Summary – The impossible astronaut. The Lake of Silence. And a great man's last few moments.
Disclaimer – Stephen Moffat, Russell T. Davies, The BBC, etc., etc. own all. Not mine. Just playing with them.
Pairing/Characters – The Doctor (11), Melody Pond
Song – "Carry on, Wayward Son" by Kansas
Author's Notes – Another play/write-through, though this one took a bit longer.
Rating – PG for character death.
Dedication – Thought this one could use a bit of dedication. This is for all my followers – well, that's not quite right, actually. This is for all the PEOPLE on Tumblr, really. Every single person I've had the pleasure of interacting with on that website so far has been incredibly nice and supportive, and I just thought I'd throw this little beauty out to them. And of course, all the people who reviewed "Dinner". You don't even know how happy that made me. I was literally jumping around and squealing every time I saw a new review alert in my inbox. And, lest I forget, this is for all my gang. You know who you are.
He'd been running for over eleven hundred years…running from what, he didn't know. Just running. But now it was time to stop. Now it was time to come home.
He'd invited his friends—no, that wasn't quite right. They weren't his friends. They were his family. He'd invited his family to witness his death. It should have been wrong, but looking back on it, he wouldn't have had it any other way.
He saw the astronaut rising from Lake Silencio, and he knew it was time. Time to die. Time to rest. Time for the next adventure.
"Whatever happens now, you must stay back," he told them. River was the only one who truly understood. Of course she did; she'd lived this. Now, she was going to watch her younger self kill him. "You mustn't interfere."
His steps were slow, but sure. When he'd reached the edge of the lake, he faced the impossible astronaut. It raised its visor. A look of understanding washed over his face. "You are forgiven," he told it. "Always and completely forgiven."
It raised its arm and fired. He was knocked to the ground with the force of the shot. He pushed himself back up, trembling violently. He could feel the beginnings of his regeneration cycle. Looking down at his hands, he saw the all-too familiar golden glow. The astronaut aimed and fired again.
His last thought before the darkness claimed him, before the last of the Time Lords was snuffed out of the universe forever, was that he was glad. Glad he had stopped running. Glad that he faced down this…impossible enemy. Glad that he had people that cared for, respected, and loved him there. To see him go.
He fought the darkness back, just for a moment. Just long enough for him to see them running towards him. River pulled her gun while she ran, firing uselessly towards the sea; Rory looked on, his medical training completely worthless in this type of situation; and Amy gathered him into her arms, sobbing helplessly.
Inwardly, he smiled. River was shooting at her younger self; Rory was trying to help; and Amy, poor little Amelia Pond, she could only watch as her best friend was destroyed right in front of her.
Silence has fallen, he thought. They're safe. They're all safe.
And then, with that final thought, the last of the Time Lords was no more.