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The glass pillars of the Academy twinkled in the warm morning glow. Stray rays of light brushed the padded corridors, bouncing off the rounded edges in swirling, multicoloured fractals. Flowing robes whirled about, mindless chatter buzzing around his ears like insects.
His eyes avoided the others’, darting restlessly from one side to the other like the swing of a broken pendulum. Outside, a rare breeze was lifting up the crimson sand, rippling on the forcefield globe which enveloped the building. Inside, the golden walls were engraved with circular writing, interlocking and separating in delicate harmony. Outside, encased between the two suns, Mount Solace towered gloriously over the dry landscape. A lone tree caught his attention, silver leaves sparkling aggressively in his eyes, and he was forced to look away.
Inside, a boy was creeping around the corner, stealthily making his way towards an empty corridor.
Koschei frowned. The boy looked around his age, wild auburn hair falling around his ears in disarray. His radiant blue eyes held a spark of mischief, and he seemed to be holding his breath in forbidden anticipation.
He tried to look away. He really did. His grip tightened on his thermodynamics datapad, and he glanced warily at his intended direction. He had seen the Professor angry, and it was never a pleasant sight. He didn’t particularly wish to have this wrath turned on himself. His record was (almost) perfectly clean for now, and he fully intended to keep it that way, thank you very much. Besides, he didn’t abhor Thermo-D as much as other subjects.
But there was something about the boy. An innately inviting aura. A mental hand that constantly beckoned you closer, until the next thing you knew was his grip on your arm and a giddy sense of adventure pumping through your veins.
Well, there’s still some time left before class starts. He would just have one look. Then he’d forget about the strange boy with his strange aura and strange glinting eyes.
And so Koschei followed the vanishing boy in the glassy corridor, pocketing his datapad in the folds of his robe and wondering what in Gallifrey he was dragging himself into.
He hurried along the corridor, always sure to maintain a safe distance with the stranger. He mentally cursed his unpractical outfit as the robes fluttered about his feet.
They passed countless metallic arches, taking seemingly random turns and avoiding the piercing gaze of Professors and Wardens. The bright glass had given way to opaque marble and imposing columns sprouted austerely from the corners. The sound of the two children’s feet resounded ominously down the halls, and he had to force himself to step lightly.
The boy didn’t seem to notice. For a snooping rebel he didn’t seem to pay a spectacular attention to his surroundings. Koschei suddenly wondered if the boy had any idea where he was going.
He checked his Time senses. He still had a few galactic units before Thermo-D. Besides, his curiosity was piqued- there was no going back now.
The boy lurched to a stop, forcing him to jerk back round the corner.
He had paused before a wide set of wooden doors. They bore intricate carvings made of Gallifreyan seals and illustrations. Koschei could make out Time, swirling knots and interchanging streams. Space was there as well, digging and stretching and eating its way to the edges of the heavy panels. And in the centre of it all, masses of whizzing figures formed an intricate picture of chaos and order, carrying out the Time Lord legacy-
He inhaled sharply. He knew this place.
“That’s the TARDIS hangar!”
Koschei’s eyes went wide, and so did the boy’s. He snapped his mouth shut. Woops. He had not intended to exclaim that out loud.
The other boy’s body had gone rigid, hands clenched in fists by his side. His breath had stopped, and he rocked on his heels, visibly debating whether to turn around and own up to his trespassing.
The boy suddenly spun backwards and swiftly stepped towards him. Koschei had jerked backwards behind the corner, but his ragged breath gave him away.
He stiffened. He had nothing to hide. He’d confront the boy and finally discover what he was up to.
Straightening his back, he stepped away from the shadow and around the corner – and promptly rammed his head into the boy’s nose.
They both cried out in pain and staggered backwards.
“Ow! What in Kasterberous was that for?” The boy’s voice was shrill and out of breath, and his piercing eyes glared at him, slender hands absently rubbing his swelling nose.
