The Legend of Gallifrey Part 14: Rule of Rassilon

Even though M and 7 had been inside the TARDIS a moment ago, they suddenly found themselves standing in a barn, surrounded by several men. Three of them were people 7 recognized: they were the first Doctor, the third, and the sixth. The other man was someone 7 didn't recognize: he had ruffled brown hair, red converse shoes like M, and a long brown trench coat.

"You must be the last one," the brown haired man said. "And you brought M, just like I remembered. You missed the conversation about what we call each other. We've decided to call each other by our numbers. He's 1, he's 3, he's 6, and I'm 10. You'd be 7."

A future version of him, then. He took a moment to look around, and he instantly remembered the barn. It was where he'd slept while he was in the academy, when he'd felt like he didn't belong with the other boys.

"What are we doing here?" 7 asked. "I don't expect this barn to be related in any way to the paradox. So what is this place doing here?"

"My boy, I think that's obvious," said 1. "The paradox is centered around us, and this place is important to us. Therefore, it's here."

"So there'd be other locations important to us," said 6. "Maybe that's where all the rest of us are. There's no way this is all of us."

"What's outside?" 7 asked.

"None of us have managed to open the door," said 3. "It seems to be locked, and not even 10's sonic screwdriver can get through. It's like a triple deadlock seal."

"Maybe there's some way to contact the others," said 6. "M, you should know something about that. Is there a way?"

M shook her head. "I'm afraid that at this point, I know little more than you do. My knowledge ended a while ago. You lot will have to work that out for yourselves."

"What about our psychic link?" 3 asked. "Since we're in a paradox, that means time in finite, and therefore we should be able to reach the others simply by concentrating."

The others nodded. Then they all sat down in a circle and closed their eyes, focusing on their other selves.

…

11 knew something was off when he stepped out of the TARDIS and into the TARDIS.

Except this place wasn't the TARDIS he'd just been in. It was the TARDIS as it had been when he'd first stolen it, with the white walls covered in round things and the six-sided console. The only thing different was the company.

He recognized everyone there. There was 9, with his leather jacket and dark red jumper, War, with his own leather jacket and white hair and beard, and Rassilon, wearing what looked like a simplified version of Time Lord robes. Essentially, it was a Time Lord hat with a red robe covered in circular Gallifreyan writing.

"Hello all!" he said, very cheery. "How's the end of the universe treating you?"

9 gave him a weird look. "You're a future me, right? What happened, did you find the TARDIS's stash of ginger beer?"

"Excuse you," said 11. War chuckled, and Rassilon gave all three of them dirty looks.

"I chose you three to be brought here for a reason, and it isn't to trade insults about being drunk," he said.

"I'd rather you didn't talk, to be honest," War told him.

Rassilon's face twitched. "I am Rassilon, future Lord President of Gallifrey, and you will listen to me when I talk."

The TARDIS door opened, and X stepped in, looking the same as when 11 had met him in the future. He even carried his staff.

"You are not the important one today, Rassilon," he said, in a very echoey voice that almost made him sound like he was talking into a microphone. "Today, the important one is the Doctor. Specifically, this one right here." he pointed his staff at War.

War blinked and backed up as the staff almost hit him in the stomach. "What do you mean I'm the most important one? And who are you?"

To answer War's second question, 11 sent him and 9 a quick psychic message to relay the conversation he and X had had just before he got here. War and 9 nodded at him.

"But what makes me so special?" War asked again.

"Because you are at the center of the paradox," Rassilon told him. "This whole thing is because of your choices. Or at least, the ones you have yet to make."

War looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Why me?" he asked. "What's so special about me? I'm just another Doctor."

"No you aren't," said X. "You're the only Doctor born for war and during war. You're unique among Doctors because of that."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"For now? Nothing. Right now, we need to contact our other selves."

9, 11, and War nodded in agreement. They all sat down on the floor and, with Rassilon watching with an interested expression on his face, they sat down and began to reach out across the paradox.

