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In the division between spaces and universes, out of the shackled Time, in the garden of the one who planted the seed of all the chaos of Life and all its destruction by the flux. There, just below the cherry tree who never dies and the neon lighting that surround it. The light cut a silhouette that stands tall in midst of a stilled chaos.
The Master is towering over the bodies, his outfit: a mess, a half burned purple vest unmade by the forced travel they made to get there. His house, his TARDIS glowing red through the windows bearing witness to this moment. Still covered in the ashes of his people, he is still and only a silver glow pulsating at the tips of his fingers taping the side of his leg shows all the horrors he did not so long ago, on his planet and here… Here too his gaze directed to what remain, the little corpses laying to his feet.
The enemy, the silly rock, Swarm, death or whatever they call themselves. The Vanquishers, unknown and annoying, terrible. Beings that speak too slowly to spell out the end of the universe. As if they could end it or change it. Like fumbling and throwing away a paper origami, a fine work, pretty, precious, a gift that they tear away without care.
The Master had tried many times, to change the universe, to make it to their image. To make it bend the knee under their rule. But never... Never did they managed to make a lasting change on it… Not like that. For a moment he looks up to the universe and its twin on the other side. They can see the missing galaxies, missing planets and shines that should make it whole. He, the bringer of destruction, the so-called Master. He never caused that much despair.
He never wanted to cause that much loss (not on this scale… Or did he?)
The stars they were supposed to watch together, the amazement they should have shared together, despite all the missing opportunities. Gone… He was too late, too busy and…. He spits to the still body. He hates them, he hates those aliens’ bodies, he hates the past it represents, its ugly head that rear back in from the time before his existence and destroy the little he owned. The little he had, that relationship that meant everything to him.
Between him, the stars and the Doctor.
That relationship was gone the moment he saw what was inside the matrix but somehow, he held unto the little time he had, with no one else knowing, just him (He made sure of that). Just him and his loneliness, with the Doctor not recognizing him, smiling, sending texts to O, to him. It was a good time and he had to ruin it. he ruined it with his presence, his identity.
He walks over the Swarm, the Azure. Shining little bodies reflecting the surviving stars, it’s the least they could do.
Disrespect. Their mere presence is a disrespect to all life, uncaring and bowing to a invisible god. Unlike him. He would kneel to no one but only…
He walks over the bodies and kneel next to the Doctor who is curled around the watch, holding it between her hands. Still, overwhelmed, gone. Inside the house without issues, the past without sense. Erased and rewritten again and again and… Alone.
He feared this. Never thought of it possible but he feared that the Doctor he knew would be traded by a Doctor that was or were. He feared the amount of memory would overwhelm her and that she would leave this universe. This plane of existence.
Their relation was already so strained and difficult to navigate, their past was so painful and full of unsaid that they couldn’t talk without acting up, destroying, playing a game of who was the best or right. Loss between justifications and helplessness. Because it felt like they could never change their nature. That it was stuck into stone… Into the waves of destiny. And they couldn’t… No they still can’t… Fix it. They can’t anymore because of uglier monsters showed their face, betrayal, friends and parents.
People who waved the Doctor’s fate and thus his fate to their whim. For control, for power. For discovery. Soon to be discarded once it got boring… Like he got boring. Not good enough to keep their friend interest but so tied to her that all she was reflected on him.
She was Timeless so he had to be Deathless. Good so he had to be Bad. Surrounded by friend so he is surrounded by enemies.
Where are her friends now? Why was she alone, in front of the face of evil?
He looks for an instant to the watch then decides to stay next to her, putting her head on his lap, keeping the fob watch close to her chest between her fingers. And now he had to wait, simply wait.
Wait for her to rise, to grin, to shout, to take the matters in her hands with victory and pride. Wait for her to decide what to save and what to leave, what adventures awaits. Wait for her to claim who she is and he promises he will follow her to his end.
He just had to wait; she will rise with dirty hair that would frame her face. Like a ball of energy, like a rainbow with an angry frown. Just wait and he will have to remind her what matters to her. What people she loves and then the Earth will see her again.
Plick
Plick
Plick
A darken liquid pool below the bodies, blood. The Master sighs, not wanting the Doctor to be tainted by it. She had enough for now, he shouldn’t add to it. He gently fixes her coat and hair, wanting to carry her away for the mess he made. He tries to pick her up but fail. Too weak. He was pinned to the floor. He kicks the rumble away and hums. She can’t move from here and he can’t either; energy slowly leaving his body, but she can … She can wake at some point. She will help.
He looks to the stars again, counting them, watching them burn their last light, like the time slowly passing away. Like his life slowly leaving him. He could regenerate but then he would have to leave her. And she shouldn’t be alone for now. She needed someone to remind her what was important.
As his mind gets foggy, he wonders if regenerative energy would really hurt her, would she be okay with him wasting her gift… Should he be the last of the Time Lords? Thieves of all that was sacred to him. Dying would be ending his work. Make it right. No more… No more tears and manipulation. No more Gallifrey. She would wake in a new world… New universe. No more Time lords, no more Division. His breath gets heavy, traces of anxiety showing on his face. He starts to whisper “Oh Doctor… You had to see me coming.”
“I ran and I destroyed them… I showed them who was the master of this universe.” He feels his atoms disintegrating, the cyberium fighting to keep it at bay. He would be half steel in a few minutes and no soul in sight “I showed them all. And I would have loved for you to see it. But you are busy aren’t you? Don’t worry we will catch up later. Same old. Same old.”
He makes a deep breath ‘You had to see this one … I was beautiful.”