Author's Note:
As requested a clean version of 'Secrets : Oceans of Gallifrey'.
Let me know what you think!

Water.
Endless depths of water.

The water was a beautiful amber-coloured drapery, covering the landscape near the breathtaking Th'alijha Bijhura, or as most non-Gallifreyan but English speaking inhabitants of the universe would say, Ruby Bay.
(Though, 'Ruby Bay' would neither be accurate nor appropriate; it's only a word by word translation, lacking the imagination and ambiguity of the original term.
The Gallifreyan words wouldn't only name but also designate one of the most beautiful natural phenomena in the whole Kasterborous constellation; during some of the longer days in midsummer one of the twin suns would reach the horizon, or as it appears, would dive into the large body of water and illuminate it from underneath as it tries to reach the endless bottom outlining the sea; at the same time it's gleaming twin would cast its last rays across the quietly flowing water as it searched for its lost brother.)

In one sentence, the diffuse rays of light leave the impression of an ocean filled with cut rubies and sallow diamonds as it stretches out to infinity, waving its priceless body restlessly in a blinding explosion of glittering light.
And the seashore would cut some of the smaller gemstones out of its large body; the waves wouldn't only break but shatter as well on the beach, as small ruby drops splashed on the surface as well as on any stranger's skin;
Any stranger who would be fortunate enough to witness this ravishing spectacle of nature.

Probably not so fortunate was a small figure helplessly swimming in the glistening pool of rubies in the middle of nowhere.

It was a young Time Lord, one that was still struggling to grow up but couldn't wait for it to start of its own accord because he couldn't wait what life would have in store for him.

It's not an unusual thought, generally thought by those who hadn't already had the pleasure to experience what life would hold for them; most of them thought the answer to be as simple as that: it had nothing in store at all. Or just for them in particular.
However the young Time Lord, whose name was Theta Sigma, knew that this wasn't true.
Though he was still caught in the middle of adolescence (with the little advantages but innumerable disadvantages it usually contains) he already knew what life was all about:
Dying.

Or at least it appeared to him like this as he floated feebly on the ocean's glittering surface.
He'd never thought about dying itself before.
Or definitely not as much about dying in the near future. Or being drowned by the next huge wave.

Theta coughed.
His arms were getting heavier and heavier and he thought he could feel his head already sinking.
Figuratively, of course. But he knew that it would soon be literally, too.
His thoughts were already filled with the stifling confusion that follows the unbridled panic after a shocking realization.

In his case it had been:
'I'm going to die out here. Definitely. Dying. For real."

Though dying for a Time Lord wasn't that bad.
Well dying is never bad under any circumstances. It's neither bad nor good. It just happens to everyone. Sometimes.

And especially Time Lords had the privilege of knowing that it might happen to them later than to anyone else, because they possessed the power of regenerating.

Theta spat and gasped for air after a ruby wave had tried to drown him in the deep body of the ocean.
Theta had given up on hoping that he might be rescued. He'd been intrigued by the beautiful sunset, he'd been so beguiled that he'd wanted to see it closer. Closer and closer.
He'd swum away from the shore; he'd left the dry land behind and had tried to reach the brilliant horizon until his strength had started to dwindle.
Theta had savoured the amazing sensation of feeling free, unbound and wavering; though it hadn't occurred to him that this may also mean losing ground beneath your feet.
Well, of course that was what swimming was all about and it surely hadn't been so enthralling if Theta had been able to walk all the way through the ocean.

But nevertheless it had been stupid thing to do.
And it surely was something he wouldn't forget but regret until the end of his life, which, he'd calculated, would occur in about...well, he figured that there were still a few minutes to pass.
His life hadn't even flashed in front of his eyes.
Theta had to admit that he was very grateful for that, because he'd always believed it to be rather unfair to be reminded of the stupid things you've done only after you've made the last big mistake. The fatale one.

Theta gasped after taking another swig of seawater. He'd never minded the smell of the ocean, but he was sure he wouldn't forget the taste until the end of his days. This day, then.
Well, he probably won't even make it until sunset anyway...

Theta took a deep breath and hummed to himself, trying to forget that every breath could have been the last one he'd drawn.
Instead he tried to focus on the brighter side of life.
Regeneration.
He supposed that he might be able to regenerate.

Although Theta didn't know how it worked; the topic of 'Regeneration' wasn't something you would have discussed with your family during lunch; it was probably even fussier than the thing about the birds and bees and the Velociraptor (and Theta wouldn't know about this thing, either).