Koschei crossed his arms expectantly. “What are you doing here?”
The boy shifted on his feet, glancing from side to side.
“Exploring. Looking around. Having a stroll?” He narrowed his eyes. “What’s it to you?”
His own gaze strayed down to the silver stitching on the other boy’s robe. “You’re in our year, aren’t you?”
At the other’s shrug, he furrowed his brow. “We’ve got thermodynamics in five units!”
The boy’s attention span had apparently run out. He turned away from his classmate and hurried back to the wooden doors, softly brushing his fingers over the polished surface. His head swivelled to his sides as he checked for any Time Lords in the vicinity. Nodding, he placed his body against the heavy panel and pushed. Nothing happened. He tried again.
Koschei had to admit, watching the skinny delinquent struggle and huff against the unyielding door offered satisfying entertainment. At his chuckle, the boy glared at him.
“Well don’t just stand there! Help me out!”
He scoffed. “I am not helping you break the first ten or so rules of the Academy just so you can ditch Thermo-D.”
The boy raised an eyebrow. “Fine.” With a final heave, he slammed into the door. It did not budge. He let out a frustrated growl and kicked the panel.
“So much for that.”
With a defeated sigh, the young Gallifreyan flopped to the floor and leaned on the marble wall. His gaze swerved towards his amused observer.
“Can you at least tell me your name? Otherwise I’ll have to keep calling you Boring Schoolboy- not that I’d mind,” he added with a lopsided grin.
He hesitated. “…Koschei,” he said finally. “And you?”
The answer was almost instantaneous. “Theta. Theta Sigma.” The pride in his features did not go unnoticed.
Koschei rolled his eyes. “You just made that up, didn’t you?”
Theta gave an indignant squawk. “Did not!”
He scoffed. “Well it’s a stupid name anyway.”
“Is not!”
Theta’s eyes suddenly widened. With surprising speed, he clambered up to his feet and rushed next to his classmate, gripping his arm and hurling him towards the wall, in the shadow of a column. Koschei was about to shout in protest when a hand was thrown onto his mouth, effectively silencing him.
“Someone’s coming,” Theta mouthed.
Narrowing his eyes, he stretched his psychic sense. His mind carefully groped the space around him, searching for a hook to latch onto. Sure enough, an imposing signature imprinted itself on his, and his panicked eyes met Theta’s.
That’s the Principal.
His classmate nodded, a smirk dancing on his lips. Koschei frowned. What was he up to?
Oh, no. Don’t you dare.
Theta’s face lit up with excitement. Releasing his hold, he inched closer to the edge of their hideout. Koschei sent him the psychic equivalent of a string of curse words. Rassilon, he was going to get them both expelled!
The Principal did not seem to notice the two psychic presences behind her. Her mind must have been filled with far more important thoughts than those of a delinquent schoolboy and his reluctant but curious companion. She stopped in front of the doors and brushed her fingers along one of the TARDIS engravings. Her dark hair hung in a braid behind her, swiping at the air as she swished her head left and right.
With a heaving groan, the two panels opened. The strong smell of engine and Time hit Koschei at once, and he wrinkled his nose. Theta did not look bothered.
As soon as the Principal entered, the young boy rushed towards the entrance. Koschei let out a yelp and grabbed his arm.
“You can’t go in there!” he whispered frantically.
“Says who?” Theta flipped back, tugging at his sleeve.
“Says the whole of the Academic staff.”
Theta rolled his eyes, huffing.
“Look, Koschei.” With one final tug, the robe was yanked out of Koschei’s grasp. “This is our only chance to get through. Either you stay and help me get into one of those ships. Or,” he waved his hand nonchalantly, “you can run off to Thermo-D, sit in class like a good little student and learn about the stars while I go visit them myself. Either way, I’m not going back.”
Breaking his gaze, he looked back towards the door. They were slowly rotating shut. The sound of the Principal’s TARDIS echoed in the corridors, a small gust of wind ruffling Theta’s hair.
