shivver | "The Explorer"

Title: "The Explorer"
Fandom(s): Doctor Who
Characters: The Doctor
Pairing(s): None
Rating: G
Genre: Sci-fi
Word Count: 228

Summary: Yet another alien landscape...

Notes: Written for

who_contest's drabble prompt, "Brilliance".

He stands on the craggy rock overlooking the wide, sere valley. The indigenous vegetation here is not organic; the columnar structures that dot the land as far as the distant hills are crystal formations, formed at the cracks in the ground where the mineral-laden water seeps out, evaporating in the harsh light from the azure sun above to form luminous trees with faceted, jeweled leaves that flash and sparkle as his eyes rove across the landscape. Massive six-legged creatures trundle among them, slow and deliberate. Lazily grazing, their diamond teeth crush the jagged flora into gemstone sand. From this distance, their armoured plating of emerald and topaz and sapphire appears as shimmering iridescence.

This is the first time he has been here, but he has viewed breathtaking vistas like this countless times in the past; the universe has never failed to dazzle him with its variety and its magnificence. Yet, though he has visited the most beautiful places and seen wonders beyond imagining, never once has their brilliance outshone that of the one standing beside him as he beheld them. He travels to every planet, to explore their secrets and meet their peoples, but what truly enchants him are the intricate worlds inside the individuals who have captured his hearts. Taking his companion’s hand, he draws his strength from the touch and finds his peace in their friendship.