Counting with Fairies: A Doctor Who fanfic - Complete Story

Counting with Fairies

A Doctor Who fanfic

Takes place immediately after Big Finish story "Dark Eyes."

Synopsis: Molly O'Sullivan has left to go back to the war, but Dr. Sally Armstrong was alive again, thanks to Molly's changing history for the better. Sally is a scientist and when the Doctor lets her pick where in time she wants to go, she chooses to see Pascal Blaise's first mechanical calculator. Seems a straightforward enough of a request for the Doctor, but nothing with him ever goes quite to plan. Fairies are appearing in 17th century France, making the locals very nervous.

The Doctor and Sally find themselves in the middle of a Fairy War.

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14

Counting with Fairies Ch 14

Chapter 14

"Now Sally," he said with a half-smile, "If I remember correctly, we were on our way to see the Pascaline."  He turned a few knobs and threw a lever and the blue bars in the central time rotor began to move.

Sally smiled, "Yes, I think we were."  The Doctor said nothing more.  He only smiled.  Several minutes later the blue bars stopped moving, indicating they had landed.  He approached Sally and her wheel chair.

"Doctor, I won't let you carry me all the way to town," Sally said.

"I didn't think you would, so I have this," he held up a black wooden cane.

Sally took the cane from him  She looked at it and saw the most beautiful circles carved into the wood.  "Doctor, this is lovely," she said.

"It was mine a long time ago.  Back when I was an old man."

Sally looked at the Doctor, completely confused by what he had just said.  She chuckled nervously.  He helped her to stand up.  She leaned against the cane.  It was a perfect size and much more comfortable to use than the stick she had found last night to use. 

The Doctor pulled out a clean red over tunic and held it up for her to see.  "Can't have you going out  into the streets of Rouen in your petticoats."

Sally noticed for the first time she was in clean clothes.  She remembered when she fell asleep, she was muddy and wearing the Doctor's jacket.  "How did I get clean clothes on?"  she asked.  Her face flushed.  Had he dressed her?

"The Poikyo.  When they came on board the TARDIS, Queen Bai was concerned for your injury.  She had some of her people use their magic and made you and your clothes clean."  He pulled the tunic over her head.  She stuck her arms through the sleeves.

"Really?" Sally asked.

"Really," the Doctor answered.  He tied the last lace.  "Now then, shall we go?"  He held out his elbow.  Sally held his arm with her right hand and used the cane in her left.  She was able to walk, or limp, along fairly comfortably.

The Doctor opened the door and stepped out, then he held out a hand to help her out.  They were in the middle of a city street.  No one seemed to notice the blue box in the road.

Sally looked around at the busy goings on in the city street.  People hurrying from one place to another, buying food from vendors, chatting with friends, bartering goods.  Even in the 17th century, city life was city life and Sally felt a little more at home.  They begin to walk down the street.

The Doctor answered Sally's question before she could even ask.  "I spoke with Columbine and asked her if she knew a Blaise Pascal and his mechanical calculator.  You wouldn't believe what she said," the Doctor paused.

After several moments of silence, Sally tugged at the Doctor's elbow. "Go on then, tell me," Sally said.

He smiled, "She told me of course she knew Pascal.  His first mechanical calculator had one fault that kept it from working properly.  She said he was incredibly frustrated that he just couldn't figure out why it didn't work."

"Wait, Doctor, did she do something fairy-like and mischievous to his Pascaline?" Sally asked.

"I asked her the same thing, but she only smiled sweetly at me," the Doctor grinned.

"I can't believe it," Sally said.

"Anyway, it only helped him to create a new and better model and she told me where he lived.  That's why the TARDIS brought us here, instead of the countryside again."

They stopped walking in front of a two story stone building.  It was in a long line of other similar buildings.  Sally heard some nearby people talking at one of the food vendors.

"Oh yes, he showed it to me," one man was saying.

"And did it work?" another man asked.