The TARDIS engine faded away, like a roll of thunder reaching the end of the mountains. Koschei blinked. Looked back towards the dark marble hallway. Somewhere students were shuffling in the lecture theatre, crimson robes billowing around them as the Professor examined sternly, like a Pentalorian lioness surveying her cubs. Next to him, Theta was holding the door open and watching him expectantly.
Koschei sighed, mumbled a few choice words, and slipped with him between the closing hangar doors.
The hum that drilled its way in Koschei’s eardrums was deafening. A dozen ships were probing into his mind, inviting him, lulling him- his body swayed at the push-and-pull.
The TARDIS pods were all basic silver, meant more as training wheels for the novices than actual Time spaceships. They gleamed in the artificial light, all neatly parked in rows against the stark white walls. The ceiling towered high above his head, lost in intricate carvings and faded patterns.
Theta’s steps beat an irregular rhythm on the floor as he spun and whirled about, taking it all in. His mouth hung open in wonder, eyebrows thrown up on his forehead. Despite the initial psychic turmoil, the TARDIS cores seemed to dim a little, fading to a comfortable buzz in the back of their skulls.
Koschei crossed his arms and tapped his foot.
“Well?” He glanced towards the closed entrance. “What do we do now?”
Theta’s mouth suddenly split into a teeth-baring, exulting grin that promised nothing good. His eyes scanned the room again, and landed on a seemingly random ship in the corner. With lilting steps, he practically danced towards the TARDIS, giggling at the excited hum that resounded around it. His hand tenderly caressed the smooth silver surface, eliciting a satisfied mental purr from the machine. With an inviting hiss, the door slid open, revealing a pristine interior whose eye-hurting whiteness rivalled the marble hallway’s.
Almost religiously, Theta stepped into the TARDIS. Koschei followed, grunting.
“I can’t believe I’m missing thermodynamics for this.”
“Psh, old Thermo-D.” Theta answered airily. He was circling around the console, eyes wide and full of life. His fingers twitched, as if he could barely restrain them from pulling every lever and pressing every button.
“Boooring!” he sang. “Besides, with this beauty we can come back ten units before the Professor even comes.”
Koschei scoffed. “If you had actually listened in TARDIS classes, you’d know that’s not possible.”
Theta paused in his prancing around. Thank Rassilon. At this rate he would get nauseous before the TARDIS had even powered up.
“Don’t worry,” Theta waved his hand in the air, “it’s going to be fine! I know my way around. Mostly. A little. The basics. Well, I’ll figure it out soon enough. It can’t be that complicated.”
“Says the guy who ditched a primary class.”
Theta beamed. “Precisely!”
Koschei fought hard not to press his fingers against his temples.
“Look. We had exactly three lessons on TARDIS flying, and that was just theory! What you’re doing is extremely dangerous and reckless, not to mention extremely forbidden.”
“Yeah, and isn’t that fun?”
The boy had the audacity to wink, and before Koschei could retort he leaned his whole body against the start lever, sending the TARDIS spiraling into the Time Vortex.
A muffled thud sealed the end of the nightmare journey through the unknown. Koschei groaned and propped his arms up on the console desk, rising to his knees. The lights pulsed happily, bathing the room in a surreal glow. The life-support mechanism whirred above him, fading reassuringly into the background. Somewhere, an alarm was blaring. Or maybe that was just the ringing in Koschei’s ears.
A breathless laugh erupted from the other side of the console. It started small and staccato, gradually morphing in a crazed burst of hysteria. Scooting over, Koschei found Theta curled up at the foot of the tower-like structure, hands wrapped around his stomach in a vain effort to contain his laughter. His eyes slid over to his companion. Something in Koschei’s expression must have reflected his confusion, because Theta’s eyes wrenched shut as yet another gleeful spasm coursed through his body.
Koschei stood over him, arms folded across his chest as he waited for this absolute lunatic to calm down.
