The Doctor was busying himself with the consoles as he tried to get a fix on the Ice Warrior ship. With so many different vessels spinning about, it made it more difficult than it should have been for the Tardis to get a proper lock on it. He knew that it was an incredibly risky move, with the Martians normally being the sort to shoot first and ask questions later. Now he came to think about it, that description could be applied to the majority of races across the universe, which is why the job he did would always be necessary, even if he would one day grow tired of it all. He was hoping that, before they shot him on the spot, he would be able to reason with them. He'd managed it before so it was definitely possible, his mind going back to the time when he and Clara had been stuck on a Russian submarine during the Cold War. The Doctor thought, after so many years, he had grown to be a somewhat nifty diplomat in a pinch. He'd need all of his skills to succeed and he had to do so - it was likely that any chances they had were relying on this going well. No pressure then.
They'd made a quick stop in America, the Tardis being able to locate its younger self despite some rather loud grumblings about the process. River and Brian had asked if they could join their family there regardless of the fact that it would involve facing the Daleks. It had led to an awkward conversation between the two as River had been forced to explain to him that she was, in fact, related to him after he had started asking a number of personal questions. They doubted that his mouth was able to hang even lower than it had been, his brain unable to form a coherent response to this shocking news. He was waiting for Rory and Amy to confirm it, just to be on the safe side, but he'd still surprised the usually unflappable woman by giving her a warm hug as the Tardis set off.
The Doctor dragged his eyes away from the screen, hoping that his ship would be able to deal with the heavy lifting as it normally did, and let them rest on Clara. She had been worryingly quiet since he'd decided to do this, hardly saying a word to him or anyone else. He knew what it was about. He could only imagine how hard it was for her to cope after seeing that man again, that face. From the very beginning of this latest regeneration, he had been able to see how difficult it had been for her at first to accept it had happened. It had taken time and they were now in a very good place, probably the best he had been in for a while. But that didn't mean that she was completely over it. River had been useless as well in helping him deal with it, not wanting to tell him what the two had spoken about. He couldn't tell whether that was because Clara had promised her to stay silent or she just wanted to mess with him like she so often did. He casually strolled over to her, placing his hands softly on her shoulders to spin her around. She tried to hide the look of shock on her face as she looked up at him with wide eyes. He smiled reassuringly at her, wanting to make this as easy as possible for her to say what was troubling her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice resonating with concern. He knew that it was a stupid question since he already knew answer to it but it was a good way of starting the awkward conversation.
"...yeah, yeah. I'm fine," she mumbled dismissively, the Doctor not buying her pretense for a second. "It was just a bit of a shock, you know?"
"I think it was more than just 'a bit' of a shock. How do you think I feel? I'd finally managed to move on from that silly face and then it pops up again like a sore thumb." He tried joking to make her feel better but he saw his attempts fail.
"I never thought that I would see him again. I know that I've seen you interact with past versions of yourself but...I never realised that it could be...him."
"You can't tell him anything. He doesn't know who you are yet." Fresh tears made themselves known in her eyes as she tried to blink them away.
"How can you be so sure? He wouldn't have seen me on screen. Maybe…"
"The jacket. I know for a fact that I'd stopped wearing that before I first came across you. It's not a moment that I'm ever going to forget."
"I...loved him. I actually...truly...loved him. And I never told him. Sure, we flirted. A lot. But he probably just thought that it was harmless banter between friends." The Doctor frowned as he started looking at the floor, moving away from her because it hurt too much to hear her say something like that. He had always known that he couldn't compete with his younger self when it came to the beautiful woman he travelled with. He'd entertained the notion that it wasn't the case after that kiss, after her admissions. But he'd obviously been wrong. Maybe he was just the second best option. Or third, after Danny. Hope was always going to be the thing that killed him in the end.
"He didn't see it as that," he finally said, not meeting her eyes as he used the console to hide himself. "Trust me, I'd know." Clara wiped away the few remaining tears as she slowly stalked around the room to be able to see him properly.