"It did.  I couldn't believe it.  He turned the wheels to a set of numbers, turned the little cranks and would you believe it?  It worked.  It added those numbers together," the first man said.

"Oh, it's just a silly toy," a woman spoke up.  "A clock adding up numbers? Silly thing."

Sally looked at the Doctor, his eyes were twinkling.

"First doubters of the usefulness of computers," he whispered.  They approached the door and the Doctor knocked on it.  A young man of about nineteen opened the door.

"Ah, good day, sir," the Doctor said cheerfully.  "I heard you have a most fascinating clock here.  One that adds numbers?"

"It's not a clock sir, it's called the Pascaline and it does more than just add numbers.  Would you like to see it?" the boy said.

"Indeed," the Doctor said.  The boy opened the door wider and the Doctor and Sally stepped in.  "I'm the Doctor and this is Sally," he introduced them.

"I'm Blaise Pascal.  I created the Pascaline for my father to use.  He's a tax receiver."

Sally stared at the young man.  So young.  She had built her first computer at his age, but she hadn't invented any of it, just put it together.  He had invented it all.  A man was sitting at a table near the window.  On the table in front of him was a metal box the size of a loaf of bread.  Young Pascal began to explain it, how to put in the numbers to be added and how to turn the metal cogs to get the correct answer.  Sally watched in absolute amazement.  Right in front of her was the first computer, it's creator and the first computer user.  Blaise Pascal beamed with pride as the Doctor congratulated him on his achievement.  After several more demonstrations at the Pascaline's ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide large numbers, the Doctor and Sally said farewell to the Pascal men and they left.

"Doctor, that was absolutely amazing.  Thank you for taking me to see it and to meet the man himself."

"My pleasure, Dr. Armstrong," he said.  He gave her hand, which was tucked into the crook of his elbow, a squeeze.  He led them back into the TARDIS, but instead of taking her to the wheelchair, he led her to a tall-backed armchair.  She sat down.  It was much more comfortable than the wheel chair and Sally rested her injured foot on the footstool.

"Well, Sally," the Doctor began to fiddle with the knobs and switches on the console, "if you want, I could take you back home.  Back to London, 1971 and the Ides Scientific Institute.  Or, I could take you to Florida to see the Apollo 14 take off and then home after that. " He smiled his half-smile at her.

"You would do that for me?  I mean, don't you have more important things to do than treat me to amazing moments in Earth's history?"

"Time machine, Sally.  I have all the time in the universe."  The Doctor knew exactly what he was doing.   He knew how to bait his prey.  He felt guilty about that, but he wasn't ready to be alone again.  He liked Sally.  She was intelligent and calm.  She would be fun to take around the universe and show her the amazing things it had to offer.  "So, do you want to go to Florida or not?"

Sally grinned, "Of course I want to see the Apollo 14."

"Let's go then!" the Doctor threw several switches.  "Besides Sally, I can't take you back to the Institute with a sprained ankle.  What would people think?"

"I hadn't thought of that," Sally said.  Honestly that thought hadn't crossed her mind at all.  It was a valid point, after all.  How would she explain leaving the institute with a stranger and returning with a bad foot?

"I guess you'll just have to stay with me until it heals," the Doctor said.  He didn't want to trick Sally.  He hoped she'd want to go anyway even without the premise of waiting to return her after her foot healed.  Still, he wasn't ready to be alone again.  Not yet.  "After the Apollo 14, I could take you to the London summer games in 2012 or I could take you back to Greece for the first Olympics or, if you like sports, we could go to Kirola, a planet that is completely devoted to the improvement and playing of every sport in the universe.  Sports teams and coaches from all over the universe go to Kirola to practice and hone their skills.  It's fascinating.  I went years ago to see the biggest cricket tournament in the universe.  I had a real liking for cricket years ago."  The Doctor was practically flying around the console in excitement.

Sally could do nothing but laugh.

