see if before you leave. You would allow me the honour of escorting
you back to your shrine tomorrow?’
The Doctor looked past Taisei to Vastra, who nodded.
‘Of course, Taisei, the honour would be ours, actually.’
Taisei turned to look at Vastra, still seated on the
step. He held out a hand to her, and she
took it, rising to stand next to them.
‘One more night with us then, as my guests. And then tomorrow we shall bid each other
farewell.’
The Doctor smiled.
‘Until the next time,'
Taisei laughed.
‘Yes, until the next time.’
The three entered the great hall together for their last
evening in the kingdom together.
~~~
The sun shone brightly in the sky as the Doctor, Vastra,
King Taisei and his advisors left the city.
A small group of soldiers joined them as they made their way back to the
fields were the Doctor had landed his TARDIS weeks before. Vastra smiled as she saw the looks the
soldiers gave each other when ordered to join them; she could almost hear them
saying, as they looked at each other, ‘What do you need us to come along
for? You’ve got her.’
The walk was, as expected, uneventful, and a few hours after
passing through the city’s gates, the group crested a small rise and the Doctor
pointed.
‘There she is!’
There, in the middle of the field, stood the TARDIS, none
the worse for wear, all things considered.
The Doctor broke away from the group and rushed over to it, hugging it
like it were some long lost friend.
Behind him, King Taisei turned to Vastra with a questioning look in his
eyes. Vastra could do little but shrug
her shoulders, replying with a non-verbal ‘Don’t ask me…you know he is rather
strange after all.’ Taisei nodded at
this, and began a brisk pace to the Doctor and his TARDIS.
As he got closer, he could hear the Doctor mumbling.
‘Oh look at you…did those cows use you as a scratching post
while we were away? Don’t worry…I’m sure
most of it will come off in the vortex.
It’s not like I can take you to a car wash, you know…’
Taisei tapped the Doctor on the shoulder. He jumped and spun around.
‘Yes…sorry! We were
just catching up!’
Taisei looked up at the blue box. ‘It is a most impressive looking shrine,
Doctor. However, it is rather small, is
it not?’
The Doctor smiled.
‘It’s actually a bit roomier than you’d imagine, Taisei.’
He fumbled in his pocket and produced a key. Quietly he walked over to the doors, inserted
the key, and turned the lock. The door
creaked open just a small bit, and from inside Taisei could hear the quiet
murmurings of the TARDIS engines. The
Doctor nodded to Vastra, who broke ranks and joined him at his side.
‘So…’
The Doctor paused.
‘Taisei…Tsugu…members of the court…I want to thank you for
your hospitality these past weeks. It’s
been an honour to spend so much time with you.’
Vastra nodded and was about to speak when the Doctor’s elbow
nudged her in the ribs. She turned to
look at him, frustration on her face.
‘As I was about to say,’ she began, turning back to face the
small crowd, ‘I should thank you as well, for caring for me when I was
hurt. You’ve showed me such kindness,
and I have learned so much from you all.
Thank you.’
She bowed her head slightly in respect.
Taisei laughed.
“It is we who should be thanking you both, for coming when
our need was so great. There is no
telling what might have happened had you not arrived when you did.’
The Doctor smiled.
‘Yes, well…I seem to have a habit of showing up in times
like this. Means I get to skip most of
the boring bits.’
He paused.
‘So anyway…farewell, I’m sure we’ll be back sometime…I
wouldn’t want to miss another chance to share in your hospitality.’
The Doctor turned back to open the door but was stopped by a
hand on his shoulder. He turned around
and the look on Taisei’s face held him fast.
‘You have been with us before, Doctor…you know our traditions.’
‘It’s not really necessary, Taisei. You know we only did what we thought was
right.’ The Doctor shook his head as he
spoke.
‘You would deny us our traditions, Doctor?’
The Doctor sighed.
‘Of course I wouldn’t…I’m just saying that…’
Taisei held up his hand.
‘Then it is settled.
Tsugu, come forward.’
The old man was helped off the wagon by two soldiers and
slowly walked over to the Doctor. He
held something long and somewhat bulky wrapped in cloth and smiled as he handed
it to the Doctor.
‘Here, Kyoujyu. I
feel you would make better use of this than I will now…and your efforts the
past few weeks have proven that.’
The Doctor unwrapped the offering and found himself holding
Tsugu’s own shamshin. He looked up,
shock clearly evident on his face.
‘Tsugu, I can’t accept this!’
Tsugu nodded.
‘You can and you will.’
‘But…’
‘No buts, old friend.’
Tsugu walked up directly in front of the Doctor. ‘I am an old man…we
both know this. My hands are not what they used to be, and I
think my playing days are slipping further and further behind me. This
way you will have something to remember
this adventure with us by.’
‘You think I’d forget this, Tsugu?’
Tsugu laughed.
‘No, of course not, this way, however, a small piece of me
can join you on all those journeys you have told me about.’
The Doctor smiled and bowed.
‘I’m honoured, my old friend. Yes.
Of course I’ll accept it. Thank
you.’
Tsugu turned and slowly walked back to the group. As he did, a taller, heavyset man walked
forward carrying a bundle in his hands.
He stopped next to Taisei and waited.
‘Vastra,’ started the king, ‘These are for you.’
Vastra stepped forward carefully and took the bundle from
the man’s hands. She knelt to the ground
and unwrapping the heavy cloth found three lacquered saya gleaming in the
sunlight. She grabbed one and slowly,
quietly drew a blade from its confines.
Unlike the royal swords she’d…appropriated…during that fateful battle
during the funeral, this blade had a duller finish. It felt almost impossibly light in her hands,
yet even a casual glance showed her the edge was far keener than those she’d
ever wielded before. She admired the
wavy patterns in the metal as she gripped the tsuka, which seemed to fit her
hand perfectly.
She looked up at the King.
‘They are gorgeous.’
‘I understand they took no small amount of work to
finish. My craftsman here tells me that
it took many arguments with your Doctor to acquire some of the material he
wished to use in the blades’ design.’
Vastra looked up at the Doctor, who was running a hand
through his hair.
‘Care to explain, Doctor?
Or will I be left without still more explanations?’
‘Well,’ the Doctor began, ‘the smith felt it appropriate to
incorporate some of the metal from the Metatraxi armour into the sword, to
symbolize your victory over them. I
wasn’t sure it was the best possible idea, but I finally relented, and showed
him how to forge it into the existing steel.
That’s why the blades look duller…and why they’re immeasurably sharper.’
He paused, wiping his brow.
‘That doesn’t mean, however, that you can…’
Vastra smiled and held up a finger to hush the Doctor. He looked at her, taken aback by her
brashness. She laughed.