"What are you saying?"
"To him, you were the greatest mystery worth solving. You were a complex conundrum wrapped up into a petite body." She fought the blush that rose on her cheeks at the semi-compliment. "Whatever feelings you had for him, just know that he...felt the same." She was now standing in front of him, not quite believing what she was hearing.
"Why didn't he say anything?" It was so much easier to answer the question when he was pretending that it was another man.
"He was scared. Terrified. Imagine loving so much and losing it all. It'd make anyone cautious to make that same mistake."
"Is it truly a mistake to fall in love?"
"That ultimately depends on the person. Even if it was a mistake, it didn't stop him from making it yet again. And he fell as hard as he ever had when he saw you." She grasped his hand, fumbling with his fingers to distract herself from the intensity of his gaze.
"You said that you're the same man, underneath it all. And I believe that. It hurt to lose him but I was rewarded by getting you in exchange. But...if he loved me...does that mean…" She knew that they had kissed, hinting at what he felt towards her. He had basically said as much in a roundabout way, never wanting to open up completely, but she wanted him to say it, needed him to admit it. The Doctor pursed his lips, seeing no way out of this. Maybe it was time to open himself up to the potential pain once again. Maybe it was better to live and love and hurt rather than hide away from what truly mattered.
"Clara Oswald...could you ever doubt that my feelings for you would change just because I changed my body?" She grasped him in the tightest hug she could manage, almost taking his breath away. Looking up at his face, seeing the nervous smile that was on it, she placed a tender kiss on his lips, losing herself in how good it felt.
"I love you too, Doctor," she whispered, inches away from him. She'd never said it out loud before. Those three words that made it all so...real. Recently, she had said everything else, made it clear what her true feelings were. He had struggled to believe that it was true but she had just said it. Out in the open. He could no longer deny the fact that had been eating away at him for years. He loved Clara Oswald with both of his hearts. He allowed a large grin to spread on his face, twirling her around in a rare show of affection. The Tardis let out a few gentle noises, as if to say that she was happy that her two idiots had finally gotten it out of the way. It had been a painful and tiring journey to get to this point, likely her most excruciating one to date and that was saying something. "Look at you all happy! That doesn't happen much. I haven't seen you this ecstatic since Christmas. I wonder what's happened…" Clara sang with a cheeky grin.
"Oh, I wonder. You wouldn't think that we're facing a massive threat. Because I know that I can do this with you by my side, Miss Oswald."
"Please...don't call me that. I'm not at school right now."
"I thought you said that you were my teacher, Miss Oswald!" She rolled her eyes, her confidence incredibly high after his admission.
"Is this some sort of fantasy that you have, Doctor? Because, if it is, I'm sure I can arrange something once we've dealt with this." She laughed loudly, not caring if it wasn't the most attractive of sounds, as she saw how flustered he became. It was far too easy to embarrass him. He couldn't even get annoyed at her because he was so happy. It was unnatural in this body but it just felt so...right. It was a shame that his good mood inevitably had to come to a premature end. The screen flickered into life, fading away from the coordinates he had previously put in. They didn't notice it at first, too distracted with teasing one another, until the old woman who had appeared cleared her throat loudly in an impatient fashion. Clara, flushing a bright pink, untangled herself from his arms whilst the Doctor scowled deeply as he recognised who had managed to find him.
"You've finally begun to show your true years," she said, although there didn't seem to be any insult intended with her words. "Well, on your face. From what I just saw, it seems that you still have an unnatural amount of life left in you. I would be envious if I allowed myself to feel such pointless emotions."
"Ohila," he greeted in an icy fashion. The Doctor still didn't trust her completely. It was possible that was down to the fact that she had helped him turn himself into the Warrior. Or it could have been because the Sisterhood of Karn were simply a creepy bunch of people. He preferred the latter explanation. "What do you want? How have you even found a way of putting your old, withered face on my delicate Tardis screen?" She did her best not to show her annoyance at his insults. Not because they exactly hurt her but because she was tired of him always acting like a fool when he was anything but that.
