Chapter 25: Epilogue

They ran inside Clara's room. The Doctor went into a secret drawer and pulled out an elixir.

"Doctor, what's going on?" Clara asked.

The Doctor handed over the elixir and said, "Please just drink this."

"Why? What does it do?"

"Something that will help you understand what I went through. The message cube, going to Tibet, my meditation, the Time War, and what may happen to both of us."

"Are we in danger, Doctor?"

"No, but it may hold the key to the survival of the Earth and the whole universe. Please Clara, drink it."

Then, Clara took the elixir and after one gulp, she fainted. The Doctor caught her fall and placed her on the bed with blankets to cover her. Then, the next day, Clara woke up with no memory of what transpired these past few days.

"Doctor, what happened?"

"Oh nothing my dear, we just took a slight detour before taking you home. You were very tired after you saved me on Trenzalore and for that I am very thankful."

"Okay, then. Let's not waste time. I have a class to teach," said Clara.

The TARDIS de-materialized outside Clara's flat. It was very late at night and the Doctor walked Clara home. Before they said their goodbye, Clara hugged the Doctor one more time and kissed him on the cheek. Clara then went back to her flat and fell asleep.

The Doctor went back to his TARDIS, closed the door behind him and de-materialized into the Time Vortex. While traveling through the Time Vortex, the Doctor gathered every artifact relating to the unveiling memories had these past few days: the cube, the letter, and now his elixir. He put these in a black vault hidden somewhere in his own large library. The Doctor then walked over to a stand where the Time War book was placed. The Doctor opened it up and to the very last pages and spotted a letter tucked inside.

He pulled the letter open and stared at it. This is not any ordinary letter, the Doctor thought aloud. It's a psychic paper. The Doctor did not who or what put it here. It could've been part of the Time War book at all and it could've been placed there as some sort of reminder on lessons to be learned from such a war. Instead of words dribbling on its white surface, it was of moving pictures showing what he had to do to ensure the salvation of Gallifrey. The Doctor put down the book of the Great Time War and picked up a textbook on Quantum Mechanics. He returned to his console and began to read. He went through a few chapters and got so bored by its dry content that he fell asleep again only to wake up the next day to send an invitation to Clara for their next adventure.

Many years later…

It had been many years after Clara Oswald was no longer the Doctor's companion. The Doctor continued on his adventures across space and time, battling the return of his arch nemesis the Master who took on the identity of Missy in female form. He went on the search to find Gallifrey and found it through the help of new friends and his strong aptitude in intelligence and ingenuity. The Doctor tackled new monsters, new enemies and untold mysteries inhabiting the universe. He even survived the first siege of Trenzalore on Christmas Day, received a new set of regenerations where took on many forms later in his life.

However, this will not be the last time he came to Trenzalore. Centuries later, the Doctor in his new body was on a mission to rescue his lost companion who was captured by his new rival, calling himself the Judicator. Nothing known about this individual other than his petulance in despising the Doctor and everything he stood for. The Doctor searched everywhere and with the new help of new friends, he received message from his missing companion on a faraway planet.

The Doctor along with his new allies re-materialized the TARDIS on the Planet's surface. The Doctor went outside seeing a nearly dead world of dried rivers, tall rising hills, and dark covered mountains due to geological processes on the planet, and a dark blue sky. The Doctor and his armed friends looked around to find his missing friend. The searched went as far as 50 meters away from the TARDIS. The Doctor walked through a forest charred by an ancient fire that occurred years ago on the planet.

The Doctor continued in his search until he has found what appears to be an abandoned town. The town looked familiar. There were homes and modeled like those on the Christmas planet the Doctor been too. A planet that always snowed with Christmas trees and mistletoe propping up everywhere. None of that was present in this forsaken town.

Then, in the middle of the town square, the Doctor saw his missing companion strapped to stone pillar. The Doctor called to his friends to come over and free his companion. The Doctor's friends caught up and one of them ran over to the pillar and found something painful for the eyes to see. The Doctor quickly ran by him, wondering what's going on. The Doctor came to the pillar and saw what was left of his companion.

The Doctor's missing companion was already dead. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver to scan for the cause of death for his deceased companion. There was strangulation. The Doctor enraged with this murder, yelled out for the Judicator, demanding his presence.

Then, the lights turned on from the rooftops of the abandoned homes with their beams pointing straight onto the Doctor and his armed friends. The Doctor asked what was going and soon he got his answer.