Regeneration had somehow always been a miracle to him. He'd never understood how it might work. Meaning: you're someone who's injured beyond repair and then you turn into someone completely different, without the injuries of course; or at least he hoped so.

But there was something he was still unsure about, even though he was aware that he was slowly losing consciousness while he sank deeper into the water.

If you died you regenerated.
No, if you died you died. If you were close to dying you could regenerate.
But the thing was: if he was here, out on the open sea... it wouldn't be easier becoming a Time Lord again, would it?
Of course Theta could try to swim towards the beach again and he'd probably drown several times, leading a total of ten, or even twenty short and unfulfilling lives which would consist of nothing but paddling through the water until his arms gave in again.

But this couldn't be it.

Theta was sure. There had to be another solution.
He'd expected to feel death approaching but he couldn't believe that he would escape it in his current form. Not for long, at least.

No, Theta was sure it would be different.
He'd considered this closely.
Time Lords had evolved; in fact they originated from one creature a usual inhabitant of Gallifrey might have called 'inferior':
Seahorses.

Time Lords descended from seahorses, Theta had heard this before.
And he assumed that this was what was going to happen to him after he'd vanished.
Of course. If he would be reborn into a seahorse... he couldn't drown.
And Theta had always loved seahorses.
He'd adored them.
Now that he had nothing left to lose he could even admit it: he'd envied them.

Seahorses were beautiful.
And not as inferior as the average Time Lord would have suspected.
Theta wouldn't mind turning into a seahorse; though he was still a bit unsure about his life as a seahorse.
He'd never been able to figure out how seahorses communicate; and he hoped that it wouldn't stay the same as soon as he was reborn as a seahorse.
And he had to admit that he'd heard some things about the seahorses' reproduction that made him rather uneasy...

Theta whipped his face with a wet hand as he squinted against the sun.
A sight he would probably miss as a seahorse. If he was still able to remember his current life after he'd died.
And if he died as a seahorse...

Theta coughed and took another swig of seawater.
Oh well. He'd just try to swim near the shore as soon as he'd feel like dying. Maybe it worked the other way round, too.

Theta sank. He sank inevitably but heavily.
He watched in amazement as the colours beleaguered him, closed in around him and swallowed him up, embracing him with a muted splashing sound.

Theta stopped holding his breath and watched the few last air bubbles arising above his head as his body dwindled down slowly, as everything around him became a somewhat disturbing dark crimson. There were shadows dancing on the surface above him, escaping the last rays of light as the second twin sun joined his brother and descended into the water.

And as he sank deeper the surrounding's beguiling colour changed from deep scarlet to melting teal.
And he watched the endless depths of the abyss underneath him as he greeted his new home with his arms wide open...

Theta hadn't minded the state of dying; it was the state of pulling-through that was rather painful.
In death (or swimming around in the sea as a blessed seahorse) life would have been a lot easier.
Now it was getting complicated again.

Theta opened his eyes wide and spat. He lay on the side (though it was hard to tell which side he lay on; everything just hurt; and he wouldn't have wondered if he was currently hanging upside down from a Khajihla tree) and coughed, he coughed and spat as he felt the stinging liquid dislodging from his throat. His lungs must have been filled up with the foul water and though Theta was feeling worse than dead he was aware of the fact that he stank.

Theta felt the last rays of the sun touching his skin; but he couldn't open his eyes.
Well, he'd probably gone blind anyway. The water sure must have had an impact on his sight. At least if you judged it by its disgusting smell...

"Easy" he heard a soothing voice above him as he tried helplessly to raise his head; a stranger's hand would soon find a rest on one of his temples as the other one stroked his wet hair cautiously "You're back. You've made it. Breathe in... easy, little one..."

Theta sniffed and opened his mouth to reply a brief word to express his gratitude.
He could have gone with "Thank you" or just a short "Thanks" but sadly all he could produce was an unsettling gurgling noise as more water decided to leave his still Time Lord body.
He coughed and spat as he rolled onto his stomach.

Two hands had settled down on his body; one of them on his back, giving him two or three strong pats on the ribs while the other hadn't stopped caressing his confused head.

Theta struggled for air and felt his wet face pressing faintly against the smooth sand.
He closed his eyes and with his remaining strength, and a little help from the two strong hands that had till now been busy comforting his body, he managed to roll onto his back.
And stared into two gleaming suns.

