Defeat of Evil

The Doctor came round squinting in the bright light of the Thoruxan sun and feeling severely hungover. The first thing that occurred to him was that he wasn't dead, either that or passing into the afterlife was more painful than he had been led to believe. Slowly his vision began to return to normal and an image in front of his face became clear. He blinked several times in surprise. It was a drawing, drawn by stubby fingers using a paint that was liable to run and onto a rough, scaly surface, but that wasn't what was surprising. It was an image of a man pulling his trousers down and showing his bottom to audience.

"You are awake," a voice said.

The Doctor realised that this image was painted on the flat neck of a Bok, by looking up he spied the head of the Salazar that bore this image. It was Chieftain Arbohk.

"That's your symbol?" he exclaimed. He grinned from ear to ear. "That was why Xkitor recoiled, one of the Spawns saw that and he recoiled in shock." He sat up and started to boom with laughter.

Looking around he saw that Arbohk wasn't the only one stood over him, the twins were stood at his side and Singh wasn't far behind them. "What happened?" he asked.

"The Spawns all suddenly keeled over," Arbohk replied, his neck folding back in on itself, "some shouting for Doctor to stop it, whatever it is you were doing, then they were completely immobile. We were returning to you to see what was happening and we saw Xkitor ascending into the sky, with you hugging his front. Singh took it upon himself to help you."

The Doctor felt his neck and found that there were still tentacles wrapped around it. "Thank you Singh," he said. "What became of Xkitor after I was released."

"He ssscreamed," Lihn said.

"Then he disssappeared in a flasss," Rihn supplied, "and when that disssappeared he was gone."

The Doctor sighed with relief. Xkitor had indeed activated his self destruct as intended, finally the evil that had haunted him since the start of his journeys was dead. And yet he had survived, he had half expected himself to be killed in the process but here he was, alive and well.

"Some are saying he has ran off to the spirit dimension to regroup and lick his wounds," Arbohk said. "He will be back, just like the last time."

"No he won't," the Doctor replied. "He's dead this time, for good. But let them believe he'll return if they want, it will be nice to have at least one false prophecy in the universe." He jumped to his feet. "Casualties?"

"We lossst Ekhan," Singh said.

"And his bottom licker, Rajeev," Rihn added. "That tribe doesn't have a Bok now."

The Doctor looked at Singh carefully. "No one to become Chieftain," he muttered. "Unless you decide to change the rules of course. Singh would make a good Chieftain."

"No, he isssn't a Bok," Lihn exclaimed. "Only a Bok can be Chieftain!"

"Not really up to you is it," the Doctor pointed out. "Not up to me either of course, it was just a suggestion." He turned to walk off but paused briefly. "Oh, and there is the issue of the Thoruxans, you're going to have to sort out your new relationship with them, work out new borders or intermingle." He shrugged and started to walk off again.

"Wait," Arbohk called. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know," the Doctor replied with complete honesty, for once he wasn't tied down to a specific place he needed to get to. "I may go Gumblejack fishing, canoe under Pont d'Arc, sit on a beach of black sand, ski down Olympus Mons, eat a perfectly cooked steak with chips and mayonnaise. It doesn't matter, I'm a free agent again, I can do whatever I like. But I am never coming back to Thoruxa Medio, you are on your own now, don't mess it up."

And with that he turned and strolled away.


As he wandered back through the town the twelve previous Doctors appeared around him and started to applaud.

"Well done young man," First said with a smile.

"I knew you wouldn't let us down," Clown added, clapping him on the back.

This pattern continued, with each incarnation congratulating him in turn, until they came to the Twelfth Doctor. Previous was the only one not to applaud, he just stared sullenly as at the Doctor, not reacting to any of the others. This was not missed by the Doctor, causing him to not fully appreciate the others.

"Did I displease you?" The Doctor asked.

"What gave you that impression?" Previous asked.

The Doctor indicated the other eleven who were still enthusiastically clapping. Previous shrugged. "You weren't perfect," he said. "You almost died several times with no obvious way to save yourself. It was complete chance that Arbohk chose to reveal his symbol to Xkitor at that moment, and Xkitor may not have reacted in the way he did."

"Yeah, I'll give you that one," the Doctor nodded. "I had completely given up until then."

"And you did faff about with the Commune for a bit long," Previous continued.

"You're nitpicking now," the Doctor complained, "I did still defeat Xkitor didn't I?"