"Well, Doctor," a man in a brown coat stepped out from the shadows of the derelict homes and came within visible vision of the Doctor.

"I'm glad to see you," the man went on.

"Judicator! What's the meaning? My friend is dead. You murdered her!" The Doctor yelled in accusation.

"Yes, I have. I murdered your companion in the same way you murdered countless innocent lives throughout the universe. And it's about time their vengeance has come to bring judgment upon you," the Judicator replied and multiple ships appeared uncloaked in the skies above. Ships ranging from the Daleks, Cybermen, Judoon, Sontarans, Autons, Axons, Sea Devils, Ice Warriors, etc. flew across the skies, readying their weapons to attack the Doctor.

The Doctor shocked with this ambush looked at the sky and his surroundings. His allies draw their weapons up and guard the Doctor. "Do you have any last words?" asked the Judicator. The Doctor, then asked, "What planet is this? And who are you really? I keep bumping into you wherever I go."

"Well, Doctor, since you are going to die anyways why don't I just spill the beans? This planet is Trenzalore, hundreds of years later after your first bought with death and where the Time Lords gave you an extra set of lives. I am called the Judicator because I am the one who brings judgment and that judgment is death. In case you are wondering who I am, take a guess. Why am I holding this seal from Gallifrey, a new Gallifrey under the new administration of the same Lord President who prescribed me orders to bring your doom?"

"What?" the Doctor shocked with the revelation. "How's that possible? I am the close friend of the Lord President after rescuing Gallifrey out of that pocket universe many ages ago."

"That is right Doctor, but in case you have not realized. The Lord President is part of a political faction to execute any remaining renegade Time Lords who are running amok across the universe and bringing trouble to our civilization. No more we stand idle and have our skies littered with filth that Time Lords like you bring. The whole of time and space needs order and we can't allow renegades like you to spread chaos. We have already captured the Hermit and the Monk. We brought them to trial and have them executed. Rani was found dead in her personal quarters on a distant planet, taking her own life in order to spare the lives of those who claimed to use time travel for peaceful purposes. And also the Master…boy…that one is so elusive he took on various bodies, male and female and of different heights and sizes. In case you have not realized, despite the four drums no longer in his head, he always have an appetitive for control and power in order to ensure the preservation of himself, you, and anyone he deems worthy above the Time Lords. Good thing we captured him and have him tortured and killed."

The Doctor can't believe the existence of such a campaign to bring down people like him. The Doctor fired back, "How could you? Have you not realized that I am one of the nicer renegades always looking out for everyone and bringing peace and balance throughout the universe?"

"Then where were you while we try to stop the Master? Hmm…I warned the Lord President that there comes a time when the Doctor would either not be there for us or bring us doom. That's why before killing the Master, we were able to probe his mind to find you and set out a series of events to bring you here."

"Then why did you murder my companion who did nothing wrong, but bring goodwill?"

"She's an accomplice and any accomplice currently running around with the Doctor should die," the Judicator answered and went on, "We Time Lords re-wrote time just so you live to save Gallifrey from its misery. But, re-writing history only delays the inevitable, Doctor. As the Judicator, I shall you grant your sentence and your sentence is death."

One of the Doctor's armed friends pulled out his gun and fired at the Judicator. But, the round went through only a hologram. Soldiers using the spotlights on the Doctor and his friends also opened fire. The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to create a dome-shaped shield blocking the rounds and allowing his friends to fire back.

Then, the siege of Trenzalore had begun. The Doctor and his forces were outnumbered, but has advanced technology to beat back the invading force. During the fight, a strange figure appeared in the shadows offering his assistance to the Doctor. The Doctor asked for his identity, but the mysterious warrior only brought out a sword and his metal hand. The Doctor knew who the person was and could not believe it. It was the Altar from the prior time line.

"Altar, what are you doing here? How did you survive?" asked the Doctor.

"After I collided into that temple, the energies still in that temple had somehow had transported me to various time lines. I was phasing through alternate histories of the Time War. When you activated the moment, a white being came over and allowed me to jump from one time line into this one. From then on, I began my search for you since the Moment told me you'll be right here and since you were my creator long ago, I swore an oath to be there for you till the very end."

"Then, its good having you back Altar," the Doctor gave a quick hug to the Altar and returned to the fighting.