…

8 wasn't surprised when the old man walked out of nowhere, but he was surprised when he began acting all holier-than-thou towards him, 2, 4, and 5. 8 was not looking forward to being this man, apparently number 12. He seemed to be the most angry of all the Doctors ever.

"Where's everyone else?" 12 demanded. "This isn't everyone, there's eight others. Have they not got here yet?"

"They're here," 4 said. "I can sense them, but they're a long way off. For now, it's just us. Want a jelly baby?"

12 shrugged him off and began knocking on the walls, likely looking for an exit. 8 watched him search desperately, then when he was done 8 spoke up.

"We already looked," he said. "There isn't any obvious way out."

2 chuckled. 5 looked between 8 and 12, then stepped forward.

"We still need to find a way out," he said. He pulled a cricket bat out of his coat pocket. "What are the walls made of?"

"Something that a cricket bat can't break through," 2 said. "It appears to be some sort of alloy similar to dalekanium, and your wooden bat would in no way be able to even dent it."

"It isn't wood," 5 said. He wound up and swung with all his might at the wall, and the bat smashed into the wall, cracking it but not destroying it altogether.

He held up the bat. "Wood-like, but not wood. It's made of an alloy from the planet Clom, unnamed but very tough. Like it?"

He looked over to see 4, 2, and 8 yanking on the broken metal to reveal a bright light behind it. 12 was on the opposite side of the room muttering to himself. 5 hefted his bat and began assisting 4, 2, and 8.

Eventually, they could make out a field of sand that stretched for as far as they could see. Over the hill, they could make out the glass dome of the citadel of Gallifrey.

"Why does Gallifrey have a metal cylindrical room with no door?" 4 asked.

His question was answered when they all stepped out and looked back. What they'd just been inside was a decommissioned TARDIS, likely with the interior pulled out and the door covered up. It did seem slightly larger on the inside that the outside, but that was likely just dimensional residue.

5 walked back over to the TARDIS and knocked on the metal. "12, we're leaving now," he said.

12 had apparently been in some sort of trance, because when 5 called him he quickly stepped outside. "Is this Gallifrey? What is Gallifrey doing in the paradox?" he asked.

"Not important," 8 said. "Right now, we need to get to the citadel."

2 stopped and grabbed his head. "I'm getting something," he told everyone. "On the psychic link."

"Me too," 4 said. "It's the other Doctors. They say to… meet them at the citadel. That works out well."

They looked at each other for a moment, then they began hiking towards the glass dome in the distance.

…

1 had gotten very bored of waiting for everyone, and he was about ready to go off on his own when the rest of the Doctors arrived. He'd met a few of them before, but some of the memories were fuzzy. He'd gotten everything he needed to know from the psychic link, but there were still a few gaps, like this Time War and these characters X and M who insisted on only using one letter. Maybe he should call himself D, just to annoy them.

He didn't really like 12, he was too much like him. Regeneration was meant to change a person, not bring them full circle. And this War Doctor, what was his deal? Everyone was making him out to be the most important Doctor of them all. What was his deal?

They all met outside the citadel, where 1 got a preview of all his future selves. The one he liked the most was the one with the dark red shirt and leather jacket and the crew cut, number 9 apparently, except for War, who is one before 9 and screws the whole line up.

Some of the other Doctors had met before, like 6 and 2, and 2 and 3. 1 had seen a few before, but they all seemed to be ignoring him and assuming he was the least important. While he was physically the oldest, he was also the one closest to being a child, which gave him a unique perspective on the situation.

After all the greetings, X, Rassilon, 12, and 10 began organizing everyone so as they would pay attention. When they were, Rassilon took the spotlight.

"Since M, me, and X already know the nature of the paradox, we must retreat from you and allow you to work things out for yourself." he said. "We will be watching, and will appear when and where we are needed."

With that, M pressed her Vortex Manipulator, and all three of them vanished. The Doctors all stood there for a moment, then 12 quickly took charge.

"We need to discover what has created the paradox," he said, with an annoyed look from 8. "I suggest we split into small groups of no more than four, and use our telepathic abilities to remain in contact, which will work given the paradox energies of this area."