But it weren't the beloved twin suns once again ascending from the water.

The stranger was nothing more than a blurred silhouette kneeling beside him; Theta struggled to stop the beautiful face above his own from drifting constantly out of focus.
He squinted against the lightening stranger's eyes.

There it was.

The soft breeze surrounding him.
The constant and soothing roar of the ocean forcing its way into his head.
The warm feeling bundling and moulding in Theta's stomach.
Purified bliss spread throughout his body, gratifying him, pleasing him and yet making him yearning for something else, something higher... something close to perfection.

Like a delightful warm summer rain usually tinkles on an old and unheeded water butt's edges before filling it with its exhilarating drops Theta felt something warm and unbridled pouring into him and welling up in his mind; in fact he was already overflowing with a feeling he experienced for the first time:

Love.
Instant Crush.

Theta swallowed hard as he wasn't able to remove his eyes from the stranger's beguiling golden eyes.
He must have met a God.
He must be dying, he could sense golden light swirling around him, energy flowing out of his body and becoming dispersed, spreading out into the universe.
And he was lying in the arms of a God, of a beautiful and gently smiling God; and he was irradiating content and security.

And the God lowered his head until Theta felt his touch, until he felt the warm and earthly body touching him, forehead on forehead, nose on nose.
And he smiled.

The stranger smiled the smile of a knowing God and stroked Theta's hair.

Finally Theta managed to whisper those words he'd searched his brain for:
"Who are you?"

And the reply came as both a relief and a temptation:

"I'm your guardian angel."

Theta heard himself chuckling and giggling before he would stop his own humiliation.
"You must be..." whispered Theta hoarsely as his hands pressed against the sandy surface and he tilted his head back into the nape of his neck before his eyes dared to meet those enticing glowing suns in the stranger's face;
"And I want you to be mine forever..."

Theta's lips made contact with the stranger's face, trailing across his skin and finally reaching their beloved target.
And the golden suns vanished as the stranger closed his eyes in delight.

"Mine forever..." Theta heard the tempting voice repeating in his ear;
"Mine..."

A chill went down his spine and evoked reactions at the front side of his body, moving his flesh in a way Theta had considered impossible; at least for him.

Theta gasped for air, but this time not because he was short of breath thanks to the ocean water still stored in his lungs, but because he sensed the undignified feelings twirling inside of his head, forming a flow that became stronger and stronger until it would descend into a roaring stream, gushing around in his head and taking away both his mind and his breath.

The guardian angel's lips met Thetas, this time more passionate, more pleading, more beckoning, more...

Just more. Just more and more, that was all the roaring stream inside of Theta's mind longed for;
just more and more.

Theta was pressed down on the sand bank without putting up much of a struggle; in fact he was putting up no struggle at all, he was weak, he was tired, his head was still feeling a bit dizzy due to the water that must have filled up the vacant spots in his brain through his ears while he had nearly drowned;
and yet that wasn't the reason.

The true reason lay underneath Theta's soft hands, the hands he'd placed on his hearts to feel their rates increasing and skipping beats.

The angel was kneeling over Theta's legs and Theta embraced him; he clutched at his arms, he pulled at his shoulders, pulling him nearer, feeling him closer, sucking in his sweet and exotic scent, embracing him...feeling him, touching him soul on soul...

"Where are your wings?" asked Theta absent-minded as he felt his skin trembling at the feeling emerging from between his thighs.
"I thought angels had wings. Where are your wings, angel?"

The angel leaned forward and forced its tongue between Theta's lips, invading his warm and soft cavity in one go.
He gave a cocky reply while he stripped Theta off his clothes.
"What good would wings do me under water?"
And then he'd seal his lips with a pleasure-fuelled kiss.

And as the angel's eyes sank deeper into Theta's the Author's drifted off and he found himself squinting against the bright and beguiling golden light of the descending suns.
Just a few inches beneath the surface a gathering of seahorses was discovered as it joined into a predawn dance, formerly performed by two conspecifics only.

Their dark and elegant bodies flowed and danced in the disappearing suns' light, they moved graciously and Theta would have loved seeing this beloved species caught in one of nature's most alluring wonders.
Sadly his mind was currently occupied with something else. (As well as some of his bodily cavities...)