"Does it really matter how I'm doing this?"
"Usually, when someone avoids a question, it means that they don't want to divulge answers."
"Or they would rather you focus on what is the more pertinent question." The Doctor rolled his eyes, already bored with playing her games.
"And what's that?"
"Why am I contacting you?" He shrugged his shoulders, glancing at Clara with a face that told her he really wasn't bothered. She had to resist the urge to laugh at how dismissive he was towards this woman.
"I'm sure you're about to tell me."
"I'm calling you from Gallifrey." The simple answer resulted in an angry cloud to form over his face as he stepped closer to the monitor.
"What business do the Sisterhood have for being there of all places?"
"It has always been our duty to observe the universe. To maintain a semblance of order, especially when it concerns your people."
"You've been doing a pretty poor job of that lately, I might add." This time, they could both see her bristling. Her patience was quickly running out.
"Regardless...we saw it fit to closely monitor this situation. You'd just escaped before we arrived."
"And you're calling me to what? Convince me to return?" Clara was worried that he was going to be taken away from her yet again. She wouldn't stand for it this time.
"Completely the opposite. I understand that you have a grasp on what is happening but I thought it prudent to make it clear to you how dire this could become."
"The harbinger of bad news. Hey, there's a new nickname for you!"
"Will you take this seriously?" she barked irritatedly.
"Of course I am! You don't have to tell me how bad it is because I'm the one who has to sort it all out. As usual!"
"Rassilon becomes more unhinged with each passing moment. He is driven solely by the hunger for his return to ultimate power. The War changed him for the worse. He became corrupted, blinded by the honour he earned fighting in the most gruesome of battles. When you add to that the whisperings of the Masters, then you will realise what lengths he will be willing to go to."
"I have met the man. You're telling me things I already know. Have you been able to see what the Masters are doing?"
"That's the thing. Even Rassilon appears to not know completely what their plans are." That was news he didn't want to hear. "The young yet old one stays on Gallifrey, working away on his machine. The other two have vanished. I presume you will be coming across them very soon."
"How can you just lose two people?" Clara asked. Ohila looked visibly annoyed at her getting involved, thinking that it wasn't her place to do so, but she answered anyway.
"Not lose. Rassilon sent them away to stop you from interfering with their plans. They're just not reporting back as to how they plan to accomplish this." It was just another hurdle that they would have to negotiate eventually. He was now wishing for a time when it was just a simple invasion to deal with.
"You said that there was still one on Gallifrey. What's he up to?" the Doctor queried.
"That's the most troubling part. It's being kept very secretive, even from the Lord President. From what I can tell, they plan to use the scrap Tardises buried beneath the planet's surface to create a large enough time field to charge the Citadel." The Doctor frowned once again, trying to piece together that bit of information. It definitely didn't sound good, that was for certain.
"That's...preposterous!" he moaned. "It sounds like they're trying to...oh no."
"What is it?" Clara worriedly asked him, not liking the look on his face.
"From what I can tell, it's almost as if they're trying to swamp the Citadel with artron energy. There's certainly enough of the stuff there for them. They're going to turn the capital into a sort of massive Tardis! Literally fly Gallifrey through the rift! The calculations would take years to figure out though!"
"Then it's good for them that they have three of them spanning centuries," Ohila reminded him. The Doctor grimaced. He'd used that loophole before.
"I just feel like there's still something you're not telling us," he said, looking pointedly at the old woman. She wouldn't normally give into his intimidation tactics but she was speaking to him for a reason.
"There's a reason that Rassilon has grown to be so impatient to restore Gallifrey to its former strength. There is a...prophecy." The Doctor theatrically rolled his eyes. "Do not dismiss it so quickly. The technology and capabilities of the Time Lords, regardless of their predicament, means that it is sensible to take stock in their predictions."
"Why's he so scared about something that might not happen?"