She wanted to get back home to the institute.  After seeing the Pascaline, she felt inspired to get back to work on her own projects, but at the same time, the Doctor had shown her there was so much more to life and the universe than computers and robots.  There were amazing creatures like fairies and Poikyo.  There were worlds where grass was purple and the fruit off a tree was silver.

Her foot was injured.  Really, she couldn't go home just yet.  It would just bring up too many questions.  She also realized that the Doctor, for all his calm, knowledge and diplomacy, seemed lonely.  She could see his was desperately trying to keep her with him.  She like the attention and he could show her things that would only inspire her more for when she finally did get back home to her work at the institute.  "Well, Doctor, let's get to Florida and see the Apollo 14.  Then we can decide from there where to go next.  Either home or off to another adventure."

"Fair enough," he said.  It was.  He was happy to have her along, even if only for a little while longer.  He set the coordinates into the TARDIS.  "Do you like music, Sally? Mind if I turn some on?"

The Doctor flipped on an old phonograph player and the sounds of Glenn Miller and his orchestra filled the TARDIS.  They were off to their next adventure.

Counting with Fairies Ch 13

Chapter 13

"Sally, Sally, wake up."

Sally's eyes opened.  Standing in front of her was the Doctor, his blue eyes twinkled and his grin was ear to ear.  "Ah, Sally!  Hello," he said excitedly.  "I've got some amazing things to show you."

Sally blinked her eyes several times.  It took her a few moments to wake up and remember where she was.  She was still sitting in the wheel chair.  All around the room, Sally saw the Poikyo. They were all watching her and Sally started to squirm uncomfortably in her chair.

"Hello Sally.  I'm glad to see you awake and well.  I am Queen Bai, of the Poikyo and I wish to apologize on behalf of my people for our treatment towards you in the cave."

"Queen Bai?"  Sally asked.  "You aren't the queen I met."

"No, I'm not.  Our queen was killed in the battle and I am the new queen."

"My apologies and my condolences," Sally said.  She wasn't sure she meant it and she wasn't sure it was the appropriate thing to say, but her head was feeling very fuzzy.

"Accepted," the queen said very matter-of-factly, "and do you accept our apologies?"

"Yes, of course I do," Sally said, "and really, it wasn't such a bad way to be captured.  I enjoyed the sensation of flying or floating in the air."

Queen Bai laughed and when she did it sounded like tiny silver bells, "I have never heard of anyone saying anything like that before."  She flew up to Sally's face.  "Would you like to fly again?"

"May I?" Sally asked.

Queen Bai flew over Sally's head.  Columbine flew over the Doctor's head.  They started to sprinkle blue dust over their heads and the next thing Sally and they Doctor knew was they were floating in the air in the console room.

Sally looked at the Doctor and laughed,  "Bet you can't catch me, Doctor!"  She threw out her arms and her body moved forward.  She flew to the other side of the console's time rotor.  She laughed as the Doctor tried to catch her.  They clumsily flew about the room, laughing loudly.  The Poikyo were all laughing too and they did their best to stay out of the way of the two large humanoids trying to fly.  After several moments, Sally seemed to understand how to control herself as she flew.  She dashed down the corridor and the Doctor followed.

When he caught up with her, he took her hand and held it.  "Come with me," he said and he pulled her as he flew down several more corridors.  He arrived at a door, opened it and they flew in together.

Sally's breath was blown away, "Butterflies!"

"Yes," he smiled at her, "Haven't you ever wanted to fly with butterflies?"

Hand in hand they flew to the top of the room and slowly floated around, looking at the butterflies that flew all around them.

"I feel like Wendy and you're Peter Pan with all your fairy friends and you are showing me all the wonders of Neverland."  Sally said.

"Yes, Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn't grow up and fights off the bad guys.  I think we have a lot in common," the Doctor thoughtfully said.

"Is he real, Doctor?" Sally asked.  "You've told me mermaids are real and I've seen firsthand that fairies are real, so is Peter Pan real?"

