Fictions Mentioned: Doctor Who/Faction Paradox, Terminator Franchise, Ben 10, Star Trek Franchise, Case Closed/Magic Kaito, Lupin the Third

Episode 8 - From Between Seven and Eight O'Clock

OP Song:

Mother - YU-NO: Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shoujo(Opening 2 Full w/ Lyrics & Subs in English)[4K]

The Doctor of War was known during his seventh incarnation as The Ultimate Chessmaster. The Expert of Xanatos Gambits. A master manipulator of both friend and foe alike, often tricking his enemies to die by their own hand in numerous uncountable ways, exploiting their hidden weaknesses as he uses it against them like a sharp double edged sword. The incarnation that laid the groundwork for the brilliant strategies and sound tactical ancient mind of The Doctor of War.

On the eve of his coming regeneration into his eighth incarnation, in one of the many Meta-Days in his own personal Meta-Timeline, The Doctor in his seventh incarnation reflects and contemplates upon how he would eventually have to fight in a War that had been going on for Eternity.

A War that stretched throughout every single corner of The Known and Unknown Multiverse.

He would eventually have to reflect and contemplate upon how he and his past and future incarnations would eventually come to fight in a War that he had no right to even know or think about, and the actions and consequences of a lifetime of difficult decisions.

One that would haunt him forever in The Meta-Future to come.

The door creaked as it slowly opened inward. The room was cold and dark, seldom used. As he entered the room, the lights flickered to life revealing a cosy study with a mahogany writing desk, several small bookcases and a stone fireplace. A potted fern and an array of souvenirs from previous adventures provided some form of decoration.

This was where the man of many faces and questions marks that was known as The Doctor would come to when he needed some form of relative time away from his many countless companions throughout The Meta-Millennia. Of course, that wasn't really a problem anymore as of late. His face begins to crumple in a sad frown that was on his ancient face. He'd been alone now for so long last he had checked in relative time. It was all his doing in half of the time anyway so he couldn't exactly complain.

His People, The Time Lords, had a superstition of a sort among many regarding his seventh incarnation. Being the exact centre of the regeneration cycle, some believed that this made his seventh incarnation much more enlightened while others thoughts that it was the reason that made him more manipulative. This superstition seems to have permeated throughout The Known and Unknown Multiverse, with many countless cultures and traditions holding the seven as a lucky number, in much the same way that the thirteenth and final incarnation had inspired the idea of thirteen being unlucky.

The Doctor would usually be on guard with regards to superstition of various and diverse sorts as each superstition is like a complex puzzle that seems to have come from multiple directions in space-time with their multiple contradictory points of origin with multiple causes and effects. As he begins to feel the very near end of his seventh incarnation, he had to admit with humility that certain aspects of the legend did ring true. He certainly didn't feel lucky though.

He knelt down beside the writing desk and pressed against a piece of wood paneling, which popped out of place to reveal a small alcove containing a thick leather-bound book.

He hefted the tome out of it's hiding spot and practically dropped it upon the writing desk. A plume of dust set sail into the air, some of it settling on his white shirtsleeves and red waistcoat. He paid no attention.

"This book is weighed down with the guilt of a million choices." he mused in his ancient mind.

He creaked open the cover, revealing the first blotchy page, covered with beautiful circular patterns that glowed with faint blue light and move about the page as if they were a work of animation. Old High Gallifreyan was one of the most beautiful languages in The Known and Unknown Multiverse. It was more than just a transcription of thought, it was actually a link to moments in time. As those circles sailed around the page, The Doctor was taken back to when this had all began. The day that he had first learned of The Last Great Time War from his multiple perspectives as the timelines were out of synchronization.

Of course, given it's very nature, The Doctor knew that he had been involved in The War throughout all of his lives. He had no doubt fought in it unknowingly, perhaps even learned of it directly. But the tricky thing about time wars is that they do all sorts of damage to creation, reality, and existence itself, what with all the mucking of space-time before, after, and in between of it all, which is one of the main reasons why The Time Lords are very isolationist unless force to step in as they usually handle their stealth operations through the various and diverse secret agencies as part of protocol. Fortunately, there existed certain natural laws that were established by His People that served to minimize this. Not to mention the security protocols that His People had no doubt put in place for emergency scenarios. The upshot of this was that any time The Doctor had been involved in The War, his memory of the event seemingly fades away due to the timelines not being synchronized.

