The Weapon
When the Doctor woke, he was looking up into the concerned faces of Romana and Koschei. Relief flitted across their faces before they helped him to stand. In the corner, Rose sat on the golden box. She was chewing on her thumb, watching him. He assumed it was a nervous gesture.
"I didn't realize that touching her would have that reaction. It seems that she was a facet of myself. Touching her completed the circuit and rebound her to me."
"So does that make you the Consciousness of the weapon?" Rose shook her head.
"Not exactly. But in a way, yes. It's complicated, Doctor." The Doctor smirked.
"That's usually my line. So explain it to me."
"Had I not come here and merged, she would have directed you to the best course of action to either destroy or save Gallifrey. But since I am here, there is no real need for her. I'll be doing the same thing here. There's no need for basically the same entity to be present."
"So the Moment was a piece of you?"
"Yes. I vowed to keep you safe, Doctor. Especially in your darkest of times."
"What...what do we do now?"
"We stop this War."
~DW~~DW~~DW~
Koschei, Rose and the Doctor loaded the golden box into the TARDIS. Romana, Leela and Andred had followed them, making sure the way was safe. With the Daleks attacking the city and all their hands full, protection was essential. After securing the box, the Doctor turned to Romana.
"Come with us."
"I can't, Doctor. Someone has to try and persuade Rassilon not to go through with this mad plan of his. I still have some sway in the Council. Leela and Andred will be missed soon if I don't get them back. Arcadia has fallen, but the Capitol still stands tall. We will protect it and hope for a miracle."
"Well, Romana, that's my specialty. Miracles and Impossibilities." Romana pulled the Doctor close, hugging him tightly.
'Your Wolf is strong, Doctor. Trust her instincts. She won't lead you astray.'
'I promise.'
'As for Koschei...let Rose deal with him.'
'He's one of my oldest friends, Romana.'
'True. But he's also one of your oldest enemies. He's wronged many people across the ages. I believe Rose has a plan to help him atone for his sins. Let her.'
'I'll try.'
They separated and Romana joined Leela and Andred. The trio turned their backs on the Doctor and began heading towards the small craft that brought them here. The Doctor sighed, not wanting to continue on this journey. He was never cut out for all out War and it's beginning to take it's toll. He startled slightly as Rose's hand slipped into his. Koschei clapped him gently on the shoulder. The three turned slowly towards the TARDIS.
~DW~~DW~~DW~
They took turns carrying the box to a remote location. Time had been reversed, reset, and reverted so many times that TARDIS' were having a difficult time landing on the surface. Only the surface teleports were working, but even those worked poorly. The best bet was to hoof it wherever you needed to go, whether it be on foot or in a vehicle. They had opted for on foot.
The location the Doctor had picked was literally in the middle of nowhere. Deserted. The perfect place to bring about the destruction of their world with hopefully no interference.
Eventually, they came upon a worn down shack. It was solid enough to keep most of the wild animals out, but it obviously had some wear. It was just as well. They didn't plan on being here long.
Koschei dropped the box in the middle of the shack and stepped aside, huffing slightly. Even with superior strength and a respiratory bypass, the Moment was heavy and required effort to move. Even more so than what was normal for a Time Lord. And they had carried her such a long way.
Rose looked at the box and pursed her lips. Finally, she looked up at the Doctor.
"I know this War has raged on for what seems like eternity. And I know you think the only way to end this is in total destruction. But my price for being involved in this is your knowledge. I want you to know who you turn into after you kill them all. Because that is my price. You destroy everyone, you will have to live on. And one horrible night you will count exactly how many perished. Men. Women. Children."
A pained look crossed the Doctor's face but he nodded his head. He would do anything to end this and he knew that Rose had the power to do this, if given the right incentive. With a wave of her hand, a portal appeared above their heads.
"I'll stay here and make sure the box is safe."
Rose and the Doctor clasped hands. As they were about to step through the portal, a bright red fez dropped at their feet.
"Alright. Wasn't expecting that."