"They say Paris is the most romantic city in the world, y'know."
A young woman was strolling with the Doctor down the hallways of the Louvre, chatting amiably with the Time Lord. The topic of discussion drifted, as it always did -- part of the reason this current companion loved travelling with him. Currently, the topic was romance -- or, more specifically, what was the most romantic place to be found. She tucked a strand of bright red hair back behind her ear, and glanced over to see his reaction. He, in his turn, smiled gently.
"You're taking an awfully narrow view, Ryanna. What's to say that the most romantic place even exists on Earth? There is an entire universe out there with unimagined wonders just waiting to be discovered. And it's entirely possible the most romantic spot is on one of those worlds." His eyes twinkled, making him look rather impish.
Ryanna eyed him suspiciously. "You've got something in mind, don't you?" It was a statement, not a question.
"Well -- yes." A grin slowly spread across his features. "Let's do it. Let's go see if we can find the most romantic spot in the universe."
"But -- I didn't think you went in for that. Romance, that is."
The Doctor looked hurt. "Just because I don't go in for romance, as you so aptly put it, doesn't mean I don't have an academic interest in finding the most romantic spot. You never know when something like that will come in handy, after all. And it'll be an adventure, yes?"
Ryanna thought about it -- for all of three seconds. "Yes! Let's go!"
They left the Louvre and made their way to where they had left the TARDIS. Ryanna settled herself into the wing chair as the Doctor fiddled with the coordinates. "So -- where to first?" She looked at him expectantly.
"Why don't you pick, Ryanna?" The Doctor paused in his knob turning and button pushing to give her an expectant look.
Ryanna wrinkled her nose at him. "Well, I would. Except the only romantic places I know are all on Earth. And I thought we were going to try for a wider perspective."
"Mm. That's true. Although we shouldn't rule out Earth altogether. There are some very romantic places there, after all. Since we've just come from Paris, however, may I suggest we start with Aphrodus V? There's a city there that claims to be the soul of romance itself."
"That does sound like a good place to begin our search, then." Ryanna settled back into the chair, watching the Doctor bend back over the console. His red-brown curls fell into his face, but he ignored them as he reached for the last switch. The rotor started to rise and fall, and the Doctor moved off to make some tea. Idly, Ryanna wondered what a city that claimed to be the soul of romance would be like.
That city boasted magnificently carved statues, rooms decorated with sumptuous velvet, carefully sculpted gardens with hidden grottos, colorful singing birds ... things planned to stimulate the senses, enhance pleasure ... in short, this city tried to be a perfect place for lovers. But for all its beauty, there was something about it that seemed too planned, too contrived. It just tried too hard.
The next stop was Gellista, where every day was a holiday -- a celebration of love and romance. There were parties galore: themed parties, spontaneous get-togethers. The entire planet was a constantly whirling, moving, throbbing mass of people -- an endless festival. But that's all the people of Gellista did. They never took time for themselves, time to be alone. The celebration was everything, and without it, they were nothing.
Then came Niagara Falls, where the majestic splendor of one of the seven wonders of the world was there for all to see ... marred by man's constant need to 'improve,' turning a haven of nature into a tourist trap, with key chains and snow globes, postcards and inflated prices. You could indeed take The Maid of the Mist near to the heart of the Falls, and revel in the spray drenching you, but when you left you were accosted by bright lights and neon, honeymoon suites boasting heart-shaped Jacuzzis, and the dingy, gritty buildings that could still be seen, no matter the amount of glitz and glamour trying to mask them.
Place after place was like this, world after world. What at first seemed like it could be the very spot would in some way be blighted, imperfect. Not one planet they visited could truly be called the most romantic place in the universe. Not one. Finally, the Doctor entered in one last set of coordinates, and the TARDIS dematerialized one last time.
The sun shone down on a giant meadow ringed by enormous trees never glimpsed by any other than the wildlife that called the forest home. The wind gently tousled the bright green grass, teased the leaves and petals of the seemingly endless carpet of flowers that blanketed the ground. Glorious color was everywhere, and gentle scents wafted along the breeze. Nothing disturbed the silence -- until a blue police box materialized near the edge of the meadow, and the door opened. A man in a brown velvet frock coat and gray cravat stepped out, and looked around for a moment. The smile that lighted his face did not seem unusual in this place -- it was as brilliant and beautiful as the flowers, the trees ... and as beyond time as this meadow was.
The man made his way up a small hill, and found himself standing in a patch of flowers that grew taller than his head. The breeze picked up slightly, tugging loose a few petals and blowing them past his face, past those reddish-brown curls. The light made him look almost translucent for a brief moment, so that he seemed to blend into the flowers. The girl that had followed the man behind him paused, unwilling to wreck the moment. She tilted her head to let the wind catch her hair, and just watched the man bend to pick one of the smaller flowers and sniff it delicately.
Maybe there was no perfect place for romance, Ryanna thought. Maybe it was just an illusion, brought to life by the people yearning to make wherever they were seem right. Over time, the places where they gathered became infused with this yearning, and came to be thought as romantic. People who weren't trying to experience this romance didn't see it. The people that were trying didn't need any special place, for they made their own romance. They saw wherever they were as beautiful, for they loved each other. Maybe all you needed for romance was to be with someone you loved. And even for Ryanna, for whom the Doctor was a friend, not a lover -- who was a companion for an otherwise lonely man that traveled time and space -- even for her, this place was romantic. For she loved the Doctor, and he her in the way friends have loved each other for eternity. For that moment, this was indeed the most romantic spot in the universe.