![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
littledoglaughedTitle: Six Conversations With Crow
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rustydog
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: The Doctor, Crow (the mythological bird)
Rating/warnings: PG, no spoilers
Words: 1255
Beta:mad_jaks - so much thanks!
Notes: Written for Day Twenty of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
consci_fan_mo and "C" in my alphabet prompt table. I am heavily indebted to Ted Hughes here.
Crow struggled, limply bedraggled his remnant.
He was his own leftover, the spat-out scrag.
He was what his brain could make nothing of.
So the least, least-living object extant
Wandered over his deathless greatness
Lonelier than ever.
~from "Crow's Playmates" by Ted Hughes
I.
The Doctor found Crow perched on a volcano with his claw clamped over the fiery mouth. Ash was escaping, pluming out between his toes.
"The people below are mine," said Crow. "I found them. I introduced them to one another, male and female, and that was entertaining, let me tell you. If anything is going to destroy them, it will be me."
"Your foot's turning black," observed the Doctor. "Well. Blacker."
Crow cocked his head and shrugged a shoulder, causing his feathers to bristle. "Black is the new white. I stole fire in the beginning of the world, burned my white feathers and ruined my beautiful voice. What have you done?"
"You're standing with your foot on a mountain that's about to explode, and you want to play 'Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better'?"
"I am bored," Crow replied. "Saving the world is not like in the stories. Sometimes it takes forever."
The Doctor had to give him that. "Or you have to do it over and over. Okay, what's the first round, stealing fire? Well..."
II.
The Doctor found Crow tearing up the earth. Great furrows were exposed where Crow had plunged in his beak again and again. Giant stones were overturned, caves ransacked, rivers diverted. A range of mountains had sprung up where Crow had pushed back the earth, like a rug, to check underneath.
The Earth's first city lay in ruins, its men and women scattered by twos and threes to hide in the wilderness.
"You've been upsetting your playthings," the Doctor said.
Crow ignored him; he was trying to speak with a turtle.
"You must swim to the bottom of the sea and tell me what you find there. I am a creature of the sky and cannot go," Crow said, but the turtle could not understand his croaks. So it summoned its friends, the trout, but after listening to Crow intently, the fish said to each other, "The poor thing doesn't even know how to blow bubbles." And the turtle and the fish swam away.
"Lost something?" the Doctor asked when they were gone.
"Please help me find the Black Beast," Crow said.
"You are the Black Beast," the Doctor replied.
Crow cocked an eye at the Doctor suspiciously. "Are you sure you are not the Black Beast?"
"Not always," the Doctor admitted. "Sometimes they call me the Oncoming Storm."
Crow looked around at the ravaged Earth. "Perhaps we should leave," he suggested, "before we make a disaster."
III.
The Doctor found Crow sitting on a stone among stones.
Crow spoke, and darkness poured out of his mouth and pooled around the stones, thick and black as oil. The surface of his words shone with many colors.
The Doctor did not speak, but when he sighed, promises fell from his mouth and shattered.
The two perched together, abashed to silence. Oil lapped the rock. Shards clinked like ice in a glass.
Finally, Crow stretched his wings and flew away. The Doctor whispered to his blue box, then followed.
After they had gone, the words hung in the air: "Our work here is done."
IV.
The Doctor found Crow in a tall tree, watching two armies gather.
"Look," Crow said, dancing on his branch, "they are going to have the first war."
"What are they fighting over?" the Doctor asked. He noticed a woman tied to the tree trunk with a vine.
"Oh, I stole shiny pieces of gold from one side and the king's daughter from the other," Crow said.
"And you thought it would be entertaining to see what they did?" the Doctor growled. "I can't let you do this."
But Crow remained calm. "It is already done, look."
The armies lay still on the field, mown down like grass; the river bled, clogged with bodies; and in the distance black smoke rose from the castle.
"You can go home now," Crow said to the woman, then flew away to study his handiwork.
"I have no more home," the woman said, looking up at the Doctor with a face wet and cold as stone.
"I'm so sorry," the Doctor said, moving to untie her. "Come on, you can travel with me."
"No more wars?"
"Welllll... that's always the plan. And traveling is brilliant."
From his tree, Crow watched the blue box disappear, and shook his head.
V.
The Doctor found Crow in a cemetery on a hill, perched on a granite stone.
"I am alone," said Crow.
"Yes," the Doctor agreed, sitting in the springy grass and settling back against the stone.
"If I give them life, I am alone and they are unhappy. If I give them death, I am alone and they curse me from their graves."
"Yes," the Doctor said again. "Though you have to admit, they're more interesting when they're alive."
Crow shrugged. "You lack an appreciation for carrion. Where is the woman?"
The Doctor sighed. "She got fed up with me. Or she found a nice young man to marry. Or... I lost her. Do you know, I can't remember anymore."
"Yes you can," Crow accused.
"Yes, I can," the Doctor admitted. "But it would be easier if I couldn't."