The Doctor smiled, "That, my dear, is not for you to know.  There are some questions best left unanswered and some magic that should never be understood.  If I told you whether he was real or not, it would take away that magic and I would never want to take that from you."  The floated in silence for a few more moments.  Sally watched the butterflies.  "Ready to go back to the console room?  I think the Poikyo are ready to go to their new home."

Sally nodded.  The left the butterfly room and flew back to the console room.  The Doctor helped Sally position herself near the wheelchair.  "Now, when they release us, try to land on your good foot.  We don't need to injure that ankle again."

"I had almost forgotten.  Being weightless sure makes you forget about sprained ankles."  Sally said.  The Doctor positioned himself next to her and held onto her arm.

"Ready," Queen Bai asked, then she snapped her fingers and the Doctor and Sally fell back to the ground of  the TARDIS.  Sally did her best to land on her good foot, but she waivered when she hit the ground.  The Doctor's strong grip on her arm kept Sally from falling.  He helped her into the chair. 

The Doctor went to the console and looked at the scanner.  Everything seemed to be right.  They were on Lisi, a nice forested location, good weather, twilight.  Perfect.  He threw one final lever on the console and TARDIS doors opened.  "Welcome to Lisi," he said.

The Poikyo flew to the door and waited for their queen.  She flew out the doors first, followed by Columbine.  The rest of the Poikyo followed and flew out into the fragrant evening air of their new home.  The Doctor pushed Sally's wheelchair to the door, he helped her to stand up and then he picked her up and carried her out of the TARDIS.  He set her down in the grass and then he sat down next to her.

"Where are we?" Sally asked.  The grass seemed purple and the trees were unlike anything Sally had ever seen.

"Lisi, a small planet several million light years away from Earth.  It's a really beautiful place.  There's a small human population here."

"Another planet?  And humans living on it?  You're kidding me, Doctor," Sally said.

"I'm not," the Doctor replied.

Several Poikyo flew past the Doctor and Sally, each shouting a thank you to him in their bell-like voices.  Queen Bai came over to where the Doctor and Sally were sitting, "Thank you for bringing us here.  This is beautiful and it will be a perfect home."

"You are most welcome," he replied.

"Would you like to see something very special?  Something that no one but Fai-kind has ever seen before?"  Queen Bai asked.  When the Doctor and Sally nodded, Bai said, "Wait here."

She and a group of Poikyo disappeared.  The Doctor and Sally sat in silence for several moments.  Sally's stomach growled a deep growl.

"Sorry," she apologized, rubbing her stomach.

"Don't be silly," the Doctor said getting up.  "You haven't had anything to eat since we started our little adventure and that was quite a while ago.  I'll be right back."  He went into the TARDIS.

Sally leaned back against the blue box and looked up into the trees.  It was a beautiful night.  A breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees above her.  She could see the blue lights of Poikyo darting about in the treetops.  She wondered what they were doing.  Perhaps scouting out for a place to build their homes.  It was several minutes later that the Doctor reappeared from the TARDIS.  He carried a picnic basket and a teapot.

"Night time picnic," he announced and sat down next to Sally.  He opened the basket and began to pull food out.  "I didn't know what you liked, so I brought a variety."  There were sandwiches and hot fish and chips.  There was lots of fruit, most of it Sally recognized, but some she didn't.  And last was a plate of cheese.  He pulled out two china tea cups and poured the steaming tea from the pot.

Sally picked up one of the sandwiches and began to eat.  She was hungrier than she realized and had a second sandwich.  The Doctor picked a banana for his meal and ate it.  He laid back in the grass and watched the blue lights darting around in the trees.

They ate in silence, enjoying each other's company, the food and the warm night.  Sally picked up an unusual fruit.  It looked a like a pear, but it was silver.

"Doctor, what is this?"  she held it up for him to see.  He sat up and looked at the fruit.

"It's a piorra, native fruit to Gallifrey."

"Your home world?" Sally asked.

