A Seemingly Peaceful Day

[Scarlett De Fontaine]

Kyra watched Tyler to see what he thought. She was alright with having them in her mind if it meant trying to sort out a solution. It was up to him. All she wanted to do was to get away from Gallifrey now.

[The Tenth Doctor]

Tyler looked from his brother to the watching eyes of his wife. "Well, who can say what Emmehujidat had access to back then, he was, and still is, quite respected on Gallifrey. With his influence -- I don't know...if he didn't plant it himself, he probably knows who did. We may need to pay him a visit."

Tyler made a face at the thought of talking to Emmehujidat.

"But, anyway, as long as it would be okay with Kyra, sure....the both of us could try to access her mind."

He didn't want to force this on her, nor did he want to make the decision for her. He would let her decide.

[Scarlett De Fontaine]

Kyra nodded. "I just want it to go away." She watched the two of them. She hated Emmehujidat really.

[The Eighth Doctor]

"All right, since we're both next to you we can begin here." The Doctor closed his eyes and gradually made his way through the flower wall back into Kyra's mind again. It didn't take long to reach that swirling mass again and this time he 'felt' it acknowledge his return. A bit taken aback by seemingly intelligence from the form he steeled himself. Yes, you recognize me, don't you? And you're ready to fight me again. You hate me, detest me, I feel it.

He paused, waiting for Tyler to make his entrance but as he did so he felt the storm swell up with anger. He wasn't supposed to have discovered this, he wasn't supposed to be here, it wasn't time, not yet, not yet, not yet!

Who are you? What are you? he tried sending but the reply he got was a simple hammering Not yet not yet not yet NOT YET!!!

[The Tenth Doctor]

Tyler gently took his own two hands, placing them near his brother's hands, and slowly entered his wife's mind. As much as he generally disliked going into another person's mind, his wife's well being was at stake. He would do anything for her.

Entering her mind, he gently let himself into Kyra's mind deeper and deeper until he, too felt a presence there. Trying to discern what it might be, he tried to determine whether it was a Time Lord or whether it might be another life form.

[Scarlett De Fontaine]

Kyra tried to stay calm as they worked in her mind. She tried to focus on Tyler's mind, rather than the Doctor. He was her husband after all and the one to go to when she needed comfort. She was so nervous and scared.

[The Tenth Doctor]

Tyler felt Kyra's nervousness and fear as he remained in her mind. Trying to comfort her, he sent pleasant thoughts. He, too, knew that this sort of telepathic activity was a two way process. Not really having any memories that he wanted to keep private, but yet at the same time, wanting to shield her from unpleasant memories, he attempted to put shields up around those more unpleasant ones. He didn't need his wife to see such memories as seeing his mother dead, watching his father regenerate after being tortured by Emmehujidat, or being in extreme pain after being hurt by that same Time Lord on the steps of the library. He knew that his wife knew about those incidents, but he didn't need her seeing those memories at the moment.

He also put forth great effort to hide any memories in which the Mentalist was beating him up or any in which he was having an asthma attack. Those wouldn't be helpful to his wife right now, either.

One other thing that he attempted to hide was his own fear of whatever that black presence was. As it seemed, the black presence hadn't quite noticed him yet, seemingly focusing all its efforts upon his brother. He had no doubt that that would soon change.

[Scarlett De Fontaine]

Kyra nestled herself into one of the memories they both shared. One of her favorites. She sat on the steps of the library as she watched the two of them. This was the day he taught her how to use telepathy. She figured that the memory after would be blocked from her, but she didn't mind. She smiled as she watched the children.

[The Eighth Doctor]

The Doctor felt Tyler's presence coming up and it gave him more strength and resolve. Who are you? he asked the black swirl again. What do you want? Why are you here?

Again there was only the reply of utter hate, like a solid black brick wall. It refused to answer him but the desire to destroy him, all Time Lords, even the whole planet came through loud and clear. He almost staggered from the onslaught, it was just so powerful an emotion.

Yes, you hate me and all of Gallifrey. But why? What did we do to you? Can we help you? he tried desparately to reason with it. I can help you if you just leave this mind and do her no harm!

Harm!! Not yet! Harm! Yes harm!! Not yet! Notyetnotyetnotyetnotyet! was all the storm threw at him.

The Doctor drew in a deep breath, trying to gather his strength for another push.

[The Tenth Doctor]

It was as Kyra relaxed and turned her attention to Tyler that Tyler felt the dark presence detect him.

With a force he hadn't been expecting, it seemed to take pleasure in what Kyra and Tyler were sharing -- hearing about something that was blocked. As much as Tyler tried not to make it come up -- tried not to think of it, the darkness attacked him with immense hatred. It pried at the memories that Tyler didn't want to see, forcing those memories forward in Tyler's mind. Not being very great at telepathy, Tyler wasn't able to hold those memories off.

The memory of a mean looking Time Lord hurting him when he was a child came full force. It was Emmehujidat throwing him down the steps and all the pain that he suffered from that.

Hate focused on Tyler.

[Scarlett De Fontaine]

Kyra cringed physically as she felt all this. "It's not working, get out," she told them both. "Please get out before it hurts you." Her happiness was thrown away... again.

[The Tenth Doctor]

Tyler sent to Kyra, "It won't hurt us....or it can't.....not right now....this is something that was put into your head -- but the physical source of it is...outside your head....I don't know where or how far...but the only harm it can cause us is emotional...."

That's what Tyler thought. He only hoped that he was right.

[The Eighth Doctor]

The Doctor had had so many different life forms try to access his mind over the centuries that he had the experience and knowledge to protect himself from the probing the storm was sending but the power of it was slowly breaking through his defenses. First the weaker parts, the most recent memories. It drank in the conversation in the garden and then tried to push in further. The Doctor used that tendril to try to gain some information himself but all he could feel was the tremendous hate and loathing. It seemed to be nothing -but- that emotion, condensed from centuries of abuse. As he felt it try to reach through to his more hidden deeper memories he broke off the connection.

Staggering back he sent a message over to Tyler. It's strong, too strong. I have no idea what's feeding it, do you?

[Scarlett De Fontaine]

Kyra felt the Doctor retreat from her mind. It didn't help Tyler's argument. "The Doctor just got out, I don't want it to harm you." She tried to look at the storm to see what it was.

[The Tenth Doctor]

Tyler sighed in frustration as he felt the Doctor leave Kyra's mind.

Knowing that he couldn't face the thing on his own, he too pulled out. Once he had, he replied, "I'm sorry....I thought that if the thing focused on me, then you'd be able to poke around in Kyra's mind..." He addressed that to the Doctor.

To Kyra, he frowned. "And I'm sorry......I......what do you want to do now?"

Tyler reached his arm out to try to comfort his wife, not liking to see her in distress.