"It talks about the destruction of Gallifrey itself. A creature born of two warrior races is destined to walk amongst its wreckage. A Hybrid creature. One that will go to the extreme to ensure its survival. It's fair to say that he isn't taking this...lightly."
"Why should I care?"
"Why else? He's adamant that the prophecy concerns you. You've certainly made yourself known to put the needs of the planet below the needs of everything else."
"Because their needs are usually stupid at best. But...that's nonsensical! If he hasn't noticed, I haven't been procreating with a Dalek lately. Not even a Cyberman!" Clara raised her eyebrows, hoping that was the case.
"What about your precious humans, Doctor?" Ohila asked with a sly smirk. That made him stop. "There's no greater force for expansion than the human race. They'd definitely be considered a warrior race. So much blood on their hands, even at such a tender age." Again, the Doctor was unwilling to think it was a possibility but he couldn't quite look Clara in the eye. Why was this happening when they were just beginning to grow close?
"I haven't been having a load of Time Lord/Human children though! I think I would know about it."
"Are you really sure about that?" Clara said with a grin, knowing how forgetful he was.
"Remember, Doctor," Ohila spoke up. "Prophecies do not need to be literal in the end. The unification of two people of two races? That could be a possibility."
"Why are you even telling me all of this? Surely you'd rather keep me in the dark?" The Doctor was now questioning her as he didn't want to think about this silly prophecy any longer. This time, she seemed nervous, as if she was considering her next words carefully.
"The Sisterhood of Karn have always tried to guide Gallifrey or, more accurately, the Time Lords. This isn't right. The planet should return one day but the time is not right. You have been a royal pain in our side for a long time, Doctor…" He winked playfully just to annoy her. "...but you are probably the one person who can stop them as well as ensuring this prophecy does not come to fruition. Well, I should say there are three people at the moment who could do this…"
"How did you know about that?"
"We are always watching. We have helped you in the past. We were always going to notice when you made the grievous error of subjecting the universe to three of you at one time."
"You're so kind."
"And don't you forget it." The Tardis chimed to remind him that the Ice Warrior ship was now close. The brief distraction made them both look away from the screen, only to see that Ohila's face had disappeared when they looked back. He really hated how mystical she could be at times although she had been somewhat helpful this time. There was always going to be a time when that happened. The Doctor doubted that it would happen again anytime soon. He wanted to think about this prophecy for a bit longer but knew that he now had more pressing matters to attend to. He nervously glanced at Clara, who immediately picked up on his worry.
"Hey, where's that usual excitement you have when we're about to board a ship?" she asked. She was disappointed when he didn't return her smile.
"It's not that. What if I do have a role to play as part of this Hybrid...thing?"
"Doctor, I know you. You wouldn't destroy your people. I've seen you actually change the past to avoid that from happening. Trust me."
"But what if I had to? What if I needed to save someone...maybe Earth...and the only way to do that would be to get rid of Gallifrey? What if I had to save you? I'd do anything…"
"That's sweet but unnecessary. You won't resort to that because you always find another way. Always. You've never allowed what other people say to define what course you take so don't start now. I'm warning you. I won't be happy if you start second-guessing everything you do. I'm not afraid to use force if necessary." He didn't doubt for a second that that would be the case. He was sure that he still carried a lot of bruises from where she had attacked him in the past.
"I guess you're right," he admitted reluctantly, moving to the door. He looked back to see her arch an eyebrow in challenge. "Fine. You are correct. Happy?" She sidled up next to him with a smile.
"You couldn't possibly know how much."
"Oh, I think I do." The grin he sent her made him look so much younger and she wished for nothing else other than to see that more. "But now it's time to focus. Stay behind me at all times. The Ice Warriors usually take some time to listen to reason and, if they start shooting, it's best that they hit the one person who can regenerate." She hit him on the arm, not wanting to think about the possibility of losing that face. It was by far her favourite.
"You don't need to protect me."
