rec: Every Present Is A Past by AstroGirl

[thisbluespirit]

On how it feels to lose your planet and be the last of your people:

Story: Every Present is A Past
Author: AstroGirl
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 798
Author's Summary: This is all that's left of Traken.
Characters/Pairings: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa of Traken
Warnings: None. (Spoilers for Logopolis, but no more than in this rec.)

Recced because: The Doctor’s not the first character in the show’s history to lose his people and his world. This sharp, beautifully written fic is a moment in which Nyssa is reminded of her loss. For Nyssa is not human, she is from Traken, home planet of an empire which (the Doctor says) was held together by people “just being terribly nice to each other” (and it’s a little bit fairy tale, too) and is now lost forever. The joy of this story is not only the capturing of Nyssa’s contained, logical character, and her courage (as the Doctor will one day say, she is a very brave person – and it shows in her decision here), but it’s written also as a foreshadowing of what the reader knows will happen to the Doctor, giving it an admirably dark edge.

Comments

[derekmetaltron.livejournal.com]

Now as a huge Nyssa fan I have to say I loved that fic. I've always been amazed since first hearing about and seeing Nyssa that the poor Traken girl hasn't gone and flipped - in one swoop losing her step-mom, having a father turn into a Master and he directly causing the detruction of her entire planet, with one of her best friends blown up in a Cyber Ship not that long after that. And this fic captures her inner grief and the comforting Fifth Doctor perfectly. Great choice! :)

[thisbluespirit]

Thanks! :-)