Eventually, Theta wiped the tears from his eyes and looked up towards him, a splitting grin permanently etched across his face.
“See? I told you everything would be fine!”
Koschei almost choked.
“You call getting us thrown off the console and banging our heads on a thousand different corners an accomplishment?”
Theta shrugged, not even wavering.
“Do you even know where we are?” Koschei insisted.
Suddenly flustered, Theta scratched the back of his head. “I…don’t really know- yet! I sort of…let the TARDIS decide.”
He patted the rotor affectionately, earning a mental caress that even caused Koschei to lift up the corner of his lips. Theta heaved himself up and started tapping the display screen. He looked very purposeful for someone who’d barely learnt how to perform four-dimensional equations. Koschei huffed. Couldn’t he just admit he had no idea what he was doing?
“Blimey, we’ve travelled far. Apparently we’re on the other side of the universe. Someplace called Earth, smack-bang in the Seventeenth Quadrant. Level Five planet.” Theta shrugged. “Never heard of it.”
“Time?” Koschei asked.
“Uh…not sure. These writings are a little confusing.” He sighed. “Why can’t they just have drawings? What’s wrong with drawings?”
Rassilon, if this lasted any longer he would tear his brain out. He could already picture his own changed body after his first death- Cause of Regeneration: abusive use of eye-rolling.
“Let me see, idiot.” He shoved Theta aside, earning an undignified yelp. His eyes trailed over the complex patterns, and he furrowed his brows.
“Alright,” he muttered. “From what I understand, we haven’t strayed far from our original Time zone- that’s fair, given that someone-” he looked pointedly towards the boy, “-didn’t remove the TARDIS Time-lock before leaving. Who leaves the breaks on when they’re driving?”
Theta raised an eyebrow. “So you’re telling me you would have preferred we went even further away?”
He let out a frustrated growl, reverting his gaze back to the swirling numerics on the screen. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. The sooner you’re done with prancing around like a new-born tafelshrew, the sooner we can-”
“Koschei…”
The voice was so soft, so unlike what Koschei had been accustomed to, that he trailed off, looking back towards Theta. The boy had strayed towards the entrance, and was now standing still in front of the wide-open door. The bright exterior light outlined his form, surrounding him with a silver halo. His hands were limp beside him, for once having forgotten their constant fidgeting. His mouth hung slightly open as his eyes latched onto the scenery before him.
Koschei moved closer, intrigued by the boy’s sudden wonder. He stopped right next to him, and a soft gasp escaped his mouth.
On the alien planet Earth, thousands of light-years away from his home, the ground was completely, utterly, white.
He had to cover his eyes as the velvety substance sparkled in what appeared to be crisp morning air. Upon glancing up, he noted the sky was a shade darker than on Gallifrey, and only one sun meekly glowed over the land. Five steps away from the TARDIS, on a wet, leafless tree, a bird was chirping unfamiliar notes as heavy bells rang in the distance. White also seemed to coat the vegetation, like someone had poured brilliant fresh paint all over the planet. The landscape was flatter, hills barely deforming the blank surface. A village sat tucked in a crease between two slopes, thin trails of smoke making their way up towards the clouds. A small puff of vapour escaped his own lips, and he found himself shivering. He became painfully aware of his robes’ airiness as the cold nipped at his exposed flesh.
Rubbing his arms together, he muttered, “Of course you had to pick a freezing planet.”
That seemed to shake off Theta’s trance. “I told you, I didn’t choose it!”
The boy placed a tentative foot on the pristine ground. With a soft crunch, it sank down to his lower ankle, and lodged itself in the now-imprinted matter.
“Koschei…” Theta’s gaze was still avidly studying his shoe, his blue eyes twinkling in delight.
“I think-” Koschei cleared his throat. “I think this is actual snow.”
Theta looked back up, a grin that Koschei was beginning to know all too well. Without warning, he leaped outside and proceeded to flutter from rock to rock, feet awkwardly plunging in the snow and popping back up with a muffled swoosh. He laughed brightly as he picked up a handful of white powder.