"What teams would you suggest?" 6 asked.

"Likely Doctors who've worked together before. I suggest 1, 2, 3, and 4, as well as War, 5, 11, and 10. Also, 9, 8, and me, as well as 6 and 7."

8 clearly didn't like being paired with 12, but he agreed to it, as well as everyone else, and the teams head off in their separate directions.

1, 2, 3, and 4 all entered the citadel, but to their surprise they didn't find what they expected to find. Instead of the interior of the Gallifreyan city, they found themselves on an empty street in London, right next to Big Ben.

"We haven't been here for a while," said 3. "I've been around with UNIT quite a bit, but not actually here in London for a very long time. I guess it's a big part of our future?"

1 got a flash from the psychic link, confirming that 3's guess was correct. He relayed this to the other Doctors, who nodded.

"I think we should see what's inside Big Ben," 4 said. He turned towards the clocktower and began to walk towards it. Without thinking too hard, the rest followed after him.

As 3 lead the way, his foot came down on a specific spot on the pavement, and 1 could hear a click. His eyes widened in fear, and he instinctively jumped sideways as his vision turned white.

…

9 felt rather like a third wheel in the 8-12 conflict. He wasn't entirely sure why 8 seemed to hate 12, but he did know that 12 didn't realize it. If he had, he wouldn't have chosen to bring 8 onto his team.

The three of them were pointed in the direction of the barn by 10, and the long, silent trek began. The one-way tension couldn't be cut through with a knife.

9's mind began to drift as they walked, and he began to wonder why it was that 8 didn't seem to like 12. He also got the same kind of vibe from 1. 1 probably didn't like 12 because the regeneration process had seemingly brought the Doctor full circle, and he'd never liked that idea. 8 didn't seem to like 12 because of their differing personalities, but with the elements of similarity. 8 had always been the heroic type while 12 seemed to be more of the dark, insult-y type, but at the same time they both seemed to hate their lives and to be carrying a great deal of baggage, but in entirely different ways. 12 had experienced the Time War and seemed to be recovering from a recent loss, while 8 also seemed to be recovering from a recent loss, but he seemed more affected than 12 did.

The three of them eventually arrived at the barn, where 12 swung his foot around and kicked the door in. The three of them stepped into the barn, but it wasn't the barn inside.

Instead of the room they expected, they stepped into a metal room with a whole wall dedicated to a window, through with was only blackness. On each wall that wasn't glass there was a small control panel, all of which seemed to be shut down.

8 walked over to the glass wall and tried to see through it while 12 tried to get one of the panels to work. 9 turned around to where they'd walked in, but it was a solid wall.

12 yanked on a wire. Suddenly, a light came on through the window, revealing a tall room with a pillar of technology in the center, and a floor almost 100 feet down.

12's eyes widened. "I know that place," he said with a worried expression.

…

6 and 7 were directed around to the opposite side of the citadel, where they found an entrance that lead them directly to the top of the citadel, where the High Council would typically meet. The two Doctors stepped through the door and were met with a strange experience.

The Council was seated around the table, talking about something that 6 and 7 couldn't hear from where they stood, but as they walked closer the Council didn't seem to notice them at all. At the head of the table was someone neither of the Doctors recognized, but the way he talked down to everyone made him seem very much like Rassilon. Since he was sitting at the head of the table, that was probably who he was.

At the foot of the table was a woman with stringy grey hair, who had several pieces of paper as well as a drawing utensil. She was drawing rough images in old high Gallifreyan and muttering to herself.

Both 6 and 7 were startled when a young Time Lord walked through 6 without noticing him, and placed a piece of paper in front of Rassilon with one of the woman's drawings on it. Rassilon picked it up and read it.

"And the interpreters are sure?" he asked the man. The man shook his head.

"No, sir. I'm afraid it's all true, about the paradox and the Doctor. The archives say that he's disappearing from history as a result of the paradox. If this keeps up, he won't ever have existed, and you know why that can't happen."