They made their last stand on top of hill. Much of the Doctor's armed warriors already fell to their death with only the Doctor and Altar standing side by side. They both fought the Judicator to tooth and nail. The Judicator used the art of deception and the mastery of manipulating the elements to his advantage. Then, at one moment, the Doctor entered his TARDIS in hopes to find another weapon. Instead of a weapon, he has found a piece of metal penetrating into his stomach and saw the Judicator in front of him. The Judicator camouflaged his presence as a way to sneak up behind the Doctor and entered the TARDIS.

The Doctor succumbed to his wombs before signaling his friend the Altar to lay the final blow. The Altar using the Sword of Oblivion entered it in the back of the Judicator and withdrew it out for a beheading. The Judicator's head fell off. Before hitting the floor, both the Judicator's head and his body dissipated into nothing. The Altar ran over and held the Doctor by his side.

In his dying breath, the Doctor revealed to the Altar that he's approaching his end. He's at his last body and he had to die, so his prior self and his special guardian will come to his very place to complete a time loop. With the Doctor's additional instructions, the Altar understood and began preparations to bury him.

The Altar carried the Doctor's body outside and revealed it to all of his enemies that he has fallen. The Altar placed the Doctor's body on a funeral pyre and watched his body ablaze. Then Altar used a device to retrieve his temporal essence. After assembling the TARDIS to be the Doctor's tomb, the Altar placed the device on the floor of where the console once stood. Upon activation, the time scar manifested itself as a one stream of electricity strung around with each other with one main stream, perfectly straight from the ceiling of the TARDIS room to the floor.

As part of the conditions laid out in the aftermath of the battle, the Altar agreed to bury all the dead who fought in this Siege of Trenzalore. The Altar also agreed to go with the Judicator's squad of Time Lords to return to Gallifrey where he stand trial and be terminated as part of the policy to remove all renegade Time Lords and their associates from the universe.

Over time, the TARDIS lay abandoned and decayed. Vines native to the planet covered the interior of the TARDIS. Hidden away somewhere in the TARDIS lies a box, containing a series of eulogies the Doctor had for all of his companions, including one of his most faithful and influential companion his life, Clara Oswald, Clara Oswin Oswald, Oswin Oswald, Oslin, and lists of other names the Doctor remembered during his encounters with her echoes. The eulogy praised his love, his appreciation for everything Clara had done for him, and his gift to her upon his death, was the chain of events, leading her to him.

My Impossible Girl,

For so long you've been gone from my life, I wish you nothing more than the life you always have with me. You have been my inspiration, my mentor, my friend, and someone if things permitted someone I deemed as my equal and significant other. Your destiny is entwined with mine and I always appreciate everything you have done for me and guiding me to who I always will be, the Doctor. My gift upon you if I were to die is the very beginning on how you came to my life during my exodus from Gallifrey and to the first day we met at your flat. I have helped you to become more than you ever imagined and the same you did for me.

Farewell Clara. Farewell My Impossible Girl.

The Doctor

Author's Note: I want to thank to all my readers, reviewers, subscribers, and those who have favorited this fanfic. It's been a long journey. It was all started out as a simple prompt on some tumblr website about an 8th Doctor / Clara Oswald Time War adventure that lead into what supposed to be a short story into more of a long epic adventure from start to finish. It took me about nearly two years to finish, starting from the conceptual and preliminary writing stages during when Series 7 of Doctor Who was on our television sets (March to May 2013) through the writing and publishing stages of the middle chapters during the 50th anniversary (November 2013), the Christmas Special (December 2013), during the airing of Series 8 in 2014, and now the final chapters as of April 2015. I have been receiving some messages whether or not the Time War that the Doctor saw in his mind was all a dream or something else. As I have responded many times before after uploading the previous chapter that it can be interpreted either way. It could've been a dream or it really did happen. There are clues and hints in the chapters that can lead to either one theory including this epilogue if you read it very carefully. I'll also be uploading some Appendix chapters (like that found in some Tolkien's books and Frank Herbert's Dune series) that goes more in depth on some of events that were mentioned and/or implied in some of the chapters. I might re-read the prior chapters just to correct any grammatical/spelling errors found. Just so they're much easier to read for everyone. On another note, I will be taking a long break from writing any sort of fan-fiction and once I do return, it'll probably be a series of one-shots or short-fics on Doctor Who or any other popular franchise out there since this has been the most longest and biggest writing project I have ever done since my first attempt on fan-fiction back in the year 2000.