Singing Towers of Darillium
Liravell
TARDIS landed. Blue police box appeared out of nowhere. The Doctor cleared his throat and straightened his bow tie preparing himself in his mind for the inevitable. Recently River told him that she was going to the Library. He still remembered that day. That was their last evening.
He opened the doors of his blue box. On the other side of the street there was a little, white house; common and boring. He knew that River was there only a couple of times. She lived there since she was released from prison, when she convinced them that she hadn’t murdered anyone.
He crossed the street and walked to the black, wooden doors. The Doctor knocked. Slowly, but loudly. Four times. He combed his hair with his hand and waited. After a moment, the door opened. He saw a surrounded by the storm of curls, smiling face of professor River Song. Despite the sadness the Doctor smiled. He had been pretending so often that it wasn't very hard. She pulled him in and kissed him.
"Hello sweetie. New haircut. Nice." she said seductively, passing her hand over his black jacket.
"Any plans for today?" asked the Doctor with cheerful voice.
"Nothing that can't wait. What do you suggest?"
"Singing Towers of Darillium." he said. River's eyes twinkled. His heart squeezed painfully. He felt overwhelmed with guilt. She wanted to go there for a long time and he promised her that one day they will fly there. After all, it was the place where they were going all the time. She kissed him again. The woman took him by the arm, and after a while they were in the TARDIS. She went to change. When she disappeared around the corner a smile on his face faded. TARDIS hummed softly. He looked at the ceiling.
"I must do it, right? I can't stop this." said the Doctor softly.
The lights dimmed.
"You know where we are going, Sexy." he said. Then a sonic screwdriver popped out of a little hole in TARDIS console. The Doctor took it. It looked like the one that he had in his pocket. He smiled sadly and stroked the console. After a while River came back in a green dress, which he had given her once. She smiled seductively.
"Ready?" asked the Doctor.
"Absolutely." she answered.
The Doctor began running around the console, pressing the colored buttons and pulling different levers. Ship tugged in all directions and River was just standing and laughing. After a while the Doctor was on the floor. River ran over to the console and took control of the situation. They landed.
"The blue stabilizers." she whispered theatrically.
"The blue boring-ers." he murmured under his breath.
"You will never learn, will you?" asked River, smiling.
The Doctor got up from the floor. He walked to the door then turned around with a mysterious smile.
"Give me a moment." he asked and then left, leaving her alone.
"Not a chance." she said and followed him.
Before her stretched a beautiful view. It was evening. The first stars began to appear on the sky. She stood in the front of a giant tree, whose branches reached the ground. The cool air smelled of flowers. The Doctor walked to the tree and took one of the delicate, red flowers hidden between the bottle green leaves. He came to River and put the flower in her hair. Her gray-blue eyes reflected the stars. Reflected memories. He approached her from behind and hugged her.
"Calderon Beta?" she asked and he nodded in response. They've already been here. It was their first night together. He kissed her neck.
"Romantic." she said, staring at the stars. When she looked around again he was gone. She sighed, then turned around on her heel and walked into the blue police box.
"You nostalgic idiot. You just can't keep away, can you?" she said seductively. The Doctor looked around, confused. River saw a green dress lying on a hanger.
"Doctor? Why have you bought another one of these? Who else is here?" she asked suspiciously.
The Doctor looked around again searching for help. He adjusted the black tie bow and smoothed the white suit.
"River, could you just check the light on top? I think the bulb needs changing" he asked pointing at the door.
"The bulb?" she repeated. In response, he nodded. She was confused but she went out and checked the light. Everything worked properly. She walked to the TARDIS again.
"The light is fine. I don't know what are you talking about."
"No, River!" said some voice behind her back. "Wrong TARDIS. Younger version" said the Doctor in a black jacket, who ran from behind her. At the sight of himself he smiled.
"Two of you?!" she said, fascinated. "The mind races, does it not?"
The younger Doctor smiled.
"Come on" the Doctor hastened her. "We will be late."
"He's taking me to the Singing Towers of Darillium. He's been promising for ages." said River when she was leaving.
There was an awkward silence. The younger Doctor stopped smiling. Lowered his eyes.
"The first time we have met, at the Library, when she..."
"Died. Yes." said the Doctor with sadness in his voice.
"She said that the last time she saw us was a Darillium... Is that now?" asked the younger Doctor looking for truth in his own eyes.
"Spoilers. Good luck tonight." answered the Doctor trying to change the subject but the younger version has already knew. Day after day he lied to others. Day after day he lied to himself. This time it didn't work.
"You too" said the younger version of the Doctor thinking how much time do they have...
"Yeah." murmured the Doctor in a black jacket. He turned back and left. He hoped that if he didn't talk about it, if he didn't think about it, he wouldn't feel that it was their last night. He lied to himself. Again.
He quickly moved to the second box standing a few feet away. River was waiting for him.
"Why so long?" she asked, amused. "What were you talking about?"
"About nothing." he answered.
"Oh, Doctor! You and your secrets! You'll be the death of me!" she said flirtatiously.
He tried not to think of how accurate was the sentence that she just said. He focused on the TARDIS. Few moments later, they landed in a meadow. Fresh summer air floated around them. Among the mountains, there were two crystal towers. River and the Doctor sat down on the grass.
After a while a single, gentle sound shot through the air. Then the towers started their song. Towers sang and their song could be heard everywhere. The melody was beautiful. Quiet, but also unbridled. Joyful, but also sad. It was a song about love and loss. A melody for his Melody.
"That’s the most beautiful melody I've ever heard." River whispered, staring in awe at the crystal column.But the Doctor could barely hear the Singing Towers. He was thinking only about one thing. It was their last night. And he couldn't tell her. He stared at her, trying to remember every detail of her face. The movement of fluffy, curly hair. Gleam in the eyes. Seductive smile. She looked like in the day when he had met her for the first time. She knew everything. He didn't know anything. Her past was his future. That was their first and last meeting. Once she told Rory that day, in which he will not know who she is, will kill her. She didn't even know how much she was right. He could not stand this evening with a smile on his face. Tears involuntarily ran down his cheeks.
Directed by intuition, she glanced at him.
“Why are you crying?" asked River, worried.
"Spoilers." he said, but in the middle of this short word his voice broke. She hugged him.
How could he let her go to death? He had already lost so much. What was the meaning of love if in the end, his heart was broken? People that he loves always leave him alone. Salty tears flowed faster and faster. River took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. She didn't say a word. She kissed his cheek wet from tears. She did the same with the other one. The tears stopped flowing. For a short while everything just didn't count. It was their last night. He was going to spend this time with his love. He kissed her. Slowly, gently. Her lips had a salty taste of his grief. He was looking for oblivion. He was looking for love. They kissed and the towers sang one of the most beautiful melodies in the universe.
The night was over. The music stopped. They were back, standing in front of her small house.
"It was a great night." she said. "Thank you."
The Doctor smiled sadly.
"I love you River" he said. He never said that to her.
"I know" she whispered. River turned back and put her hand on the doorknob.
"Wait!"
"Yes?" she asked, turning to him again. He took her hand and put something cold in there.
"This is for you. Just in case." he said quietly. "Enjoy the journey."
He turned back and snapped his fingers. TARDIS’s doors opened slowly.
"See you." said the Doctor, trying to sound cheerful. He stepped inside. River stood staring at the slowly disappearing blue box.
After a while she looked down at her clenched hands. She stretched her fingers. She was holding a sonic screwdriver.
Why? She didn't know.