TW and Gallifrey 22.3: The time lock didn't stop the Time Lords in End of Time. Not to mention if the end of the Time War is a fixed point – and it most likely is – changing it would make a time lock meaningless.
The next morning, the past viewers all roused themselves from sleep in what was early in the morning in the time vortex. Making their way into the dining room, they found Jane waiting for them at the table, although no food was present.
"No food this time," Martha noted as they all took a seat.
"I thought we should talk before breakfast," Jane said, looking around at all of them.
"What more is there to talk about? We know why the future went to Hell," Mickey said and Jane smiled tightly.
"There's still a bit more you need to know, things you don't understand about what happened," Jane explained.
"You mean Trenzalore," Donna realized and Jane nodded.
"Trenzalore, the Silence, among other things," Jane said with a sigh. "I told you the Silence misinterpreted a prophecy."
"So you're finally going to tell us," Jack said and Jane nodded.
"To understand what happened, to understand the Silence is to know their history," Jane said as they listened to her intently. "I spent the first few years after losing Dad looking into the Silence, trying to understand them. Some sources vary, but I've been able to piece together what happened.
"When Kovarian was a young girl, she had a friend, someone who could look into the future. Some called him a prophet, others called him a soothsayer. I don't really know what he was, just that he had visions. One day, he told her something, something that would change history.
"'The one who knows The Doctor's name will cause him to change history. When history is changed, the universe will be silenced.'"
"He saw the Siren, what it would make The Doctor do," Wilf realized and Jane shrugged.
"I think he saw bits and pieces, but I don't think he saw the complete picture, just enough to know Dad would cause the end of the universe," Jane said and a moment of silence passed. "In any case, Kovarian was so convinced of this prophecy that she spread the word, coming into contact with others who knew of The Doctor. The more she talked to them, the more terrified she became."
"And thus began The Silence," Jack noted and Jane nodded.
"She gathered an army, every ally she could pick up, heard every story she possibly could, spread the story as far and wide as it could reach. Silence would fall when The Doctor's name was spoken. It became legend, a story parents would tell their children. And so did Dad," Jane said and the room was descended into silence for a moment.
"You've told us the how and why. Now tell us the what," Martha said and Jane nodded.
"Well, it's a bit of a story. Not long after the incident with War, River contacted Dad after I crashed at Luna University and I was reunited with Dad. River actually stayed for a few days, we kind of felt like a family," Jane said, smiling wistfully at the memories before frowning. "I don't think the Siren liked that very much. River seemed to think something was off with Dad but I don't think she put her finger on it, I guess she just put it off to him missing Amy and Rory or just not having seen him in so long. She left and I traveled with him and the Siren for a bit. Like I said before, I felt like something was off but I didn't know Dad well enough to put my finger down on what it was.
"Then we started hearing rumors that things were coming down to planets and wreaking havoc. Didn't take Dad long to realize it was things he had fought in the Time War. We went looking for them, running into Jack on the way," Jane paused in her tale to look over at Jack. "You'd heard the rumors as well and had begun your own investigation."
"Sounds like me," Jack noted, smiling slightly. "I bet he wasn't happy to see me with a vortex manipulator again."
"No, but he needed all the help he could get," Jane said with a giggle at the memory before resuming her tale. "With Jack's help, we traced the collection of Dad's Time War enemies to Trenzalore. Dad realized that this was going to be the battle that he wouldn't come out of.
"Before he went there, he dropped us off, told us he had something he needed to do first. I realized later that he was going to see River, to give her his screwdriver and spend what might be his final moments with her," Jane sad and they all paused, realizing The Doctor had spent his last break from what would be his death with the woman he loved. "Dad never talked about what he and River did, but he picked us up and we all headed to Trenzalore. On Trenzalore we met every enemy Dad had ever made during the Time War. We fought for days but it was no use, there were too many. So we retreated to the TARDIS.
"It was there that Dad told us his plan: There was no way for him to go back and stop this because the Moment had let him through to the Time War before. But he had the recordings, and he had people he trusted absolutely to stop this from ever happening," Jane explained and the past viewers caught on.
"It was The Doctor's idea to gather us up and make us watch these recordings," Donna said and Jane nodded.
"Of course his plan was to make you watch only the last one, but that was before he knew about the Siren," Jane said and her face darkened. "Of course, he found out soon enough. He barely got through explaining his plan when it assumed its true form. Jack and I tried to stop it, but she was too strong. Ever hear of the Kiss of Death?"
"No, but I have a feeling you're gonna tell us what that is," Mickey muttered, a sense of unease filling the room as the past viewers eyed her warily.
"It's an ability of the Space Siren, probably the inspiration behind the myth of the Succubus as well. They kiss you and then drain your life energy from you until there's nothing left," Jane explained as the past viewers listened to her in horror.
"And that's what she did to The Doctor," Wilf realized in horror and Jane nodded sadly.
"By the time Jack and I got her off, it was too late. Dad was barely clinging to life and she ran. Jane ran after her but I stayed with him," Jane said softly as they listened, horrified. "He wasn't making much sense, he seemed delirious, was rambling. Then he said something I didn't understand until I started watching these recordings."
"What?" Martha asked as they waited, wondering what he could have said.
"'I've missed you Ponds'," Jane said with a bittersweet smile. "I'm not sure if there is an afterlife, but if there is, I like to think Amy, Rory, and River were with him in the end and are with him now."
"I've seen too much to believe in an afterlife. But if anyone deserves it, it's him," Jack said with a sigh and a beat passed. "And then?"
"Then he died, the Siren escaped. You and I went after it using your Vortex Manipulator. It took us a few weeks, but we found it, and killed it. Didn't change anything though, didn't bring Dad back," Jane said with a heavy sigh. "Then the TARDIS showed up, just like I said. We burned Dad's body because we knew it was what he would have wanted. You went back to earth; spread the word about what had happened to Dad. There was a funeral; everyone was there so I'm told. Lots of former Companions, including all of you except Donna because she didn't remember."
Donna looked gutted at this and Wilf took her hand silently as tears welled in Donna's eyes over the fact she hadn't even been able to be at The Doctor's funeral.
"I'm guessing we didn't bury his ashes," Martha noted and Jane smiled tightly.
"No. After I saw the recordings, Jack and I spread them over Amy and Rory's graves because we felt like it's what he would have wanted. His casket was filled with his screwdriver and a few mementos he'd collected over the years," Jane said with a heavy sigh, looking down at her hands. "Without Dad to stop them, the remaining forces of the Time War ravaged the galaxy and you've seen the results. Soon, there won't be anything left of the universe; we won't survive for much longer. Which is why I brought here, so you could know. So you could make sure this future never happens when you get back."
"We will. I promise," Donna said her voice thick with emotion.
And that's what happened. Hope you all enjoyed my explanation for what happened to The Doctor and my take on the origin of The Silence.
See you all Friday for the last chapter.