“This is absolutely amazing!”
Koschei rolled his eyes. “Well, I guess the atmosphere isn’t toxic after all. Great job waiting until the TARDIS finished her scans.”
Theta looked back, lifting an eyebrow. “Oh, so the TARDIS is a she now?”
He did not flush. That was the cold biting at his cheeks. He glared at his companion.
Theta winked at him and batted his eyelashes innocently, before reverting his attention to the tree. He patted the wood, fingers delicately brushing every ragged bump on the trunk.
“I’m touching an alien tree,” he murmured. Then he showed his teeth-baring smile again and danced on his feet, deliberately leaving footprints on the fresh ground. “I’m touching an alien tree!”
Whirling around, he stared at Koschei elatedly. “And you wanted to sit in Thermo-D!”
The latter ignored that and cautiously crossed the distance separating him from the tree. Looking back, he found the TARDIS had morphed into a sort of garden shed, poorly-thatched roof barely hanging onto rudimentary boarded walls.
With crunching steps, he joined Theta in his careful examination of the trunk. He knocked on the wood.
“It’s not hollow,” he stated in wonder. He glanced up towards the towering branches which seemed to lunge at the sky with their bare claws. A few buds clung to the centre, desperately fighting against the freezing weather. He snapped one from the group, eagerly fingering and picking the alien vegetal formation apart. A lump of snow finally gave in to gravity and flopped from the nearest branch, barely missing Theta’s head. A few flakes caught onto Koschei’s eyelashes, and he swatted them away.
Theta stared at him. “You’ve got alien water in your eye,” he said calmly.
“Indeed I have,” answered Koschei in the same tone.
They held each other’s gazes for a while, taking it all in. Koschei felt his lips turn upwards in a smirk, and a giggle fought its way up his throat.
Before they knew it, both boys were collapsing in uncontrollable laughter, swinging snow at each other in a wild fight Koschei was definitely going to win. Their robes grew damp, but adrenaline and movement kept their bodies warm.
Koschei was mid-throw when an unfamiliar shout made him jump.
“Oi! You two!”
The boys whirled around in panic. That was it, the Time Lords had found them, he knew they shouldn’t have stolen that TARDIS, now he would be expelled and sent back to the fields with his sisters-
A rather plump, bearded man was waving at them from the nearby path. Next to him was a large, four-wheeled vehicle whose metallic coating shone in the daylight. The man seemed to beckon them closer, and the two boys glanced at each other in apprehension.
“We should run,” said Koschei. The sooner they got back to the TARDIS, the best chance they had at returning safely to Gallifrey. “You’ve seen your alien planet, now let’s get out of here.”
“But Koschei-” Rassilon, was that really a whine?- “This is an alien life form! Our first alien life form! And look!” He waved back at the man, earning a curse from Koschei. “They look Time Lord!”
“They’re lesser life forms, Theta, they don’t-”
But Theta wasn’t listening anymore. He was bounding up the hill, enthusiastically gesticulating at the alien.
Koschei growled in frustration. He looked back towards the concealed TARDIS. He could always stay there until Theta decided to come back. He’d be warm, safe, and he could always say he’d been forced into this whole mess when the staff eventually came to find them. Playing on uninhabited alien ground was one thing, but making contact with one of the locals… That went beyond what he’d expected.
Yet he could not ignore the thrill that travelled through him at the mention of exploring this new planet. New minerals, chemicals, vegetation, animals- all available under his fingertips. The very air he breathed was waiting to be analysed, to be used. Mountains, rivers, seas they would never even mention at the Academy. A whole new world at his disposal. His alone.
And the short man seemed harmless enough, back rested against his vehicle, shooting regular puffs of smoke with each exhale.
He trudged up the slope, wincing as the frozen water seeped through his shoes.
“What are you doing here, kids?” asked the alien once Koschei had caught up.