"The Doctor nodded and leaned back, propping himself on his elbow.  He took his tea cup into his hand. "It's good.  Texture like an apple and taste like a banana.  Personally, I just prefer bananas."

Sally looked at the fruit, "Does it have to be peeled?"

"Nope, you eat it just like you would an apple."  He sipped his tea. 

Sally bit into the silver fruit.  He was right, it did taste a bit like a banana, but different.  Sally couldn't quite describe the taste, but she loved it.  "It's wonderful.  Better than a banana!"  She took another bite.

The Doctor laughed, "Well isn't that the way it goes?  You like the fruit from my home world and I prefer the one from your home."

"The grass is always greener," Sally started, "or purple," she laughed indicating the grass she sat in.

"Or silver," chuckled the Doctor.

They noticed Queen Bai and her group returning.  The Doctor quickly packed up the picnic.  Queen Bai and her royal entourage approached them. In her hands was a small glowing orb.

"Watch now," the queen whispered.  She held the orb out and it floated just inches above the ground.  The Poikyo surrounded it and formed a circle with the orb in the middle.  "When the first baby laughed for the first time," Queen Bai said, "it's laugh went skipping about and that was the beginning of Fai.  Now on this world of Lisi, the first baby laugh that has happened here since our arrival has been captured.  It is here and it will be the first of our kind on Lisi."

Queen Bai, the Poikyo and Lady Columbine kissed their fingers and blew their kisses at the orb.  The orb began to glow a bright golden light, reaching a brightness so intense, Sally almost closed her eyes.   Just at that moment, the light burst and floating in its place was a tiny blue fairy, no bigger than Sally's little finger.  Queen Bai stepped forward and took the infant in her arms.  "She is Lissi and being the first Fai born on this planet, she is to be my daughter and heir to the Queen of the Poikyo."

"Princess Lissi!" the others all shouted.

Queen Bai held the baby up for Sally and the Doctor to see.  Sally leaned in and looked at the tiny child.  "She is beautiful." 

"Thank you for sharing her creation with us," the Doctor said.

A Poikyo descended from the trees above the TARDIS.  "My queen," she said, "a home for you and the princess has been prepared."

"Thank you Mae," the queen said.  The Poikyo messanger bowed and flew back up into the trees.

"Doctor, I wish to thank you for bringing us here," Bai said.  "I wish Shai had listened to you when you first offered to help us.  More of our kind would still be alive, but then, I never would have known Columbine, who has become my dear friend."

"I am honored to have helped.  Take care of your new home and your people," he picked up the picnic basket and placed it in the TARDIS.  He returned to Sally, who was struggling to get up on her own, and he lifted her into his arms.  "Goodbye," he said.

"Goodbye!" Sally called as he carried her into the blue box.  Sally heard hundreds of bell-like voices calling goodbye to her. 

The Doctor placed her back into the wheelchair and went to the controls.  "Now Sally," he said with a half-smile, "If I remember correctly, we were on our way to see the Pascaline."  He turned a few knobs and threw a lever and the blue bars in the central time rotor began to move.

Chapter 14

Counting with Fairies Ch 12

Chapter 12

The Doctor left the meeting with a promise to return with his spaceship.  He headed out of the forest.  The night was still dark.  When he reached the edge of the woods, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver, pressed the button and waved it in the air.  It beeped erratically until it locked onto the TARDIS's location.  He started walking, whistling happily as he went.  It had been rough, but everything was working out.  He'd get his TARDIS, pick up the Poikyo, take them to Lisi and then he's bring Sally back to see the Pascaline.  He felt bad their little outing had taken such a dramatic turn, but he intended to keep his promise to her.

He hoped Sally had found her way back to the TARDIS alright.  He had an uneasy feeling.  He picked up his pace, deciding that he needed to get back as quickly as possible.

The sky was turning pink in the early morning by the time he arrived back to the TARDIS.  He pulled out his key and unlocked the door.

