Changes: The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe (short story)

Revision as of 03:11, 6 May 2020

The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe

Key crew

Writer:

Mark Michalowski

Release details

Part of:

Short Trips: Companions

Release date:

2 April 2003

*Short Trips*
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Kept Safe and Sound	Hearts of Stone

The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe was the seventh short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Companions. It was written by Mark Michalowski. It featured the Fourth Doctor and Romana I.

Summary

Romana is in the TARDIS wardrobe room. She has just met the TARDIS wardrobe mistress, Iraj, who she learns is a shape shifter. Iraj wants to play a joke on the Doctor.

Romana has no patience for this right now. She can feel that a regeneration is near. Although most Time Lord regenerations occur when the Time Lord body is damaged beyond repair, sometimes subtle damages build up. Romana thinks this is what happened to her, with the chronodyne's influence starting the process.

Iraj takes the form of Princess Astra, to Romana's horror. Iraj goes to the control room to see the Doctor. She comes back to complain to Romana that he barely noticed her. She tries three more forms; when Romana loses patience with her, she freezes Romana in place. She then joins the Doctor in Astra's form, wearing an outfit in the same style as the Doctor's.

Romana, frozen in place, is unable to tell how much time has passed. Iraj finally returns to tell Romana about an adventure she and the Doctor had with Davros and the Daleks. She again grumbles that the Doctor barely noticed her. Romana finally realises that Iraj is a manifestation of the TARDIS. She manages to convince Iraj that the Doctor cares for her. Iraj apologises, and offers to help Romana through her regeneration.

When Romana finally regenerates, she is shocked to discover herself in Astra's form.

Characters

References

Romana has not yet learned how to stop her hearts.
Romana has heard rumours that some Time Lords can regenerate to order, choosing their new forms, but she cannot do it yet.
Romana wonders how K9 negotiates the step at the TARDIS door.

Notes

The title is a play on C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as are COMIC: The Professor, the Queen and the Bookshop and TV: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.
This story claims that the Romana seen in Destiny of the Daleks was in fact a manifestation of the TARDIS, who would achieve humanoid form in The Doctor's Wife.

Continuity

This story takes place concurrent with TV: Destiny of the Daleks.
Romana believes that damage from chronodyne caused her to regenerate. (TV: The Armageddon Factor)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{title dab away}}
 {{real world}}
+{{Infobox Story
-{{TitleShortStory}}
+|range                  = Short Trips (series)
-{{Infobox Short Story|
+|series in range        = Short Trips: Companions
-name=The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe|
+|series number in range = 2
-series=[[Short Trips (series)#In print|ST short stories]]|
+|number in series       = 7
-doctor=Fourth Doctor|
+|doctor                 = Fourth Doctor
-companions=[[Romana II]]|
+|companions             = [[Romana I]]
-year=|
+|setting                = [[The Doctor's TARDIS]]
-writer=[[Mark Michalowski]]|
+|writer                 = [[Mark Michalowski]]
-anthology=''[[Short Trips: Companions]]''|
+|anthology              = ''[[Short Trips: Companions]]''
-prev=Kept Safe and Sound (short story)|
+|release date           = [[2 April (releases)|2 April]] [[2003 (releases)|2003]]
-next=Hearts of Stone (short story)|
+|series                 = ''[[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]]''
-|}}
+|prev                   = Kept Safe and Sound (short story)
-'''''The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe''''' was the seventh short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: Companions]]''. It was written by [[Mark Michalowski]]. It featured the [[Fourth Doctor]] and [[Romana II]].
+|next                   = Hearts of Stone (short story)
+}}
+'''''The Lying Old Witch in the Wardrobe''''' was the seventh short story in the [[Short Trips (series)|Short Trips]] anthology ''[[Short Trips: Companions]]''. It was written by [[Mark Michalowski]]. It featured the [[Fourth Doctor]] and [[Romana I]].
 == Summary ==
+[[Romana I|Romana]] is in the [[The Doctor's TARDIS#Wardrobe|TARDIS wardrobe room]]. She has just met the TARDIS wardrobe mistress, Iraj, who she learns is a shape shifter. Iraj wants to play a joke on the Doctor.
-''to be added''
+Romana has no patience for this right now. She can feel that a [[regeneration]] is near. Although most [[Time Lord]] regenerations occur when the Time Lord body is damaged beyond repair, sometimes subtle damages build up. Romana thinks this is what happened to her, with the [[chronodyne]]'s influence starting the process.
+Iraj takes the form of Princess [[Astra of Atrios|Astra]], to Romana's horror. Iraj goes to the [[control room]] to see the Doctor. She comes back to complain to Romana that he barely noticed her. She tries three more forms; when Romana loses patience with her, she freezes Romana in place. She then joins the Doctor in Astra's form, wearing an outfit in the same style as the Doctor's.
+Romana, frozen in place, is unable to tell how much time has passed. Iraj finally returns to tell Romana about an adventure she and the Doctor had with [[Davros]] and the [[Dalek]]s. She again grumbles that the Doctor barely noticed her. Romana finally realises that Iraj is a manifestation of the TARDIS. She manages to convince Iraj that the Doctor cares for her. Iraj apologises, and offers to help Romana through her regeneration.
+When Romana finally regenerates, she is shocked to discover herself in [[Romana II|Astra's form]].
 == Characters ==
 * [[Fourth Doctor]]
+* [[Romana I]]
 * [[Romana II]]
 == References ==
+* Romana has not yet learned how to stop her [[Binary vascular system|hearts]].
-''to be added''
+* Romana has heard rumours that some [[Time Lord]]s can [[Regeneration|regenerate]] to order, choosing their new forms, but she cannot do it yet.
+* Romana wonders how [[K9 Mark II|K9]] negotiates the step at the TARDIS [[Real world interface|door]].
 == Notes ==
 * The title is a play on [[C. S. Lewis]]'s ''[[The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]]'', as are [[COMIC]]: ''[[The Professor, the Queen and the Bookshop (comic story)|The Professor, the Queen and the Bookshop]]'' and [[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (TV story)|The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe]]''.
+* This story claims that the Romana seen in ''[[Destiny of the Daleks (TV story)|Destiny of the Daleks]]'' was in fact a manifestation of the TARDIS, who would achieve humanoid form in ''[[The Doctor's Wife]]''.
 == Continuity ==
-* This story takes place concurrent with [[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks]]''.
+* This story takes place concurrent with [[TV]]: ''[[Destiny of the Daleks (TV story)|Destiny of the Daleks]]''.
+* Romana believes that damage from [[chronodyne]] caused her to regenerate. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Armageddon Factor (TV story)|The Armageddon Factor]]'')
-* If this story is to be considered canon, it establishes that the Romana seen in ''Destiny of the Daleks'' was in fact a manifestation of the TARDIS, who would again achieve humanoid form in [[TV]]: ''[[The Doctor's Wife]]''.
-{{prose stub}}
+{{ST prose}}
 {{TitleSort}}
+{{Regeneration stories}}
 [[Category:Fourth Doctor short stories]]
-[[Category:Romana short stories]]
+[[Category:Short Trips: Companions short stories]]
-[[Category:Stories released in 2003]]
+[[Category:Stories set entirely in the TARDIS]]
-[[Category:ST short stories]]
+[[Category:Romana I short stories]]
-[[Category:Stories set on Skaro]]
+[[Category:Romana II short stories]]
+[[Category:Regeneration short stories]]

Tardis