"If we lost our memories, we would be like them." Crow pointed his beak toward the valley, where two more armies were massing.
VI.
The Doctor found Crow greedily watching a strange second sun in the sky.
"You can't steal that one, you know," the Doctor pointed out.
"No one would notice. They already have one sun, and it is all they want," Crow reasoned.
"Oh, I don't know," the Doctor said, pursing his lips and looking down at the city in the valley. "They've been praying to the new one for three days."
Crow continued to watch the second sun.
"—And... there's the fact it's actually a giant rock trailing ice and gas, headed straight for the earth and it's going to kill everyone."
"Then I shall have plenty to eat."
"But then you'll be bored again," the Doctor reminded Crow. "And still alone."
Crow considered this, then sighed a ragged sigh. "I can stop the giant rock," he said.
"Not at that size and velocity," the Doctor warned.
"I once carried the sun, moon and stars in my claws," Crow said. "You insult me."
"Well, if we're working on that plane..." the Doctor mused, "then my box could give it a nudge in the right direction, if you can carry it home. But you won't survive. I can't save you."
"Then I shall be a new Crow the next time you see me, Doctor. Perhaps I will return red!"
"Good luck, I haven't come out ginger yet," the Doctor muttered.
Crow lifted his wings, then paused. "Will I see you again?"
The Doctor grinned and his eyes were like the flames of the two suns. "Old friend, you will never have to worry about me."
And so Crow pointed his beak toward the strange little sun, gathered the strength that had fathered gods and men, and flew away, crying out with his burned voice.
And the Doctor caused his box to follow; and soon there came a great light and the brush of wings, as happens every time the world is remade.
And then the light was gone, the second sun was gone, the blue box was gone, and only grey feathers drifted to the ground.
Where the feathers fell, the land was very fertile, and the people began to tell a new tale of Crow and the Blue Ark.
Author:
rustydogFandom: Doctor Who
Characters: The Doctor, Crow (the mythological bird)
Rating/warnings: PG, no spoilers
Words: 1255
Beta:
mad_jaks - so much thanks!Notes: Written for Day Twenty of
consci_fan_mo and "C" in my alphabet prompt table. I am heavily indebted to Ted Hughes here.He was his own leftover, the spat-out scrag.
He was what his brain could make nothing of.
So the least, least-living object extant
Wandered over his deathless greatness
Lonelier than ever.
~from "Crow's Playmates" by Ted Hughes
I.
The Doctor found Crow perched on a volcano with his claw clamped over the fiery mouth. Ash was escaping, pluming out between his toes.
"The people below are mine," said Crow. "I found them. I introduced them to one another, male and female, and that was entertaining, let me tell you. If anything is going to destroy them, it will be me."
"Your foot's turning black," observed the Doctor. "Well. Blacker."
Crow cocked his head and shrugged a shoulder, causing his feathers to bristle. "Black is the new white. I stole fire in the beginning of the world, burned my white feathers and ruined my beautiful voice. What have you done?"
"You're standing with your foot on a mountain that's about to explode, and you want to play 'Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better'?"
"I am bored," Crow replied. "Saving the world is not like in the stories. Sometimes it takes forever."
The Doctor had to give him that. "Or you have to do it over and over. Okay, what's the first round, stealing fire? Well..."
II.
The Doctor found Crow tearing up the earth. Great furrows were exposed where Crow had plunged in his beak again and again. Giant stones were overturned, caves ransacked, rivers diverted. A range of mountains had sprung up where Crow had pushed back the earth, like a rug, to check underneath.
The Earth's first city lay in ruins, its men and women scattered by twos and threes to hide in the wilderness.
"You've been upsetting your playthings," the Doctor said.
Crow ignored him; he was trying to speak with a turtle.
"You must swim to the bottom of the sea and tell me what you find there. I am a creature of the sky and cannot go," Crow said, but the turtle could not understand his croaks. So it summoned its friends, the trout, but after listening to Crow intently, the fish said to each other, "The poor thing doesn't even know how to blow bubbles." And the turtle and the fish swam away.
"Lost something?" the Doctor asked when they were gone.
"Please help me find the Black Beast," Crow said.
"You are the Black Beast," the Doctor replied.
Crow cocked an eye at the Doctor suspiciously. "Are you sure you are not the Black Beast?"
"Not always," the Doctor admitted. "Sometimes they call me the Oncoming Storm."
Crow looked around at the ravaged Earth. "Perhaps we should leave," he suggested, "before we make a disaster."
III.
The Doctor found Crow sitting on a stone among stones.
Crow spoke, and darkness poured out of his mouth and pooled around the stones, thick and black as oil. The surface of his words shone with many colors.
The Doctor did not speak, but when he sighed, promises fell from his mouth and shattered.
The two perched together, abashed to silence. Oil lapped the rock. Shards clinked like ice in a glass.
Finally, Crow stretched his wings and flew away. The Doctor whispered to his blue box, then followed.