Despite having been explained the mechanics of the TARDIS translation system, the musical Gallifreyan language coming out of a being who probably never heard of the Time Lords still sent him reeling.
The alien bore a fluffy, greying beard which encased his prominent chin. Wrinkles climbed up his forehead in elegant strokes, and his upturned nose was tinged red from the cold. Hands shoved in his pockets, he rocked on his heels nonchalantly.
Theta was right, he realised. This species did look like Time Lords.
While the boys floundered for an answer, the man eyed their robes, chuckling.
“You’re from the church choir, aren’t ya?” He shook his head and grinned. “I remember being your age and ditching service to build snowmen.”
His brows furrowed in confusion. “Say, how’d you come all the way up here? Your mothers must be worried sick.”
“We ran,” Theta blurted out. Koschei sent him an unimpressed look.
“Uh-huh.” The man lifted a bushy eyebrow.
“What he means is,” interrupted Koschei, “our mothers know we’re here. Thank you very much for your concern, sir.” He gave a little bow of the head for extra measure. If the inhabitants of Earth were as culturally similar to the Time Lords as their physiques suggested, Theta’s rash rambles would not be well received.
The man’s hazel eyes merely sparkled, reflecting the snowy landscape. His mischievous grin nearly rivalled Theta’s.
“Can’t say I blame ya,” he said warmly. “Standing in line in those pesky robes all day, singing boring old hymns-” He huffed. “I’d rather be hurling snowballs.”
Theta’s smile was so bright Koschei was surprised his cheeks didn’t fall off. “Right?” he laughed. “It’s like they’re asking us to run away!”
Koschei stared dumbfounded (did he ever just shut up?), but the man just chuckled and ruffled the boy’s hair. Theta’s auburn strands remained upturned after the hand was removed, giving him an air of manic complicity.
“Well, if we don’t let you kids run around, you’d all end up old and grumpy like us boring folks.” He rolled his eyes. “Especially today.”
Theta giggled, and Koschei couldn’t help but smirk at the man’s antics.
A cold wind bristled through the branches, ruffling the alien’s beard and swirling around the boys’ bare ankles. Removing his hands from the depths of his long overcoat, the man gripped the vehicle’s front handle.
“I’d ask you if you wanted a ride home, but I have a feeling you’ve got better things to do,” he said with a sly wink.
They nodded and thanked him. The man opened the door and flopped in the leather seat, firing up the engine with a spluttering rumble. The door slammed shut, but he pressed a button and the glass window rolled down. He weaved an elbow through the opening and smiled again at the two children.
“Have fun, boys.” The wheels crunched against the gravel as they started to carry the metallic structure forward. “Don’t catch too big of a cold!”
The vehicle finished its manoeuvre, and the man waved once more as the window slid upwards.
“And Merry Christmas!”
Clouds of dust rolled behind him, mingling with the snow in patterns of white and brown. Theta waved until the car disappeared off the hillside. A flock of birds fluttered in alarm, settling down on the next tree.
They glanced at each other. “What’s a Christmas?” asked Koschei.
Theta shrugged, smile still plastered on his face like a sticker. “No idea.”
Koschei smiled back. His muscles relaxed and he found himself inching closer to Theta’s form. The boy’s eyes were surprisingly tender, and Koschei knew that they had found a new kind of trust in their adventure. A bond formed by discovery and a common, insatiable curiosity, sealed with a satisfying click, like two complementary puzzle pieces. Incredibly different, and yet so, so alike. He could see the golden strands of their timelines, woven together in a shining loop, and judging by the subdued gleam in Theta’s eyes, he could see them too. They had been brought together by the complex mechanics of Time, and like a fixed event, not even Rassilon could untangle the knot that had been forged in their history. Whether he liked it or not, Koschei knew Theta Sigma would forever be part of his life.
A strong wind suddenly brushed snowflakes off the tree, and their faces blanched simultaneously as the sound of another TARDIS filled the quiet landscape.