Rassilon nodded. "He's done too much for Gallifrey. This whole situation would be much less frustrating if I could remember what is happening inside there right now. They're in there with one of my previous incarnations, you know, as well as a future version of them called X and that M."

The woman looked up. "M," she said, with an urge in her voice. "The bride, the abomination, the assassin!"

"And she still won't tell us who M is," Rassilon said. "Just nonsense about the bride and the assassin, and sometimes stuff about a psychopath."

The woman stood up. "Soon!" she wailed. "Soon she will be revealed!"

Then her eyes widened, and she turned towards 7. "We are watched from inside!" she said. "The last child of Gallifrey watches us!" She pointed at the two Doctors.

Rassilon stood up and looked where she was pointing. "We can't see you, but if the Foreseer is right then you can see us. We must tell you about the paradox!"

The room began to blur.

"Falling!" the woman yelled. "Doctor falling! The universe is dying!"

Then both 6 and 7 passed out.

…

War, 5, 11, and 10 walked off into the desert in no particular direction, and after a good half hour they began to wonder where they were going. 10 was sweating profusely, 11, was getting impatient, and 5 was beginning to fall behind. War was the only one who kept going ahead and yelling at the other Doctors to hurry up.

11 eventually sat down on a sand drift. "I need a break," he declared. "I don't even know where we're going does anyone?"

5 sat down beside him. He'd taken off his jacket and hat a long time ago and put them… somewhere. Maybe in his pocket?

War turned towards the other three. "What are you waiting for?!" he yelled.

"They want a rest!" 10 yelled back.

War began to walk back to them, but suddenly he vanished with a quick, silent flash. 5 stood up in alarm, 10 jumped, and 11's eyes widened.

The air rippled where War had vanished, and his arm reached out from nowhere. Then his head.

"It's a rift!" he said. "We found where we were going! Come on!"

The other Doctors stepped through the rift, and 11's eyes widened even more. "I remember this place," he said. "This was the device that held the end of the universe together after the paradox ripped it apart. What is it doing here?"

"Lord Rassilon told me to build it," a young voice said. A young boy with brown hair and pale skin and wearing a white tunic jumped down from behind it. He walked over to them and held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you," he said. "What's your name?"

"Did you say Rassilon was here?" 5 said. "I remember him from the Death Zone, the last time I met previous versions of myself. He killed President Borusa!"

"He's much worse than that," 10 and 11 said in unison.

The Rassilon that had left the Doctors earlier stepped out from behind the pillar. "Hello again, Doctors," he said. "I'm afraid your view of me is distorted at best. I'm not evil, I just see the bigger picture."

"And that bigger picture is you ruling the entirety of time and space," said 11. "You're a maniacal tyrant who deserved to be trapped in an alternate universe with a blobby weasel."

Rassilon smirked. Then he held out his hand to War. War looked at it for a moment, then he took it and walked over to stand next to Rassilon.

…

12 was frustrated when he saw the other Doctors enter the room below, and how they didn't notice him no matter how hard he banged on the glass. He was even more frustrated when M appeared out of nowhere.

"Their destiny is theirs, Doctor," she said.

"NO!" he said in anger, causing 8 and 9 to back up. "I'm tired of not having any control over anything and not knowing what's going on!"

He stormed over to the control panel and fiddled with it, sticking his sonic screwdriver into a port and boosting the power, twisting the machine to do what he wanted it to. The glass shimmered, and 11, 10, War, Rassilon, and the little boy appeared on it.

"We're above you!" he yelled.

M walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. "This is the type of attitude that started the paradox in the first place," she said calmly.

He pushed her hand off his shoulder angrily. "I'm also tired of your vagueness! Make sense for once!"

M stood there in thought for a moment. "Okay," she finally said. "I'll tell you who I am."

She turned to the screen. "5," she said. "Take out the note I gave you and read it."

The she looked back at 12. "What do you think M stands for?" she asked him.

12 was in a daze. He didn't expect the conversation to go this far, he had expected her to get mad and maybe yell. He absently shook his head.

"Melody," she told him.

"Hello sweetie," 5 read aloud.