Although, there was one particular memory that was purposely persistent. He remembered being a young boy on Gallifrey, curled up in his room and crying after another disappointing examination. He'd knew he'd never have what it took to be a Time Lord.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a strange unknown man (Read: The Eleventh Doctor) had appeared in his room, dressed in clothes which he would one day recognize as native to Earth. Most notably, a bow-tie and a purple frock coat.

He was one of the most bizarre people he'd ever met, even to this day. He'd spoken like a child and moved like an ungainly animal. He'd made the young Gallifreyan laugh. But then he'd turn completely serious and his youthful face had suddenly conveyed the toll of countless Meta-Millennia.

He'd told the young Gallifreyan that he had a problem for him to solve - a very special but complicated puzzle. He said that the fate of The Known and Unknown Multiverse depended on him to solving the puzzle.

The would-be-Doctor was scared, but the unknown man reassured him that he knew for a fact that he could do it. He explained the problem to him and told him to take his time. When the boy had asked when he'd be back to check his answer, he'd smiled and said that he already knew his answer, but that the boy would have to take "the long way round".

He had given one last knowing smile before disappearing as suddenly as he had arrived. The memory of that random encounter soon faded, but he kept on working on the problem at the very back of his ancient mind. Throughout all of his lives, he had continued working on it and near the end of each life, he would suddenly regain full understanding of the situation and be drawn back to Gallifrey. Once more, he would find himself surrounded by his fellow selves as they put their combined processing power to the test.

Then, once his part had been played, he would slip back into his own Meta-Time and the memory of that day would seem like a mere dream.

This all made so much more sense when he found out about The War.

He looked at the first entry in the diary and frowned. He remembered that day well.

"I don't know who you think you are." said The Doctor. "But I don't appreciate you using a time-scoop to wrench me out of my TARDIS like that."

He had still been new to this body at the time; still trying to figure out this new incarnation. In those early days, he had fancied himself as a bit of a buffoon and a performer, much like some of his earlier selves. He'd played the spoons, juggled and used mixed metaphors. But as the times passed by when he had eventually settled in to his new personality, he had discovered something lurking just below the surface. Something darker.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, forgive me. After all, you are a very easy man to pin down, aren't you?" the unknown woman said sarcastically. "What would you have me do, make an appointment with your secretary?"

"It couldn't hurt." said The Doctor. "I've just picked up a lovely girl by the name of Ace, I'm sure she could have pencilled you in to my busy schedule."

He was dealing with a stern unknown woman with neatly cropped white hair and a lined face - she reeked the arrogant self-importance of his race. She was a Time Lady.

"Ah yes, Dorothy McShane." said the unknown woman. "One of your more useful companions." She looked as if she had more to say on the matter, but kept herself in check.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I suggest that you leave her out of this." he warned.

It wasn't just a warning. It was a statement. It was a fact.

The Time Lady smiled knowingly, clearly knowing more than she is willing to let on.

"So how many of me are there this time?" asked The Doctor.

The Time Lady cocked her head. "I beg your pardon?"

"Well, the last time among many when I was treated like this, Borusa planted the five of me in The Death Zone in order to try and make us play The Game of Rassilon. Well, almost five of us, the one in the scarf got himself stuck in traffic as it were."

"Doctor, I can assure you that one of you is more than enough for me to deal with." she quipped. "Besides, it's this version of you that I want. You have certain traits that most of your other selves do not possess. Traits which I believe will make you more... agreeable to my plans than your other selves that I'm more accustomed to dealing with."

"Oh, really?" said The Doctor, folding his arms and leaning against the table behind him. "And what plans might that be? Care to share some light on what all of this is about? Let's start with your name, shall we?"

"My name is of no importance." she replied. "Suffice it to say that I come from a long way down on your own personal Meta-Future, from a Meta-Time of Great... Crisis. A Crisis that your successor (Read: The Eighth Doctor) refuses to be directly involved with, choosing to merely skirt around the outer edges of The Conflict. The one after him (Read: The War Doctor) has chosen to be more directly involved, but on his own terms, playing by his own rules, as he leads The Clone Troopers of The Spatio-Temporal Armed Forces (STARS). I don't know which is more infuriating."

"So what makes you think that I'll be any more helpful?" said The Doctor suspiciously. "I'd like to think that I can trust my future selves' judgment, why should I disagree with them?"

The woman smiled, knowing full-well that The Doctor thought that he was in control of the situation - the one with all the cards. How wrong he was.