Koschei sighed as yet another pile of datapads slammed on the rickety desk. He carefully placed History of Gallifreyan Geopolitics: Volume XIX on the shelf and climbed down the ladder.
At the other end of the aisle, Theta grumbled. “The shining beacon of the Seven Systems, my left foot. They should have already invented a way to sort these datapads without condemning hundreds of helpless students.”
A muffled thump reached Koschei’s ears, and he winced as Theta let out a vehement “Oh, for the love of Harmony-!”
He rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time. Theta must have knocked over another row.
“You know, this never would’ve happened if you had actually thought about it, instead of blindly leaping into the first TARDIS available.” He wiped his brow against his crimson sleeve. The atmosphere was clammy and cramped, dark walls oppressively surrounding towers of stairs and shelves. Artificial light faintly gleamed off the corners, barely reaching the heart of the Archive and Storage Unit. Koschei nearly regretted Earth’s open, frozen hills and its single sun lapping at his back.
“I had it perfectly under control, I’ll have you know.”
He scoffed. Despite Theta’s face being hidden from view, he could perfectly imagine the flippant cock of his head, chin raised slightly in defiance.
“Oh yeah? What were you going to do, then? Run away from the Professors? Call the alien back to drive to that- whatever their church is?”
He sighed and walked back towards the desk, grunting while heaving the pile of datapads.
“Do you ever think anything through?”
Theta’s voice had the decency of sounding sheepish. “I- sort of improvise my way through things. Always worked so far,” he mumbled.
Koschei lifted his eyes to the ceiling, shaking his head. A comfortable silence settled in the Archives, punctuated by the thumping of datapads against the ancient wood. For once, Theta seemed content with the stillness. Koschei could almost hear their two synchronised breaths, and their four hearts beat together in harmony, establishing the rhythm to their work.
“Kosch…” Theta’s murmur nearly got lost in between the aisles. Koschei hummed in acknowledgment.
“We never got the alien’s name.”
Theta’s head finally peaked out from behind the shelf. Koschei could hardly make out his shadow in the dim lighting.
“Well then,” he replied, not meeting his friend’s eyes. He placed The Kasterberous Galaxy: An In-Depth Cosmological Introduction on the shelf, disturbing specks of dust and sending them floating to the ground. “I guess we’ll just have to go back,” he finished with a grin.
He looked back towards Theta, whose eyes had blown wide enough to jump out of their sockets. Priceless.
He smirked, letting a drop of mischief trickle into his features. “But this time I get to make the plan.” He lifted an eyebrow. “No more improvising. Also, you’re cleaning up the rest of these datapads.”
Theta’s half-hearted “Hey!” didn’t sound one bit offended. Koschei swore his smile radiated light around him. Then his eyes softened, and there was the spark in his pupils again, the one Koschei had followed back when all this started. The one that said Come with me, and you’ll see just how fun the universe can be. At the time, Koschei had assumed his curiosity alone had prompted him to run after the boy in the marble hallways. Now he wasn’t so sure.
“Merry Christmas, Koschei,” Theta said in a soft voice.
Koschei looked at him in confusion, only to be met with a conspiratorial smirk. He realised with a start that no one in this Academy knew this phrase, picked up thousands of light-years away, on a tiny Level Five planet called Earth by two renegade future Time Lords. This was a symbol of their shared experience, one that bound them forever in the cogs and threads of Time.
And what better way to use it than transform it into a secret handshake?
Koschei smiled back, thinking of the mindless chatter and billowing red robes above them. Thinking of the short, plump man who had smiled down at them with childish joy in his eyes. Thinking of the future, and the glorious things they’d do together, travelling side by side in their very own TARDIS.
“Merry Christmas, Theta.”
Outside, the sky was fading into a russet orange as the two suns danced above the horizon. The pure, innocent peals of laughter echoed in the Academy and lost themselves in the eternal sands of Gallifrey.