Chapter 2
The Doctor fell to the ground as she stepped out of the Barrier. She felt as though she had used a Vortex Manipulator rather than her trusted TARDIS. The sudden shift through space and time without a proper shield left her slightly disoriented. She needed a moment to gather herself. As she did, The Master stood in front of her, glaring down on her with a smug look on his face.
"Look upon my work, Doctor."
The Doctor adjusted her eyes to see what he was referring to. Behind The Master stood the burning remains of their home planet. It was exactly as she had seen in her last few visits to Gallifrey. The once beautiful orange sky was tainted with smoke. The air was riddled with ash. The Capital, which at one time held the mighty Time Lord Citadel, was nothing more than a flaming black ruin. The glass dome melted. And as usual, not a single living soul in sight. No matter how many times she saw the ruins of the planet she worked so very hard to save, it still left a devastating pain in her hearts.
"Remember how we used to run through the streets as children?" asked The Master. "The alleys we would use to hide from Borusa as we skipped classes?"
She did remember those streets, those alleys. They were so alike back then. No wars, no betrayals, no deaths. Just the two of them getting into all sorts of mischief. Those were better days.
"All gone now."
He sounded so pleased.
How? thought The Doctor. How could all this death and destruction please him so much? What was the point? And why here of all places?
He looked at her.
"Come on," The Master sneared. "Ask mey why I did this."
She looked at him, eyes full of emotion.
"Why?" she asked.
"'Why' what?" asked The Master.
"Why did you do this?"
"Not telling you." He laughed.
This enraged her. How dare he laugh at her! At this! How could he treat all this death and carnage as a joke.
"Proud of yourself?!" She asked.
"Definitely." He replied.
"All this death has finally made you happy?"
"Ecstatic."
She was getting tired of this.
"And has it finally calmed all the rage inside?" she inquired.
The Master smug look fell. He then looked at the burnt ruins with a far away look in his eyes. The Doctor knew that look. She had seen that exact look on herself when she was so lost in her thoughts. The fact that she saw it on her best enemy's face was almost uncomfortable to her.
"I doubt anything will ever do that." he answered.
The Doctor gazed back at the ruins. She didn't have time for this. She had to get back to her friends. She knew Jack was able to take care of them, but still she wanted to be there. She wanted to be there for Ryan to mourn Graham just as she had been there when they lost Grace. The poor lad needed her.
The Master looked at the Doctor. You're trying to find some way out of this, aren't you, Doctor? he thought. Why wouldn't she be? Was she worried about her little human entourage? But you can't leave, Doctor. Not yet. Not until I show you the truth.
"We're going to take a tour through the Capital", said The Master. "Or its ruins, at least. There's something I need to show you. And I know that you want to get back to your friends- you're plotting an escape even as we speak, I can see it in your eyes. Let me just say I have no interest in them right now. If I wanted to kill them I would have done it at the Barrier."
The Doctor wasn't surprised that he knew what she was thinking. They had known each other for 2014 years, so they could practically read the other like a book.
"Come along, Doctor." The Master began moving to the Capital.
"If you've got something to say, just say it," said The Doctor, "I don't have time for your childish games."
"What I found can not be told." replied The Master, not even bothering to look back. "Only shown. You have to see the truth with your eyes in order to realize why I did what I did."
This piqued The Doctor's interest. Was this about the Time Lords? What could they have done to have deserved this level of destruction?
With very few options, she followed him to what remained of her home.