Chapter 7:
Hesimika was beautiful, that was Lucy's first thought as she stepped out of the TARDIS into the snow covered forest. She looked around, awestruck by the soft white snow that was falling around her over the tall trees. As she looked up she noticed they were taller than any trees on Earth that she'd ever seen. Snowdrops fell over her and she became aware than she was wearing a short sleeve top.
"It's not cold?" she commented, making it a question, and looking at the Master in confusion.
"It's a different solar system to yours, everything's different." The Master replied, "So yeah, here the snow isn't cold."
"Oh," Lucy said and nodded as if it explained everything.
"Come on, we can't see Grysten from here," the Master said and pulled Lucy along. He pulled her right out of the forest and up a pure white hill, before stopping and pointing up.
Lucy gaze followed the Master's hand and saw it. Grysten looked like a blue dot in the sky, it looked about the same size as the moon looked from the Earth. The Master dropped down onto the ground, lying down and looking directly up, "It's starting, if you look closely you can see it, it's just starting to break up."
Lucy slowly move to lie next to him, looking closely and seeing, as the Master had said, the planet starting to break up. It started slowly, small parts of it breaking away and after just a few moment it exploded, blue rock parts floating in space before they burst into atoms and disappeared. Lucy gasped, the sound small and slightly amused.
The Master grinned, appearing mesmerised by what had just taken place, his eyes fixed on the area of space where Grysten had been just moments before.
Lucy sat up slowly and looked at him "You were right, you know."
The Master didn't move his gaze from the space, feeling the drums quietened by the destruction, "How so?"
"There is something beautiful about the destruction…" Lucy admitted, a hint of regret in her voice. "But that isn't right."
The Master sat up and faced her, "It is. It's all the universe is, little Lucy, it's all pain and destruction. It's all right to see the beauty in it because if you don't there'd be no point in anything."
"It shouldn't be beautiful," Lucy moved her gaze away from him, looking down at her lap, a single tear falling down her cheek, "Hundreds and thousands of people just died and I thought it was beautiful? That's not right. Maybe for you it is, but I'm human, this isn't normal, this isn't right."
"Trust me, Lucy, it may not feel normal but that's only because it's so different. Humans, you're so sheltered and you live your lives so safely but you're different to them. You're seeing the universe in a way they never could, you're seeing the bigger picture." The Master told her, "You can see the truth in it, you're seeing the pain and the suffering and the destruction and the hurt, you're understanding it. And you're seeing the beauty in it which you have to. You have to Lucy, because if you don't you'll fall apart."
"I guess…" Lucy agreed, clearly unsure.
The Master moved and put his arm around her, "I'm glad you understand, Lucy. I'm not a bad person, it's just the way the universe is, I'm so glad you can see it my way now."
Lucy didn't reply for a while, she just lent against him. Eventually she said, "It's sad though…"
"The universe is a sad place, Lucy. That's why you've got to make the most of what it gives." The Master replied simply. "I know I keep saying it, but it's true, it's all about the pain and the destruction, but there's one more thing."
Lucy moved her head to look at him, her face a question mark.
"There's one more thing I think makes it worth it," the Master continued, meeting her eyes "Revenge. Vengeance. Before you made the decision to stay, when the drums were bad I said a lot of stuff to you about the War, I doubt any of it made sense, I doubt you can remember much of what I said, so I'm gonna tell you about it again. But I don't want you to think any differently of me."
Lucy nodded and gave him the chance to explain.
"My planet was at War, a Time War involving all the mayor species of the universe but primarily my people, the Time Lords and the people of Skaro, the Daleks." The Master moved away from Lucy, staring into empty space as he spoke, his voice was calm and controlled if a little emotionless. "It was the most horrific war in the universe, I can't explain what it was like and even if I could I wouldn't. I hate even having to think about it, it's that bad. Because it destroyed my planet, my planet is literally no longer there because of that War, because the only way to end the War was to destroy everything. I had to destroy my planet."
Lucy stared at him wide eyed, but there seemed to be a level of understanding in her expression, "That's why you took me to see Earth destroyed."
It wasn't a question and the Master didn't treat it as one, "But there was one Time Lord, one complete and coward, he called himself a hero, he goes around acting like a saviour. But he's the worst of them all. He's a traitor and a coward, he ran away. He left the War, he didn't even try to help Gallifrey, he didn't even try. He made out he cared, at one point I actually thought he loved me but then he ran. He left me there to fight in that war on my own."
Lucy stayed quiet, knowing it was best not to make the comment she was thinking, maybe he was scared?
The Master continued "And he can't get away with it. Why should he get away with not knowing what it was like when everyone else had to fight in, when I have to live with it? He can't. I won't let him."
He jumped up, "Come on, Lucy, we're going to find him."