Playing God
A/N: So here's my second Doctor Who fan fiction. I seriously didn't intend to write anything, but then this idea came to me, and I had to bring it to life. The finale was very well done with a lot about the ethics of what the Doctor wanted to do, and that's why I'm writing this story. I hope that all of you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who and all related characters are property of the BBC. I only own the plot of this story and nothing more.
Summary: As they travel in the TARDIS Clara and Ashildr have a conversation about the Doctor's intentions and what may come of them.
Clara stood in the TARDIS with a determined look on her face. She wasn't going to let the Doctor get away with what he was doing. She was going to set this right whether he liked it or not. How could he think saving her was going to make everything right again? Did he really think that there wouldn't be any consequences for his actions?
"I'm very sorry about what he's doing to you," Ashildr said. "It's not right that he's making a mess of things."
"That's why we need to stop him," Clara told her. "He's lost his mind. I can't think of why he's even doing this."
"He cares for you," Ashildr replied. "He wants to make sure you live a good life and don't die. He blames himself for what happened to you, and now he feels he needs to set it right. He blames me as well, which is why he's been angry with me."
"Why would he blame you?" she asked the young woman.
"Because I offered my protection to you, and it didn't work," replied Ashildr.
"But that was my choice!" protested Clara. "I was the one who made the decision to save Rigsby and spare him the death that was meant for him. The Doctor has no right to take that away from me!"
Ashildr laughed. "I highly doubt he even cares about things like that. After all, he did save me and curse me to immortality when I didn't ask for it. It seems he has a hero complex of some sort and wants to try and save everyone who matters to him. But he forgets the bigger picture when all is said and done."
"Yes, that's how I feel too," agreed Clara. "I feel that there are some things people aren't meant to tamper with and death is one of them."
"I'm glad we're on the same page," said Ashildr. "I really do hate him for what he did to me. Yes, he saved my life, but at what cost? Everyone else is meant to die while I stay in this fixed state, watching the world go by and not being able to do anything about it. I watch others die by cruel hands, and it just hurts me. People kill others for differences in belief or because they have some quarrel and think violence is the answer to solving it. Mothers kill their babies just because they don't want the bother of caring for them. Children kill other children over some senseless war of violence. It's so frustrating to watch all of this happening and to not be able to stop it." She turned to Clara. "You don't deserve the same fate, Clara. You were meant to die because you sacrificed yourself nobly for a good cause. A death like that is meant to happen and shouldn't be tampered with. The Doctor needs to learn that he can't play God with everyone's lives. He really needs to wake up and see what his folly is costing him."
"And now he's gone and made it so he doesn't remember me," said Clara sadly. "It just makes no sense to me. I know he cares for me as he cared for you, Ashildr. He does have a good heart, but there are some things that weren't meant to be tampered with. And he keeps going on about some hybrid. Do you know what that is about?"
"Yes, but I'm not at liberty to say just now," replied Ashildr.
Clara's eyes widened. "So you know about the hybrid?"
She nodded. "Yes, I have always known about it. That's one of the perks of being immortal. You know things others don't."
"So, it's not just a story?"
Ashildr shook her head. "No, it's not. The hybrid is real and I believe that the destruction is already beginning."
Clara gasped as her words sank in. "The Doctor's choice!" she said.
"Yes, his choice will bring about disaster if we don't stop it. But I promise you, Clara Oswald, that once this is finished, I will return you to your rightful time and the sacrifice that was meant for you. I'm sure the Doctor will be angry with me over it, but he needs to learn his lesson. It will be painful, but it must be done."
Clara nodded. "Yes, I agree. The Doctor needs to learn to let go. Goodness knows, he's gotten many different companions over the years of his regeneration. Why am I so special that he feels he has to save me?"
"As I said, he cares for you a great deal."
"But he cared for the others as well," Clara pointed out.
"He did, but not in the way he cares for you. It's different than the others. I can't really explain it, but I do know that he must really care for you if he's willing to change time to save you."
"But what if we don't succeed? What if the Doctor does change time, and I don't die?"
Ashildr stared at her, a serious and sad look crossing her face. "Then we are all doomed by his choice. He must know this. He must understand his mistake and learn from it. Death is not something to be taken lightly. Sacrifices are made every day, and those deaths are meant to be as are the ones that occur naturally. As I said before, not all deaths are meant to be and just happen due to human nature, but even those deaths can't be tampered with."
Clara sighed. "Then we must not fail," she declared. "We must succeed in our venture to save all of Time."
Ashildr smiled and took the woman's hand. "We will, Clara," she reassured her. "I will make sure you don't suffer the same fate I did."
"Thanks, Ashildr. I have a question though. Why do you let me call you by your given name and don't insist on being called Me?"
"Because I like you, Clara Oswald. You are a true friend with no ill intentions, and that is why I allow you to call me by my given name. The Doctor made a horrible choice, and because of that, he has no right to call me by my given name. But as much as I despise him for what he did to me, I cannot allow him to do this deed. I cannot allow everyone else to suffer for his mistake."
Clara nodded. Yes, they would correct this mistake and hope that no one else would suffer for it. Even though she didn't know much about the hybrid Ashildr and the Doctor spoke of, she knew that she couldn't allow events to happen this way. They had to be stopped. There were just too many consequences to what was going to happen.
The Doctor could not continue playing God for it would be the end of everything, and Clara Oswald had sacrificed too much to let that happen.
The two of them fell silent as the TARDIS streaked across the sky. They didn't know that at that moment the original TARDIS was also in the sky and had passed them on its way to a destination unknown to them. The Doctor wasn't going to give up, but neither were Ashildr and Clara. But the question was who would change things first and what would the consequences be? Well, that is a story for another time.
22222
I am determined to figure out who I am and why I am here. I know Clara is important to me, but I don't know why. I need to figure this out. I need to set things in motion. I feel as though something happened that I need to change. Things can be changed when you're a Time Lord. That's the beauty of being able to go across time and change things. I've been doing it for a long time. But this time is different. I'm changing something that probably isn't meant to be changed. I'm changing the events to help a friend of mine, and while I don't know why I'm doing this, I know it's important. I can't let this happen to her. I have to figure out why I'm doing this. Is it because I love her? Is it because she's been a good friend to me? Is it because I'm selfish and don't want any harm to come to her?
I don't know the answers to these questions, but I'm about to find out. And when I do, all will be well again.
A/N: And that's the end of another Doctor Who one shot. I'm so glad I was able to write this as I've had it in my head since the finale aired. And as you can see, I left it pretty open ended so that the next season can proceed forward with no hiccups from my story. I had a lot of fun writing Ashildr and Clara. I do like those two, and I feel bad for Ashildr having to suffer as she does. I agree that there are some things no one is meant to tamper with, and I hope the Doctor learns his lesson in time before something happens. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.