"Because Doctor, our official records indicated that you are the most likely of your incarnations to join in this fight. In this life, you are renowned throughout The Known and Unknown Multiverse as a chessmaster and as a schemer - a manipulator of friend and foe alike. You enjoy playing cosmic games with your enemies, treating all those around you as pawns."

The Doctor frowned slightly at that statement that had just been given regarding his character.

"And that's exactly what we truly need in order to win this War."

"War?" The Doctor said, raising an eyebrow. "With whom?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it does." he snarled.

The woman closed her eyes and smiled.

"Old friends of yours, as a matter of fact. Or is it old enemies. Friends and Enemies of Skaro."

The Doctor's facade cracked and his eyebrows shot up in surprise, before settling back into a scowl. "Daleks." he said, drawing the word out.

"Yes, Daleks. Them and their allies among The Axis Powers throughout The Known and Unknown Multiverse." she confirmed. "And it's not just any war, it's a Time War."

"No, no, no, no." he muttered. "How could you all be so stupid? Getting caught in a Time War with The Daleks? How did you allow them to become a Temporal Power comparable to The Time Lords in the first place? No, better question. How did The Temporal Powers Alliance (TPA) allowed them to become a Temporal Power in the first place."

"We didn't allow anything, Doctor. And neither did The Temporal Powers Alliance (TPA) for that matter as they too are most exasperated about the issue just as you are and most of The Members are constantly complaining to us throughout The Senate about it to no end." she said sharply. "If you'll recall, we once told you that we foresaw a time when The Daleks would dominate all other forms of life. We sent you on a mission to do something about that." She glowered at him with an icy glare. "Do you remember how that particular mission went?"

The Doctor met her glowering gaze with one of his own ancient eyes and they each held firmly in place, neither willing to budge. Of course The Doctor remembered that mission, for how could he not? He'd been so much younger then. Back when he was in his fourth incarnation. A rebel, tired of being manipulated by The Time Lords. An idealist who believed in the sanctity of all life, even The Daleks oddly enough, which he would soon deeply regret in The Meta-Future to come.

But if he were to be completely honest to himself in particular, there'd been a bit of hubris that played part in his decision not to smother The Daleks in their metaphorical cradle. By that point, he'd grown to think of himself as something of a hero. But as he'd held those two wires together, questioning on whether he had the right, he had also asked himself another subtle question that was on the back of his ancient complicated mind.

Just who would he be without them?

What was a hero without a source of evil to fight?

In a way, The Daleks had always been presented as the perfect enemy par excellence to fight constantly in his many faces throughout The Meta-Millennia: pure unadulterated evil, deceptively cartoon in deceptively impractical design, with no redeeming, sympathetic, or empathetic qualities and quantities. Perhaps, just perhaps, as he'd held those two wires where he had envisioned a future without his greatest enemies, and found himself just wondering on what he would do without him.

Oh, make no mistake, he would have done it. He would have ended it all right then and there, and just when he was about to consider connecting the wires together, the choice was suddenly taken out of his own two hands metaphorically speaking due to a certain number of circumstances.

The Time Lady broke her gaze first, looking down.

"What is it that you want me to do exactly?" he said each word slowly and deliberate intent, each utterance weighed with subdued anger and indignation.

She smiled. "We just want you to do what yo do best. Fight The Daleks."

He stared at her for a moment. She was tough and battle-hardened, but still found herself shying away from his divine gaze.

"No."

"What?" she said, surprised.

"No." he repeated with great intensity.

"You spend your entire worth of lives bouncing through The Known and Unknown Multiverse fighting those things, but now, when it really and truly matters, you refuse? Are you really that stubborn? That petulant?" she spat.

"I fight The Daleks on my own terms." he said, his voice calm yet severe. "It doesn't matter what face I wear, it will always be the same rule. I am not your agent or your puppet. I will no doubt be fully aware of this War in due time - you've admitted as much - and when that happens, I will approach the dire situation as I best see fit to my own discretion and I would make a confident wager that many among The Senate of The Temporal Powers Alliance (TPA) would fully support and fully respect my decision on this delicate matter. Is that understood?"

She looked as though he had physically struck her.

With that, he turned his back on her and very deliberately strode out of the room.

"This meeting is over." he seethed.

He broke free from the memory and found himself back in the present, his diary in hand with his magical writing.