"Sally?" he called.  There was no answer.  He ran farther into the console room.  "Sally!" he yelled again.  Nothing.  He looked around.  Everything looked exactly as he had left it.  Sally never made it back.

The Doctor ran to the door and opened it, stepping back out into the French countryside.  "Sally!" he desperately called out.  He ran down to the road and looked around.  "Please, please" he whispered to himself, "let Sally be alright."  He saw a ways up the road what looked like a muddy person lying in the ditch alongside the road.

"Sally!" the Doctor called again, running to her.  She moved when he reached her.  He breathed a heavy sigh of relief.  She was alive, but shivering with cold in the morning dew.  He quickly slipped off his jacket and wrapped it around Sally's back and shoulders.  With his help, she turned over and rested her back against his chest.  She smiled at him.  He smiled back in surprise.

"Sorry I didn't make it back to the TARDIS before morning.  I took the scenic route," Sally said, her eyes twinkled.

In his relief, the Doctor laughed.  "I guess you must have."

Sally pulled the Doctor's jacket closer around her.  Her throat was dry and she coughed a little.  The Doctor reached his hand down into one of the pockets of his jacket and pulled out a pouch filled with water.  He handed it to her and she eagerly drank from it.

"Careful now, not too much, yet," the Doctor said.  "Can you walk?"

Sally shook her head. "I don't think I can do another step.  I sprained my ankle." She pulled up her skirt to show him her leg wrapped in the green over tunic.  "I walked on it last night for a long time, but I can't now.  It hurts too much."

He moved around to her leg and gently began to unwrap the cloth from it.  Sally clenched her jaw.  It hurt.  She gave an involuntary squeak when he felt her ankle  It was swollen and hot.  "It's not broken.  I need to get you back to the TARDIS sick bay."  He reached into another pocket of his jacket and pulled out what looked like a syringe.

Sally gasped, "Please no needles, Doctor.  I can't stand needles."

"No need for needles," he chuckled at his own joke.  "Need for needles.  I like that.  No, there is no needles involved here.  Technology from your future, remember?"  He smiled and placed the device against Sally's leg.  Sally squeezed her eyes shut.  She felt on her leg what seemed like a burst of warm air against her skin.  She opened her eyes and looked at the Doctor.  He was smiling and putting the device back into his pocket.

"That's it?" she asked.

"That's it," he said.  "How does your leg feel now?"

"Better.  It still hurts, but not nearly as much.  Thank you.  How did you pull that thing and a pouch of water out of your pockets?  I'm wearing your jacket, but I don't feel those things in the pockets."

"The pockets are like the TARDIS, bigger on the inside," he smiled a mischievous half grin at her.  "Now, come on." He stooped down to pick her up.

"Doctor, you can't carry me all the way back to the TARDIS."

"Sure I can.  I'm stronger than I look.  I've carried  injured girls before."  He picked Sally up quite easily.  She put her arms around his neck.  "See, this isn't so bad.  Once, I was visiting a planet and my companion, her name was Peri, was dying from a terrible toxin.  She was unconscious and I carried her for a long time.  The thing was, was that I was also dying from the same toxin and there were hot mud bursts going on all around me.  So, this is much better.  You're not dying, I'm not dying and there is no natural disaster going on around us."  He smiled.

"So, did you save the girl?" Sally teasingly asked.

"As a matter of fact, I did." 

"If only we had some fairy dust," Sally said, "then you wouldn't have to carry me at all.  I could just fly back."   The TARDIS was coming into view.  "I almost made it to the TARDIS, didn't I?" Sally asked.

"Yes, you got very close.  Do you have the key I gave you?"  The Doctor held Sally as she fished the key from her pocket and unlocked the door with a click.  The Doctor carried her into the TARDIS and down one of the corridors.  He turned into a room that looked like a doctor's examination room and he gently placed her on the table.  He picked up a scanner and held it over Sally's leg.  "Good news.  Not broken."