"Duty. Of. Care," he growled before he moved to leave. The Tardis had landed in a sort of amphitheatre, it seemed. A loud, indignant roar sounded across the large as they slowly emerged, their eyes wide as they took it all in. The cold, green cauldron of noise was surrounded by rows upon rows of the creatures, all bearing their teeth and snarling at the unwelcome guests. The Doctor made sure to check that Clara was okay despite the intimidation tactics; she sent him a small smile in response to tell him to focus on what was important. They both stopped as one of the Ice Warriors stomped towards them. Its helmet was different to the others that they could see, encrusted with small, glimmering jewels to show its high rank. Before he got too close, the Doctor put his hands up in a peaceful gesture, Clara doing the same. "By the gods, Claatris and Tuburr! Look! We're unarmed. We do not want to cause any of you any harm. Is that understood? We come here only to speak with you." The humanoid reptile made no attempt to move closer, which they took as a positive sign. "If I may ask, who am I speaking to?"
"Grand Marshall Voldair," it answered in a low whisper, accentuating the s's.
"It's a great honour to meet you, isn't it Clara?" She was taken by surprise by him roping her into the conversation but she readily nodded her head.
"Yes...yes, it is. The highest honour," she managed to say.
"Will you return the favour? Who dares board our ship without permission? Some would be eager to declare this an act of war."
"No, no, no!" the Doctor urgently said. "I'm the Doctor and this is Clara." She gave a little wave. "Like I said, all we want to do is talk to you all."
"The Doctor," it repeated, as if it was making sense of the name. "That title shows itself throughout history." Voldair menacingly stomped closer, practically leaning over him. "A Time Lord should know better than to show himself before us! We are only here to destroy your people. I am, though, lenient in nature so I shall give you one chance to plead for your life." This wasn't going as well as the Doctor had hoped.
"Whatever you may think, you know that I'm not with them. I don't want them here just as much as you do. What they're trying to do threatens a lot of people I like so I'm trying my hardest to stop them. Believe me." The creature waited a second before inching back slightly.
"So then, why do you come to us? If what you say is true, you should be figuring out how to keep your promises."
"The planet below is under my protection. If you have heard the stories about me, then you will know what happens to those who dare try and take it from me."
"Threats, Doctor? I would deem you brave if your stupidity did not outweigh your bravado."
"Not a threat. A warning. That's all. A mere heads up between pals. I don't want to see any more killing than has already taken place and that includes on your behalf. This has to end."
"What do you come here to ask then?"
"Three attacks have already begun. Earth has no chance of stopping them but this is not their fault! But you can help me put an end to this madness. The Sontaran ships are currently undefended. If you were to start attacking them now, they would have to retreat, saving millions of lives in the process." Voldair scoffed as the crowd laughed coldly around them. They obviously thought that it was an absurd thing to do.
"You want us to go back on a deal we made to help save the universe? Our honour would never recover from such an open act of betrayal. Why should we even consider such a proposition." The Doctor had been expecting this question.
"Mars," he simply said. That got their attention. With their collective eyes focused on him, he began to move around the circular stage he found himself on. Clara knew that he was secretly enjoying this. "You probably don't know the full extent of what the Time Lords have planned. They want Gallifrey to return here, yes. You knew that already, which is why you're currently here. But the way they plan to do this would bring about so much damage in the immediate area that this entire solar system would be wiped out. Sure, you probably factored this in. The cost of war if your ship was to crumble. But you didn't realise that your home planet was on the line. You may have left it centuries ago but that doesn't mean you want to lose it. You may move house but you don't want to see it demolished the next day. If I can't stop them, Mars will be lost forever, taking whatever frozen colony that may remain." There was uproar as he finished.
"How does this relate to us attacking our allies?"
"Even with my amazing skill set, I can't do two things at once. I can't fight a war and stop the Time Lords. Please. If you can stop them, I can find a way to stop my people before it's too late for everyone." Voldair looked around at his people, who were now unusually quiet as they waited for his decision. Clara stepped forward this time, hoping to seal the deal.