Of course, the genius of that Time Lady's little trick, was that she'd known The Doctor's new nature better than he himself had at that point. She'd known exactly how to get under her skin, and it had worked. He remembered how he couldn't shake his memory of that encounter out of his ancient mind. No matter how hard he'd tried to suppress it, no matter how much he'd tried to distract himself with buffoonery and spoons and juggling and ridiculous adventures and misadventures in The Known and Unknown Multiverse, there was just nothing that he could do to put it out of his ancient mind. Those dark, manipulative impulses that he'd felt lurking just beneath the surface like a slithering serpent since his last regeneration (Read: The Sixth Doctor) had latched on to the idea with thick tendrils and they were refusing to let go.

So, in the end, when all was said and done, it was he who had to let go. He gave in to that darker nature and began analyzing all that he'd learned about The Time War and he approached it anew. He began formulating A Certain Plan ("Keikaku"). Calculating. Scheming. Realizing he'd laid the foundation for the perfect strategy a half a dozen lifetimes ago in preparation for his war incarnation.

He was ready.

He closed his ancient eyes as he remembered that day at Coal Hill.

The Counter-Measures Team.

The Hand of Omega.

"Every great decision creates ripples..."

He'd thought himself so clever, fooling The Daleks into dying by their own hand.

"The heavier the decision, the larger the waves, the more uncertain the consequences..."

He'd spent a lifetime hurling boulders into lakes and drowning entire civilizations in the consequence of his hubris; entire planets obliterated by cosmic tsunamis of his own making.

But back then, he was so young and cocksure, blinded by his own ego.

He turned the page of the book and sighed as he was reminded of the aftermath unholy day. Of course, he'd soon discovered that he'd accomplished nothing of what he'd hoped. The Daleks were like cockroaches that you just can't EXTERMINATE (IRONY!). They were like a disease that could never be truly stamped out and despite his best efforts and the efforts of his allies throughout The Known and Unknown Multiverse, it wasn't long before they were beginning to spring back up again in countless numbers. Due to their infamous way of surviving against impossible odds, The Daleks would eventually be known among The Higher Races, The Temporal Powers, and The Multiple Pantheons as The Scourge of The Known and Unknown Multiverse. What was worse though was when he realized that rather than helping to avert The Time War, his actions only made it all the more inevitable... No matter what action he decided to take, The War would always come one way or another. Whether if it was through his hands or in other people's hands.

"There's no fate but what we make for ourselves."

That would be the infamous statement that he would eventually have to deal with throughout his countless Meta-Lives in The Meta-Past, in The Meta-Persent Moment, in the not too distant Meta-Future.

"You tricked me!" he snapped at the stern Time Lady with the white, cropped hair. "You knew exactly how I would react and you used your advanced knowledge of my nature to manipulate me into being your unwitting pawn."

The Time Lady had remained calm in the face of The Doctor's outburst.

That had been his second encounter with The Time Lady. She'd scooped him up almost immediately after The Shoreditch Incident to debrief him, as it were.

The Shoreditch Incident was an event in which The Imperial and Renegade Dalek Factions battled in Shoreditch in November 1963. The area was evacuated to prevent civilian casualties. At that time, The Daleks were engaged in The Imperial-Renegade Dalek Civil War. Each side tried to procure The Hand of Omega, which The Doctor's first incarnation had concealed in a coffin and consigned to an undertaker in or shortly before November 1963, so that they could gain the power of The Time Lords.

The Imperials set up a concealed transmat in the basement of Coal Hill School to transport themselves there so they could infilitrate the area without being detected. They enslaved the headmaster, H. Parson. The Renegade Daleks employed George Ratcliffe and linked Judith Winters, a schoolgirl, to their Battle Computer so her young imagination could generate ingenious stratagems to defeat the Imperial Daleks.

On 29 November 1963, The Doctor returned in his seventh incarnation with Ace McShane in tow. From his perspective, several hundred Meta-Years and counting had passed since his departure, although he had visited the village's 1985 future in the interim.

A human military force, The Intrusion Counter-Measures Group, was led by Group Captain Ian Gilmore. Dr Rachel Jensen and her assistant Allison Williams were their scientific advisors. They had arrived to investigate unusual magnetic fluctuations. The troops had a brief battle with a Renegade Dalek at Foreman's Yard. For the most part, however, the group ensured the evacuation of the area to minimise human casualties and allow The Doctor to put his plans into motion. Later The Doctor and Ace discovered the transmat and they destroyed The Dalek guarding it, but the transmat was still working and a small squad of Daleks managed to transport down from the mothership. Ace returned to the school and discovered The Daleks when she went to get her tape deck which she had left behind. She was able to fight The Daleks thanks to her baseball bat which had been augmented by The Hand of Omega, but she was trapped before the Doctor and the Intrusion Counter-Measures Group arrived.

