Life was just horrible.
The Doctor wasn't quite sure where he was— did it matter? Trees. Lovely trees, some of the loveliest in the universe— weren't they all? But even the trees and the sky, the pale purple sky that could have been Earth dawn or maybe Clom noon— it was beautiful, but it didn't make him happy.
But there weren't any people. And when there weren't any people, he couldn't hurt them. Maybe for a while they'd look at the lovely trees and make him happy, but he was just a selfish old man. And the universe was nothing special to him.
But they were special. Their faces— how beautiful they thought the universe was— so far beyond a Time Lord. And they were so much better than him. He was old and bitter and angry. He just hated how much less they could all be— and then they were more. They were beautiful. So much more beautiful than lovely trees and purple skies— and they made him happy.
Only his life was too dangerous. They got killed... worse. And he couldn't let that happen. He was a monster too— a selfish old man who turned them into weapons, who used them just to give him something to smile about. They were just his pets. And they deserved more— they deserved their beautiful human lives.
He felt something warm and wet against his hand. He turned in surprise. "RUFF!" Something warm and fluffy rubbed against him and went up to lick his face. A very fluffy brown puppy was picked up by the Doctor and licked his nose as he examined it.
"Well, what are you doing here, little fellow?"
"Ruff!"
"Lost? Can't find Mum? Oh, of course..." The puppy was scratched between the ears. The Doctor stood and went to help a puppy find his mummy.
"Ruff!" The little puppy scrambled over to a lovely mother, who promptly licked it. The Doctor beamed.
"Ruff!" she told the Doctor.
"Oh, nothing. Lovely boy you've got there, too..." "Ruff!" said the puppy.
"Was not!"
"Ruff!" "Oh, maybe I was a bit teary..."
Immediately he had a puppy bounding toward him, getting picked up and licking his face. Just enough to make the Doctor laugh and get genuinely teary.
"No!" The Doctor walked from the TARDIS console to pick up a little fluffy puppy.
"No puppies in the TARDIS." "Ruff!" said the puppy, wriggling.
"Only Time Lords in the TARDIS. Far too dangerous for puppies."
The puppy sadly howled as the TARDIS dematerialized.
...