After they had gone, the words hung in the air: "Our work here is done."
IV.
The Doctor found Crow in a tall tree, watching two armies gather.
"Look," Crow said, dancing on his branch, "they are going to have the first war."
"What are they fighting over?" the Doctor asked. He noticed a woman tied to the tree trunk with a vine.
"Oh, I stole shiny pieces of gold from one side and the king's daughter from the other," Crow said.
"And you thought it would be entertaining to see what they did?" the Doctor growled. "I can't let you do this."
But Crow remained calm. "It is already done, look."
The armies lay still on the field, mown down like grass; the river bled, clogged with bodies; and in the distance black smoke rose from the castle.
"You can go home now," Crow said to the woman, then flew away to study his handiwork.
"I have no more home," the woman said, looking up at the Doctor with a face wet and cold as stone.
"I'm so sorry," the Doctor said, moving to untie her. "Come on, you can travel with me."
"No more wars?"
"Welllll... that's always the plan. And traveling is brilliant."
From his tree, Crow watched the blue box disappear, and shook his head.
V.
The Doctor found Crow in a cemetery on a hill, perched on a granite stone.
"I am alone," said Crow.
"Yes," the Doctor agreed, sitting in the springy grass and settling back against the stone.
"If I give them life, I am alone and they are unhappy. If I give them death, I am alone and they curse me from their graves."
"Yes," the Doctor said again. "Though you have to admit, they're more interesting when they're alive."
Crow shrugged. "You lack an appreciation for carrion. Where is the woman?"
The Doctor sighed. "She got fed up with me. Or she found a nice young man to marry. Or... I lost her. Do you know, I can't remember anymore."
"Yes you can," Crow accused.
"Yes, I can," the Doctor admitted. "But it would be easier if I couldn't."
"If we lost our memories, we would be like them." Crow pointed his beak toward the valley, where two more armies were massing.
VI.
The Doctor found Crow greedily watching a strange second sun in the sky.
"You can't steal that one, you know," the Doctor pointed out.
"No one would notice. They already have one sun, and it is all they want," Crow reasoned.
"Oh, I don't know," the Doctor said, pursing his lips and looking down at the city in the valley. "They've been praying to the new one for three days."
Crow continued to watch the second sun.
"—And... there's the fact it's actually a giant rock trailing ice and gas, headed straight for the earth and it's going to kill everyone."
"Then I shall have plenty to eat."
"But then you'll be bored again," the Doctor reminded Crow. "And still alone."
Crow considered this, then sighed a ragged sigh. "I can stop the giant rock," he said.
"Not at that size and velocity," the Doctor warned.
"I once carried the sun, moon and stars in my claws," Crow said. "You insult me."
"Well, if we're working on that plane..." the Doctor mused, "then my box could give it a nudge in the right direction, if you can carry it home. But you won't survive. I can't save you."
"Then I shall be a new Crow the next time you see me, Doctor. Perhaps I will return red!"
"Good luck, I haven't come out ginger yet," the Doctor muttered.
Crow lifted his wings, then paused. "Will I see you again?"
The Doctor grinned and his eyes were like the flames of the two suns. "Old friend, you will never have to worry about me."
And so Crow pointed his beak toward the strange little sun, gathered the strength that had fathered gods and men, and flew away, crying out with his burned voice.
And the Doctor caused his box to follow; and soon there came a great light and the brush of wings, as happens every time the world is remade.
And then the light was gone, the second sun was gone, the blue box was gone, and only grey feathers drifted to the ground.
Where the feathers fell, the land was very fertile, and the people began to tell a new tale of Crow and the Blue Ark.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-12-21 12:52 am (UTC)Great stuff.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-28 02:34 pm (UTC)Ted Hughes's books (particularly Crow) are the ones I keep checking out from the library year after year. I should probably go ahead and buy it one of these days. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-12-21 01:15 am (UTC)"Yes," the Doctor said again. "Though you have to admit, they're more interesting when they're alive."
This whole conversation amused me, but I keep coming back to this line. It's the Doctor's alienness coming through, that some days he seems to care so deeply people, and some days, you wonder if it isn't just that the universe would be less interesting without us . . .
And I love the wrap-up with the explanation for the ash falling to the ground.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-28 02:36 pm (UTC)It's the Doctor's alienness coming through, that some days he seems to care so deeply people, and some days, you wonder if it isn't just that the universe would be less interesting without us . . .
Oh, yes! Occasionally I get the distinct feeling we're more like pets, which isn't necessarily bad, but very interesting.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-21 01:23 am (UTC)The Doctor did not speak, but when he sighed, promises fell from his mouth and shattered.
Like I said before, that's the best line EVER in the history of ANYTHING.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-23 06:14 am (UTC)Thanks again for your help with this. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-12-21 11:36 am (UTC)I like.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-28 02:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-21 02:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-28 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-22 09:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-28 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-21 07:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-23 01:58 am (UTC)