An Imperial shuttlecraft landed in the yard of Coal Hill School. Aided by the Special Weapons Dalek, the Imperial Daleks won their battle on the streets of Shoreditch. The Imperial Daleks took the Hand of Omega, as the Doctor had planned all along. Davros, as "Emperor" of The Imperials, plotted to detonate the second sun of The Daleks' Homeworld Skaro, making it go supernova, and giving The Daleks the power of unlimited time travel. In The Imperial Daleks' Meta-Time Zone, he did so. This action, however, destroyed the planet and the Imperial fleet. Although, The Dalek Prime Emperor later reversed that destruction in a subtle manner when he swapped Skaro at the last second with another planet, Antalin, that was destroyed in it's place.

On Earth, the Doctor talked to the last Renegade Dalek, The Black Dalek Leader, into self-destructing. However, Judith Winters, the young girl linked to his mind, was broken mentally for the rest of her life, something that he moved him deeply into regret.

The Shoreditch Incident became an early battleground in The Last Great Time War when Dalek agents had duped Susan Foreman into returning to 1963 and retrieve The Hand of Omega only for The Doctor when he was in his eighth incarnation to intervene and ensure The Incident played out as it should.

While engaged in his machinations during the Shoreditch Incident, The Doctor in his seventh incarnation meets an old Time Lord "acquaintance" who was the same person who assigned him on that covert mission to Skaro alongside Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan all those many Meta-Millennia ago. This same person now warns The Doctor of a planned counter-strike by The Daleks which was part of a trans-temporal campaign against Gallifrey and their Allies which was called The Pa-Jass Vortan, Dalek word for Time War. When The Time Lord also warns him that The Daleks are using a bio-mechanised Slyther to track something important to The War, The Doctor becomes concerned for The Hand of Omega device he is hiding. Enlisting The Time Lord's unwilling aid in tracking down The Slyther, The Doctor borrows a hearse and some clothes from the undertaker looking after The Hand's casket; he and The Time Lord then lure The Slyther to an electricity substation, where they manage to electrocute the creature. As The Time Lord departs with The Slyther's charred remains, he warns The Doctor of the eventual oncoming storm of the Time War, to which The Doctor paid heed to that warning and held it close to both of his ancient hearts.

"Come now Doctor, I did no such thing. True, I may have planted the seed in your head, but you'd be lying to yourself if you said that you wouldn't have made the same decision regardless."

The Doctor didn't react, save for the tiniest micro-expression that suggested that there was truth to those words.

She offered a sly smile. "You've given up, haven't you? Finally stop pretending that this version of you is the same old Doctor you've always been. You've given in to the darkness bubbling below the surface, and that wasn't me, it never was. You were always destined to be the proactive Doctor. The one who, as the humans would say, cleans house."

She took a few pointed steps towards him, confidence and condescension filling her stride.

"You're The Doctor who finally grew up. No more bumbling around The Known and Unknown Multiverse, bouncing from crisis to crisis under the guise of a hapless hero. No, you take your fight to your enemies. You draw your own battle lines, looking down on The Known and Unknown Multiverse from your little blue war room, moving the unwitting combatants into position so they can fight or die for a cause that they may never even be aware of."

She stopped just a few inches from his face and they locked eyes in a gaze that was more intense than most supernovas.

"That was always you, Doctor." she smirked. "I just hoped to use you for a greater purpose."

She turned her heel, satisfied that she'd made her point.

"Sound plan." said The Doctor rather calmly. "Except for one crucial detail."

She stopped and turned back to him. "Oh?"

"Destroying Skaro didn't circumvent The War did it? As a matter of fact, it was one of the major events that caused it in the first place. What's more is that's how it's supposed to happen. Correct?"

Her face trembled for a moment as she tried to maintain her facade of strength.

"Ah, there it is." smirked The Doctor. "So that's it then. You didn't know, did you? You honestly thought that if you set me after The Daleks, that if you nudge me into committing genocide, then that would snuff out the spark that would ignite The War. But you never bothered to do your homework, did you? No, of course not, you're a Time Lord, arrogance is your Achilles Heel. So you never bothered to check, never saw that you'd actually set me on a course that would ignite The War, not prevent it, just like back then on Skaro all those Meta-Millennia ago. Because destroying Skaro was one of the major events that was always what sparked The War, wasn't it? WASN'T IT?!" his temper had been slowly building until he practically barked the last question with emphasis.