The Doctor opened a drawer and took out some white dressing.  "Don't worry, we'll soon have you fixed up."  He wrapped her foot and ankle.  He did a much better job than she had with her tunic.

"Sorry about the dress, Doctor," Sally said.

"What?" asked the Doctor.

"This dress, it belongs to you and I've shredded part of it and have completely covered the rest with mud."

The Doctor laughed.  "No worries Sally, really."  He finished wrapping her foot. "Now, I have a little job to do and then you can shower and change clothes. Alright?"

Sally nodded.

"Now off to the console room." He pulled up a wheelchair. "Hop in!" he said cheerfully.

"Doctor, I'm not hurt that bad.  I'm sure I can walk on it."

"Don't be silly.  Get in the wheelchair and enjoy rolling through the TARDIS corridors. Think of it as flying while sitting down."  He helped Sally off the table and into the wheelchair.  He turned it around and pushed it out the door.  He started to run down the hall of the TARDIS.  Sally cried out in delight, closed her eyes and imagined herself flying.  By the time they reached the control room, they were both laughing.

He parked her near his favorite reading chair and went to the console.

"Doctor," Sally cried out, suddenly remembering why she had been out wandering the French countryside on her own at night.  "What happened with the fairies and the Poikyo?"

"Peace Sally!  They made peace.  We are on our way to pick up the Poikyo.  They have agreed to go to another planet and I have the perfect one picked out for them."

The Doctor set about working at the console, flipping switches and turning knobs.  Sally watched him.  She still had his jacket wrapped around her shoulders.  It was warm and smelled nice.  The blue bars in the central column began to move up and down.  She watched the column.  It was humming hypnotically.  Sally's eyes drooped and she fell fast asleep.

The Doctor was starting to tell her the story about what had happened in the forest with the fairies and Poikyo when he looked at her.  He was surprised to see her asleep in the wheelchair.  They had only run down the corridor a few minutes before.  He went to one of the chairs in the console room and picked up a pillow.  He took the pillow and tucked it under Sally's head.  He flew the TARDIS to the wood's edge.   He stepped out and went into the forest.  The Poikyo were waiting for him.

Chapter 13

Counting with Fairies Ch 11

Chapter 11

As soon as Sally crawled away, the Doctor began to crawl in the opposite direction, straight to the heart of the battle.  He had to find Lady Columbine.  So far, she had been the kindest to him and the most reasonable to talk to.  Perhaps he could do something to help her.

He felt pain in his leg as a blast of orange light grazed it, singeing  his pants.  It wasn't bad, but he didn't want that to happen again.

"Columbine!" he shouted.  The next thing he knew, a blue Poikyo was in his face.  He recognized her as one of Queen Shai's ladies in waiting.

"Shh, Doctor," she looked around, grabbed the Doctor's jacket lapel and pulled him over to a near-by tree.  "Doctor, can you really take us away from here?"

The Doctor was surprised by her question, but he recovered from the surprised and answered her, "Yes, I can."

"Would you, though?  Would you be willing to take us, after we imprisoned you?"

"Of course," he answered.  "No harm would come to any of you.  I would give you my protection and take you some where safe."

"Thank you," the Poikyo said before she disappeared, leaving a blue train of dust behind her. 

Moments later another light appeared in the Doctor's face.  This time the light was purple.

"Columbine!" exclaimed the Doctor.

"Yes, Doctor.  Our queen is injured.  If the Poikyo will not leave, would you consider taking us away?  I would rather see the Fai live on another planet than become slaves of the Poikyo or worse, dead."

"Yes, I could take you away," the Doctor said.  The two queens were stubborn, but each had ladies in waiting who were willing to do what was best for their people.  The Doctor admired the two fairies who had come to him.  Columbine disappeared as quickly as she had arrived, leaving the Doctor to sit and wonder what was coming next.

