Without End
Rating: G
Prompt: #010 - Years
Claim: The Time War
Table: Here
Spoilers: End of Time
Pairing: Master/Doctor
Summary: When all is said and done, the Master ends up nowhere at all.
Word count: 600
“There is no end.”
The presence at his side speaks the words the exact moment he comes to that conclusion himself. It doesn’t exactly surprise him.
“This state is transitory,” he tries anyway.
“But it’s a transition that never ends. You’re going nowhere, Koschei.”
“Don’t call me that.” He thinks he scowls, annoyed. “I hate that. I don’t get why you keep doing it. Theta.”
The equally unloved nickname only grants him a chuckle. “There must be a deeper psychological meaning to it, then.”
He decides to ignore that one. “Why am I the only one here? If something went wrong, everyone else should be here as well. Not to mention the entire damn planet!”
“Unless it only went wrong for you.”
“What did I ever do to deserve this?” His voice does not echo because there is no voice at all, and the presence at his side is no presence. “It should be you drifting here, not me! That’s what you get for being nice for once: I’m stuck here forever and you are elsewhere, having a good life.”
“Ah. It’s good to know that you are only suffering from hallucinations, not delusions as well.”
“There’s nothing to be delusional about. I have always been better company than you.”
The other who is no other at all grins at him, and if there were a face he wouldn’t be able to tell which one. “Who am I to disagree with you, Koschei?”
Since there is no disagreement, there is nothing more to say. Silence stretches on for years.
“You don’t even appreciate what I do for you,” he finally says, out of boredom more than anything else. “You just go on living happily with your pathetic friends in your pathetic TARDIS, and leave me here. It’s been ages.”
“You’ve been here for a long time,” the other agrees. “Maybe forever.”
He knows time and knows that this is entirely possible. He drifts and waits for nothing.
“You need to stop hoping for the end,” the other says after a while. “There is none.”
“I thought we established that a century ago.” But he’s still waiting. Acceptance has never come easily to him.
“This is eternity. Why do you mind? I thought you always wanted immortality.”
“Not like this. What’s it good for if there’s nothing you can do with it but talk to yourself forever? You’re not exactly endlessly entertaining.”
“Which brings us to the point of my presence here. Don’t you think it’s about time we discussed the psychological implications?”
“No.”
“You’ve got forever. All of eternity, Koschei, with nothing to do but think. During our conversation, civilisations have risen and fallen. Why not think about yourself for a change? Have you never wondered how you could have come this far and still be stuck with me?”
“We will not discuss this, ever.” He raises walls of defiance around himself, but of course the other is on the inside, with him.
“Have it your way.” The voice would be soft if it was real, and hands would gently touch his face. “You can run from this forever, Master. For all eternity. But it’s still going to be waiting for you at the end.” This it the first and the last time he will be called by the title he’s chosen instead of the name he’s been given. Perhaps their eyes meet, and perhaps the next words are an offer. “Nothing will change.”
Lips meet his in a kiss that means nothing; they have no lips to kiss and no hands to hold. He wonders if he’s going insane.
March 26, 2010
Prompt: #010 - Years
Claim: The Time War
Table: Here
Spoilers: End of Time
Pairing: Master/Doctor
Summary: When all is said and done, the Master ends up nowhere at all.
Word count: 600
“There is no end.”
The presence at his side speaks the words the exact moment he comes to that conclusion himself. It doesn’t exactly surprise him.
“This state is transitory,” he tries anyway.
“But it’s a transition that never ends. You’re going nowhere, Koschei.”
“Don’t call me that.” He thinks he scowls, annoyed. “I hate that. I don’t get why you keep doing it. Theta.”
The equally unloved nickname only grants him a chuckle. “There must be a deeper psychological meaning to it, then.”
He decides to ignore that one. “Why am I the only one here? If something went wrong, everyone else should be here as well. Not to mention the entire damn planet!”
“Unless it only went wrong for you.”
“What did I ever do to deserve this?” His voice does not echo because there is no voice at all, and the presence at his side is no presence. “It should be you drifting here, not me! That’s what you get for being nice for once: I’m stuck here forever and you are elsewhere, having a good life.”
“Ah. It’s good to know that you are only suffering from hallucinations, not delusions as well.”
“There’s nothing to be delusional about. I have always been better company than you.”
The other who is no other at all grins at him, and if there were a face he wouldn’t be able to tell which one. “Who am I to disagree with you, Koschei?”
Since there is no disagreement, there is nothing more to say. Silence stretches on for years.
“You don’t even appreciate what I do for you,” he finally says, out of boredom more than anything else. “You just go on living happily with your pathetic friends in your pathetic TARDIS, and leave me here. It’s been ages.”
“You’ve been here for a long time,” the other agrees. “Maybe forever.”
He knows time and knows that this is entirely possible. He drifts and waits for nothing.
“You need to stop hoping for the end,” the other says after a while. “There is none.”
“I thought we established that a century ago.” But he’s still waiting. Acceptance has never come easily to him.
“This is eternity. Why do you mind? I thought you always wanted immortality.”
“Not like this. What’s it good for if there’s nothing you can do with it but talk to yourself forever? You’re not exactly endlessly entertaining.”
“Which brings us to the point of my presence here. Don’t you think it’s about time we discussed the psychological implications?”
“No.”
“You’ve got forever. All of eternity, Koschei, with nothing to do but think. During our conversation, civilisations have risen and fallen. Why not think about yourself for a change? Have you never wondered how you could have come this far and still be stuck with me?”
“We will not discuss this, ever.” He raises walls of defiance around himself, but of course the other is on the inside, with him.
“Have it your way.” The voice would be soft if it was real, and hands would gently touch his face. “You can run from this forever, Master. For all eternity. But it’s still going to be waiting for you at the end.” This it the first and the last time he will be called by the title he’s chosen instead of the name he’s been given. Perhaps their eyes meet, and perhaps the next words are an offer. “Nothing will change.”
Lips meet his in a kiss that means nothing; they have no lips to kiss and no hands to hold. He wonders if he’s going insane.
March 26, 2010