The Time Lady shifted uncomfortably and furrowed her brow.

"It's not that simple and you know it! By it's very nature, it's practically impossible to trace The Origin of The Time War which had multiple simultaneous origin points across The Meta-Histories of both Our People and The Daleks. Causality lies in complete and utter tatters, with both sides claiming that the other fired the first shot. You've been entangled with The Meta-History of those despicable creatures for so long, you'd never even know if you were truly the one who was responsible for setting The Dalek's sights on Gallifrey. The Daleks having allies among The Axis Powers in The Known and Unknown Multiverse had only further exacerbated the complicated matter entirely."

The Doctor rested both of his hands gently upon his umbrella and stared out at her from beneath his Panama hat.

"You're like a guilty child, trying to shift the blame." he grumbled. "You yourself brought up the fact that The Time Lords had recruited me to destroy The Daleks at their Genesis. I suppose that was all a part of The Gallifreyan War Effort? Or is it The Allied War Effort I suppose since I wonder how The Senate would react to all of this blunder that Our People had done? I can very much imagine that many of The Members were not too very pleased about this. Now stop deflecting and explain properly on how it is you never seem to realize that I'd always been destined to destroy Skaro?"

She shook her head, her jaw clenched, but then she froze for a moment and her body sagged, as if all tension had just been released from her body. The Doctor was taken aback by how exhausted she suddenly looked.

"You don't understand what it's like out there, Doctor. The War... The Meta-Timeline Zones throughout every known and unknown corner throughout The Known and Unknown Multiverse are in complete and utter tatters. The Meta-Timeline Zones of The Meta-Past, The Meta-Present, and The Meta-Future are all bleeding in and out and seeping into one and each other. The Time Locks that we and our allies among The Temporal Powers Alliance (TPA) have establish could barely hold and keep everything in place as various and diverse leaks had managed to get through despite all of our efforts. The Web of Time (The Spiral Politic) and countless Orderly Structures of Meta-History throughout The Known and Unknown Multiverse have become so utterly frayed and tangled that it's become almost completely impossible to see anything clearly anymore. Entire galaxies and entire universes are blinking in and out of existence while worlds that were once non-existent are born as empires in the blink of an eye which allows The Daleks and their allies among The Axis Powers to gain even more allies for their own Axis War Effort. With so many frayed and splintered Meta-Timelines all falling in on themselves, it has become almost impossible to track what is or what was or what could be. I've seen Skaro fall in no fewer than a half a dozen possible and impossible ways just as Gallfrey has fallen as nearly as one too many times to infinity. Earth itself has been replicated so many times in order to be used as bullets that were to be fired across The Faceless Children of Horrors. The Known and Unknown Multiverse had stopped making complete sense a long Meta-Time ago Doctor, or maybe it never did. So excuse me if I was unable to trace every thread of that tangled ball of chaos and insanity that has been happening everywhere and everywhen."

The Doctor didn't say anything, he'd just stared at her with that crumpling frown of his. Then he turned his back on her and walked away...

The Doctor closed the book and sighed heavily. He remembered vowing to himself that this was the very last time he'd allow himself to be a puppet for The Time Lord's war. Of course, that turned out not to be true.

He looked down at the book and ran a hand over it sadly. Time and time again he'd found himself getting caught up, entangled, and dragged into The Time War in many of his lives. Sometimes he'd been prompted by The Time Lords but most of the time he'd just been unable to help himself. Oh, to Ace and Hex and all the others they were just random adventures and misadventures, and sometimes they were. But there were many countless times, known and unknown, when there accidental landings had been fully intentional, as he'd set about making subtle movements, almost imperceptible, that would go on to have a devastating ripple effect.

"Every great decision creates ripples..."

Though, this time he'd been fully aware of exactly how each and every single one of these ripples would act and react. He'd kept that war diary in order to keep track of his machinations and remind himself of all he'd done. Time Wars were notoriously tricky and he couldn't risk forgetting. He needed to remember, and perhaps it wasn't just for strategy's sake. Perhaps there'd been a deeper reason.

One of them being that The Daleks having allies that is all grouped together as The Axis Powers of The Known and Unknown Multiverse.

As far as he knew The Daleks in any Meta-Era that he came across, he'd knew that they would never ally with anyone in any ordinary or normal circumstances since they would always deemed themselves as the supreme beings, pulling various and diverse Xanatos Gambits in order to play the long game being the exception to the rule. But these were not just any ordinary or normal circumstances.