For the first time since he could remember his previous incarnation smiled. "That is true, you did defeat him in the end. Six out of ten."

"Only six?"

"Just my humble opinion," Previous said, "I'm entitled to one as much as anyone else."

The Doctor smirked in amusement. "None of you are real," he said with a giggle, "I'm discussing my adventure with figments of my imagination."

"That is correct," the third Doctor said. "You have indeed gone mad."

"Positively bonkers," Eleven added.

"Life wouldn't be much fun if I was sane though," the Doctor said. He spotted the dwelling where he had hidden with the Thoruxans, a few had come out into the open. His previous incarnations disappeared back into their private domains as he approached them to deliver the same message that he had given to the Salazars.


"Same thing I said to the Salazars, Xkitor is gone and won't be returning," the Doctor said. "It is now up to you to decide what it is you need to do to fix your society. You can return to your state of shunning the Salazars if you so desire but I wouldn't advise it. The Salazars fought to save you all and you would not be wise to forget that."

Ireenha nodded thoughtfully. "Will you stay and help for a while?" she asked.

"No, Broxa and I are going to leave," he replied.

"But we need you."

"No you don't," he replied, "my work here is done. This is your planet for you to do with as you wish, just don't mess it up." He walked past her before she could say another word and ducked down into the dwelling. "Ready to go home Broxa?"

She looked up at him from the seat she was sat on. "I hear you almost died," she said matter-of-factly.

"That's correct," he nodded.

"If I had been there it wouldn't have happened," she snarled. "What would I have done if you had died? I can't fly the TARDIS, and I'm pretty sure no one else here can."

"But on the plus side you would have finally been able to eat that tongue that you have wanted for so long," the Doctor replied.

"That's not funny!" she shouted leaping to her feet. She tottered for a moment before falling forwards, luckily the Doctor was quick enough to catch her. She looked up at him looking very miserable.

He looked into her eyes and rubbed her cheek tenderly. She winced due to her sunburn. "I'm sorry, that was insensitive," he said simply. "Can you walk at all?"

She shook her head. He nodded and scooped his arm under her legs to lift her up as if she weighed no more than a feather, it still surprised him how small and light she was. "Let's go," he said.


"Home sweet home," the Doctor said as they came into the street which the TARDIS was in.

It was strange not to see a blue police box after all these years, but on the other hand it would be useful to have a working chameleon circuit once more. It was slightly disconcerting the way it had suddenly fixed itself, however, especially as it did so to take up the shape it had taken on his first adventure. Was his longest serving travelling companion trying to tell him it was time he stopped?

He pushed the thoughts from his mind, no point in dwelling on the past.

"There you are," a voice exclaimed, "I have been waiting for you."

He turned to the source of the voice and found the man who had been with Usahn when they had first arrived. "Waiting for us?" He questioned. "Why?"

"To reopen the brothel of course," Johan replied.

"It isn't a brothel," the Doctor said with a sigh.

"You can deny it all you like," the Thoruxan insisted, "but what else would be hidden inside an old 40s light stick."

"Oh alright, it is a brothel, then," the Doctor sighed.

"Good, can you let me in?" Johan asked hopefully. "I haven't been to a good brothel in ages and if your whore is anything to go by it will be very good."

The Doctor perched Broxa on the base and pulled the key out of his pocket. "Members only I'm afraid," he said with a smirk.

Johan watched as the Doctor opened up the door and helped his female companion through. Not willing to be out done he sprinted for the door and put his hand on it before the Doctor could close it behind him. Pushing his way in he was completely unprepared for the spectacle that confronted him.

"Theta Sigma," he breathed. "It's bigger on the inside."

"Get out!" The Doctor shouted. He roughly manhandled the Thoruxan back out of the door, Johan was too overwhelmed by the sight to put up any resistance.

"How much to become a member?" He shouted back at the Doctor after being deposited on his backside.

The Doctor gave no response, simply slamming the door behind him. A few seconds later the light began to flash in time with the familiar grating noise of the TARDIS dematerialising. A huge gust of wind swirled the sand up causing Johan to cough and splutter, when it calmed the old 40s light stick was nowhere to be seen.

"Usahn's never going to believe this," Johan said eventually, a smile slowly forming on his lips.


End of Part Seven

Author's note: that is the end of this story, just one final chapter to act as an epilogue.