The seahorses amazing and fragile bodies performed breathtaking somersaults, they moved gracefully and yet unearthly;
(Alright: the Author had to admit that everything was unearthly on Gallifrey; but watching the beautiful creatures swimming graciously around without much effort made him believe that seahorses must be divine creatures)
and somehow it must have occurred to every watcher who was be fortunate enough to watch this breathtaking demonstration of love and courtship that those small and fragile creatures may be the only livings in this or any other universe who know the meaning of true love.

Colours flashed over the calm ocean, weakening rays of light chased one another as the glided over the composed surface of an enormous body that was alive with love.
The seahorses whirled around in the water, entangling and entwining one another's tails as they moved closer, separated and wooed their beloved partners.

As the water darkened and became cloudy the seahorses, now lovingly divided in pairs, moved off to continue their adorable duet in the warmer and more intimate areas of the ocean.

The Author sighed sadly as the divine creatures swivelled out of his sight and he had to turn around observe something not as beautiful and definitely more disgusting.

Theta closed his eyes as he struggled for air. His still wet but by now sweat-soaked hair had become sticky with sand; he felt itchy all over and rolled onto his side as he felt the realising grip on his upper part of the hip bones.
He closed his hurting thighs and panted as he stared at the darkening ocean.

There was a sigh behind him and careful fingers entwined with his hair.
Theta had to admit that he felt rather embarrassed right now and wasn't willing to meet the stranger's gaze, which was presumably fixed on his back right now; or at his buttocks.
Theta blushed inevitably.
He was really glad right now that there had been no one in sight while he'd been busy...
Well, or they hadn't just dared to come in sight after what they'd heard.

The only reason why Theta hadn't already buried his head in the sticky sand was the peacefully lingering feeling of first love. Or something.
Theta was ashamed of his own thoughts.

"Liar" said Koschei behind his back.

Theta froze in shock and stared wide-eyed at the dimming sky. Then he got to his senses again and turned around, sand sticking on both his flanks now.
And then he froze in shock again.

"You should really be ashamed of yourself" Koschei continued "Acting like a blushing virgin. If I hadn't known it myself that this wasn't your first time you probably would have managed to take me in... which you actually did... quite literally."

Theta stared with unbelieving eyes in Koschei's face. Koschei sat up and yawned before placing both his hands on Theta's upper part of the hip bones.

"Oh well" Koschei concluded "I pretended and you faked it quite well. Fine for me. But if I'd known how you reward your rescuer I would have gone swimming with you a lot more often."

Theta finally got his voice back.
And his, by this time already habitual, scream of rage of
"KOSCHEI!"
filled the air and managed to chase away the last seabirds that had been circling over the sandbank.

After Koschei had managed to free himself from Theta's chokehold he started arguing between his serious attempts to keep Theta from lunging at him again.

"I was drowning!"
"And I saved you!"
"I didn't know it was YOU! And I never would have..."
"Oh, you so would!"
"Stop that!"
"Then stop using my throat as a stress ball."
"I'M SO GOING TO KILL YOU KOSCHEI!"
"No you don't. And stop that, Theta, that's annoying. You're leaving scratch marks all over my neck."
"You could have helped me instead of trying to screw me!"
"I didn't try to screw you, I did!"
"Oh for Kasterborous' sake, Koschei, will you stop that?!"
"What should I have done? Call you a Doctor?"

The Doctor's eyes snapped open. He looked around dizzily and found himself sitting by the pool in his Tardis. Jack was currently sinking to the bottom of the large pool again.
After discovering that Jack was a non-swimmer he'd tried to teach Jack how to swim. But sadly he didn't seem to get the hang of it.
The Doctor examined Jack's lifeless body.
He shrugged.
Oh well, in a moment he'd draw his first breath again and float to the surface.

The Doctor stared at the beautifully glistening water. The dimmed light must have brought back his memories of the old days...

The bubbling noises indicated that Jack was once more alive and the Doctor stared at his panicked face unimpressed as he made it to the surface again.
"I may not be drowning but my lungs filling up with water actually hurt" snapped Jack as he performed helpless leaps towards the pool's edge.
The Doctor nodded absent-mindedly.
"I think you deserve a break" agreed the Doctor "As soon as you make it out of the pool."

"I'll get you for this..." were Jack's last words before his enraged screams became once more swallowed up by the gurgling noises and the Doctor watched with fascination how his body ended up at the bottom of the pool.

And the Doctor sighed and secretly admitted that he was still envying seahorses.
Swimming around... forever.