He'd ultimately dreaded the fact that The Time War would eventually spread throughout every corner of The Known and Unknown Multiverse. Not just The Prime Universe of N-Space. With many Greater and Lesser Time Wars throughout The Known and Unknown Multiverse getting caught up in it's wake.

Time Wars such as but not limited too:

1.) The Time War which is a conflict in a certain multiverse cluster that involves multiple known and unknown players such as but not limited to: The Chronian Eon, The Time Beasts, The Rogue Chronosapiens, with Maltruant at the helm, with the timeline of every single version of Ben Tennyson, especially The Prime Version of Ben Tennyson from The Prime Universe, becoming far more complicated than it should have been which is being dealt with as of late by his old friend Professor Paradox.

2.) The Temporal Cold War which is a conflict in a certain multiverse cluster that was fought between several time-traveling factions, each from different points in time, and each attempting to manipulate history for its own benefit, in violation of The Temporal Accords which was an interstellar treaty signed after the development of time travel, prohibiting the use of the technology for changing history. It was in force by the year 2769. The treaty permitted time travel only for the purpose of scientific research, and set forth rules and procedures as to how to do so without contaminating the timeline. Each of these time-travelling factions opposed one another in their attempts to gain dominance over the timestream, and often used proxy powers to carry out their missions. They were opposed by a group of temporal agents from the 31st century, who attempted to protect the integrity of the timeline. This was a conflict that his old friend Q has had to deal with as of late alongside his fellow Q, A Member Race of The Temporal Powers Alliance (TPA), due to the constant circulating rumors of unknown players that should not even be involve in this Time War in the first place such as the dreaded Faction Paradox.

3.) The War Against The Machines which was a conflict in a certain multiverse cluster that was fought between humanity under the leadership of a man named John Connor and the artificial intelligence that was known as SKYNET in many countless timelines. This conflict was a major headache among the many Members of The Senate of The Temporal Powers Alliance (TPA) due to the multiple contradictions that seem to seeped through to different universes that are not even connected to their own multiverse cluster and as such, Higher Races and Temporal Powers such as The Time Lords, The Xeelee, and The Downstreamers being among countless many have been continually and constantly petitioned to step in on this very complicated manner that could result in a problem of known and unknown proportions and significance.

If his ultimate fears have been realized and The Daleks would have the nefarious intention of stepping in to these Greater and Lesser Time Wars, and knowing The Daleks, they would not waste this nefarious opportunity that was presented before them in order to recruit potential allies, gain valuable resources and strategic points, he knew that it would eventually result in a very grave violation of countless multiple spatio-temporal treaties among The Higher Races, The Temporal Powers, and The Multiple Pantheons regarding The Spatio-Temporal Laws of War that had been established among The Senate of The Temporal Powers Alliance (TPA).

The Spatio-Temporal Law of War, otherwise known as The Spatio-Temporal Laws of War in plural form, is the component of Inter-Universal Law that was established among The Senate of The Temporal Powers Alliance (TPA) that regulates the conditions for war (jus ad bellum) and the conduct of warring parties (jus in bello) throughout The Known and Unknown Multiverse. The Spatio-Temporal Laws of War define sovereignty and nationhood, states and territories, occupation, and other critical terms of Inter-Universal Law between the various and diverse multiverse clusters in The Known and Unknown Multiverse. Among other issues, The Spatio-Temporal Laws of War address the declarations of war, acceptance of surrender and the treatment of prisoners of war; military necessity, along with distinction and proportionality; and the prohibition of certain weapons that may cause unnecessary suffering. The Spatio-Temporal Laws of War is considered distinct from other bodies of Law—such as The Domestic Law of a particular belligerent to a conflict—which may provide additional legal limits to the conduct or justification of war.

He'd ultimately dreaded the fact that The Daleks even have allies to begin with. He'd ultimately dreaded the fact that he would have to face those allies eventually somewhere in his many faces down the line. Who in their right ancient mind would side with them of all races in existence who's sole purpose is the complete and total annihilation of all forms of sentient and non-sentient life?

"Many of them." The Doctor thought rather grimly as he could unfortunately think of a few races and pantheons that would ally with them for their own nefarious purposes and benefits.

But as he'd stood there in the depths of his infinite miracle of a space-time ship, on what he could feel was the eve of his next regeneration, he was painfully aware of just how old, ancient, and alone he'd become. What had all that led too? What good had it done him? All the lies and manipulation, where had it left him? A sad old man with nary a friend in the world.