"Grand Marshall Voldair, if I may speak." The Ice Warrior slightly nodded his head to allow her to talk. "Did you have family on Mars?"
"...we all did. Every member of this colony has distant relatives who perished on the home planet."
"Do not lose their final memorials. Do not let their honour disappear forever." The Doctor was worried that she was antagonising him too much but the alien appeared to be not getting too angry.
"You are not a Time Lord."
"No, I'm human. And I don't want to see my home burn and I believe that you feel the same way. The Ice Warriors are a noble race. Show them how it is done." After a moment of deliberation, Voldair stretched out his arm. They had expected it to go in the direction of the Doctor but, instead, Clara found it pointing directly at her. Hesitantly looking at the Time Lord, who gave her an encouraging nod, she grasped his cold hand tightly and another mighty roar rang out.
The Master was muttering under his breath as he ran a wearied hand through his white hair. He frustratedly walked around the messy room, looking at the central marble column that seemed to rise up into the never-ending black void above him. He was right underneath the Citadel, the column being the primary support structure of the building. He'd transformed the base of it into a mish-mash of Tardis controls, the only thing able to properly conduct the power he wanted to manipulate. Nothing was working as it ought to, which was the main reason behind his anger. The other reason was that the two future versions of himself, the two idiots, were able to go off gallivanting, whatever that entailed. It was only Earth that they were on, a pitiful planet compared to the ones he had seen. Compared to the ones he had watched burn. He had to admit that he was enjoying being away from them, focusing on this important project. Even that fool Rassilon had no idea what the true details were.
He prised open another grate in the floor, dragging out glowing cables that hummed with the energies of the Tardises underneath. The floor was littered with other cables, the Master having to make sure not to trip over any as he stomped about. None of the ones he had used so far worked properly, not channelling enough artron energy purely to make it feasible for it to traverse the height of the Citadel. The problem was that there were only one or two combinations that would work and, with so many of the damned things, it was taking forever to find the correct pairing. He had to find it. Gallifrey deserved to be back in its original reality, especially when so many inferior planets still stood, mocking their demise. He had struggled to believe that something could happen to it like that, having thought it was destroyed for good since he'd been fighting there in the local galaxy when it happened. Being trapped, powerless, was probably even more of a dishonour in his eye.
Spurred on by the hope of the planet regaining its rightful prestige, knowing he would be seen as its saviour so would be able to remove the President, he connected two cables, sparks flying out as they came together. He wiped his hands down as he dropped them to the floor, already feeling the process starting through his fingertips. Almost instantly, a golden glow began to spread around the massing of wires, wrapping around the circumference of the room he'd been working in. The panels and computers lit up, emitting whirring sounds as if an engine was being powered up. This was going to be the greatest engine ever seen, after all. It was working. He yelped out in glee as the energy surged out further, dazzling him with how bright it was. He was a god! Controlling this power, melding existence into what he thought was right and just.
"It's working! It's actually working!" he shouted, beginning to laugh crazily, a deep chortle. He moved about quickly as it began to connect with the plinth in the centre, tapping on scattered keyboards to make sure the readings were as he expected. Everything seemed even better than he had hoped. The rogue artron energy was combining itself with the very heart of the capital as his calculations had predicted. Even from his vantage point, he could make out how it was embedding itself, imbuing itself with every brick, every piece of glass, every building block that composed the Citadel. It snaked around the console, him banging it a few times with a hammer. Not because it helped but because he was so excited. "Just you try and stop us now!" Those pesky, unimportant creatures waiting for them to break through would have no idea about the horrors they would be subjugated to. After all of the effort he had put in, there was hope at last. Fizzing and crackling, the energy continued its climb, reflected in his wide eyes. He knew where it was going, heading for the tallest spike to act like a receiver. No...an emitter. "Let's just see what we can possibly do with this." He nonchalantly pulled down a lever, groaning heavily as he did so, which would begin the process. The rift would grow stronger, more stable. Then they would emerge. The time of Gallifrey, made anew in his image, was upon them.