In a flash of light, two fairies and two Poikyo, appeared at the same time in front of the Doctor.  They were as surprised to see each other as he was to see all of them.  In an instant, both sides took on a fighting stance.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" The Doctor shouted.  He stuck his hand out in between the two parties.  "We can work this out.  No one will attack each other while you are here with me.  Understood?"

The four fairies nodded in agreement.  The Doctor first looked at the Poikyo.  "I'm sorry, my ladies, but I don't know your names."

"I am Bai and this is Meorka.  We are two of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting."

"I am Columbine and this is Rain," Columbine introduced herself to the Poikyo.  "We don't want to fight. We are here to ask the Doctor for help."

"That is what Meorka and I are here for, too.  Our people have suffered great losses over the last several years.  I don't want to see more of us die."

The two groups of fairies turned to each other and began to talk.  The Doctor stood by, listening, ready to mediate in their negotiations.  Another Poikyo appeared and bowed to Bai and Meorka.  "My ladies, the queen has died."

Everyone stopped talking to look at the messenger.

Meorka turned back to look at Bai.  "If this is true, Bai, then you are queen."

Bai considered for a moment what had just happened.  The welfare of the Poikyo had been placed on her shoulders.  "I want this war stopped. Columbine, can you stop your people from fighting?"

"Yes, I can," Columbine answered. 

From her hand, Columbine shot a white light into the clearing.  It burst like a firework and took the shape of a daisy.  Bai did something similar, except her blue light burst into a blue and red star shaped flower, native to her home world.  Immediately the forest grew silent.  Bai, Meorka, Columbine and Rain flew together into the clearing.  They looked at each other's signs that floated in the air above them.

"Our ways are more similar that we've cared to realize, I think," Meorka said.

Fairies came out of the forest, into the clearing and gathered together under the daisy.  Poikyo did the same, but grouped together under the star-shaped flower.  The Doctor stood near-by watching the two groups.  He waited.  This needed to be done by them.

Many of the fairies and Poikyo were looking worse for the wear.  Most all of them had injuries of some sorts.  Some leaned against each other for support.  Others carried their wounded who could no longer fly.  Each group looked at the other suspiciously.

Columbine was the first to speak, "Fairies and Poikyo!  We have fought, we have each loss many and no one has won.  Our queen is injured and theirs has died."  At this pronouncement, there was a great deal of shouting and talk among the groups.  Columbine raised her hands to call the groups to silence.

"Under the laws of the Poikyo, when the queen has no heiress, the crown passes to her first lady-in-waiting, Lady Bai.  Queen Bai is our new ruler," Meorka announced.

"Queen Bai and I have talked.  We don't want to see more of our people killed," Columbine said.

Bai spoke, "As Queen of the Poikyo, I declare this war is over.  The Doctor, here, has offered us safe passage to a new world.  I have accepted it.  We will go with the Doctor.  In my observations of the Fairies since we arrived on this world, I have seen many similarities.  We are very much alike, the Poikyo and the Fairies."

From behind the group of fairies, a winged horse cut a path through and to the center of the groups.  Queen Oona was being pulled on a stretcher by her horse.  It hovered in the middle.  "Lady Columbine and Queen Bai, you are much better rulers to our peoples that Queen Shai and I ever were.  Because of your boldness and humility, you have stopped this terrible war and have brought us together.  Thank you."

Meorka approached the injured queen.  "Your majesty, I am Lady Meorka.  If you will grant it, I would like to stay here with you and your people.  I want to live among you and be an ambassador for the Poikyo."

"Granted Lady Meorka, with all my heart," Queen Oona said.  A great cheer went up among the two groups.

"And Queen Bai, I would like to go with you," Lady Columbine said, bowing to her new friend.

"Then you shall.  I would be most honored to have you by my side."  Queen Bai said. 

The Doctor smiled.  He lived for this kind of thing: peace.  He wished more rulers could be as level headed as these two queens.  He knew exactly what planet he would take the Poikyo to.  A lovely planet called Lisi; forested, few inhabitants and a mild climate.

Chapter 12