He looked around at his faithful ship.

"What's the point of being bigger on the inside, when I'm the only one here?" he mused solemnly.

Even Ace, who had stood by him for so long and forgiven him for so much, even she had reached her breaking point. He'd watched as she'd left and he hadn't done a thing about it, just like he'd done with all the others. Mel, Hex, Klein, Chris, Roz, Raine, Benny... so many friends left hurt and betrayed, too many to count.

Although there were a few others such as Yusaku Kudo and Yukiko Kudo Née Fujimine who would always be there to welcome him with open arms of familial comfort to his ancient hearts no matter which face he wears throughout The Meta-Millennia, even with him of all people. They always were the most special among his many companions throughout The Meta-Millennia in much the same way as Ian and Barbara were to him. They always were the most kind, the most brilliant, and the most understanding of his companions. They were one of the very few who he would never use as pawns unless he would be given permission to do so for their own safety. He should really make it a point to visit them eventually when his next regeneration has been settled in. Which reminds him, he should definitely visit their son Shinichi Kudo seeing as he really deeply missed his young godson as he was present during the delivery of the boy alongside Yusaku and would nurture him ever since due to seeing his unlimited potential for greatness as he knew of his godson's personal future to come and made A Certain Plan ("Keikaku") in order to prepare for it accordingly and with interest. Maybe he should also stop by at Interpol HQ while he's at it where he gets to meet up with his old friend Inspector Zenigata in order to exchange a few drinks for old times sake while talking about his continued escapades with Lupin The III and his crew of misfits.

It would be different next time. This new life would see his slate wiped clean and he'd start afresh.

He closed the book with a thud.

No more would he view The Known and Unknown Multiverse as a chessboard, now he would see it as a canvas. A canvas featuring the most exquisite work of art ever conjured by the imagination. No longer would he treat his companions like pawns to be positioned in the name of winning the game at large, from now on they would be friends and he would take them by the hand and run ever forward to show them all the wondrous beauty and divinity that The Known and Unknown Multiverse had to offer.

He'd dropped the war diary in a waste paper basket and then retrieved a box of matches from his bigger on the inside pocket. He struck one and watched as a flame sparked to life.

There would be no place for Time Wars in this new life. At least, not right away. The Meta-Day would come when he'd have no choice but to face the fires of war head on, but until that Meta-Time of Meta-Times comes, he was going to enjoy life by doing what he always does best. Seeing The Known and Unknown Multiverse, fighting monsters in all shapes and sizes, getting up to a lot of constant mischief of the cosmic order, all with a smile of idealism and a friend by his side.

He'd used his oncoming regeneration to expunge all memories of The Time War and erase all traces of this darker, more manipulative nature he'd acquired.

He'd dropped the match into the waste paper basket and watched as the war diary ignited with a hiss, his ancient face bathed in the golden glow of the flames.

He'd be funny again, charming, brave, hopeful, optimistic, and filled with the kind of wonder that he hadn't felt in Meta-Millennia. Who knows, maybe he'd even be a little cheeky. Romantic even.

However he turned out, he would never abuse the trust of his friends again and would value all sentient and non-sentient life, known and unknown, even that of his many countless enemies, just like he always did no matter what face that he wore in accordance with The Promise of The Name. He'd be The Doctor he once was once again.

He turned and walked out of the room, leaving the last memories of The Time War to burn behind him.

But...

Little did he realize that his darker, more manipulative nature would later serve as the groundwork for the darkness that he would eventually have to unleash once more, to his ancient sorrow and grief.

For when he eventually becomes The Doctor of War, all of the personalities that he had acquired in his multiple faces throughout The Meta-Millennia of The Meta-Past would eventually be needed as he would stand on the ready as he fights on the front lines at the heart of The War alongside his fellow members of The Multiverse League of Extraodinary Gentleman and Ladies and his Clone Troopers of The Spatio-Temporal Armed Forces (STARS) against The Daleks of Skaro and their many countless allies among The Axis Powers.

ED Song:

Kono Yo no Hate de Koi wo Utau Shoujo YU NO Ending 2 Full

Character:

The Seventh Doctor - A: Sylvester McCoy

The Eleventh Doctor - A: Matt Smith

The First Doctor (Child) - A: William Hartnell

TV/EU Reference:

** The Day of the Doctor (TV story)

** The Five Doctors (TV story)

** Genesis of the Daleks (TV story)

** Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)