After "The Runaway Bride"

The Doctor leaned over the control panels, trying to contain his emotions. Rose was gone. He was alone yet again. Donna had refused to join him on his journeys and he was alone with the pain yet again. He stood up straight yet again. However, as he did, a simple playing card fell to the ground.

"Uee hee hee!" A familiar voice laughed. The Doctor turned around with a frustrated look on his face. There was a spectral version of Jevil. This time, rather than looking like Jessica, he looked like himself. He has bluish skin with slits for eyes. His pupils and teeth were yellow. His clothing was the same as Jessica's was during the incident. Jevil smiled. "Such fun! Such chaos! Shall we play again?"

The Doctor glared at the Darkner. "Not now. I'm not in the mood," he said as he picked up the Joker Card at his feet.

"So you haven't put it together yet, poor time traveler? Timelord. Lord of time," Jevil mused with a smirk. "You brought me to that young human."

"Yes. I was going to ask why? Why would I release you?! Why, Jevil?!" The Doctor asked, getting more frustrated and angry.

"Lord of time! A timelord! You can do anything! I can do anything! We are the same! Chaos chaos! It surrounds us! We can use it. Play with it!" Jevil replied, as if it were obvious.

"If you don't start making sense, I'll just put you back," the Doctor responded.

"Poor Rosie had to leave. Wouldn't you wish for another day, another adventure with her?" The Darkner answered, catching the Doctor's interest. "You can do anything! Play with time as if it's a game! You can see time and the rules of time are just a prison. True freedom is breaking it! Especially when it is a self-cleaning time loop."

"So, I placed you there so I could spend more time with Rose?" The Doctor responded, unsure how to feel about it.

"Now you've got it, Lord of time! Self-cleaning! To refuse to let me free would mess up everything! I will break your prison sooner or later, Timelord. If you refuse your destiny, I will cause chaos every ten years," Jevil reasoned, rather intelligently for a supposed insane person. "Put me back in the loop. I have fun, fun every time time! No worry, worry for you! More time with Ring-Around-The Rosie!"

"That would go against my people's laws," the Timelord refuted.

"Whose people? Your people built a prison around themselves, leaving those who break those laws free. My people built a prison around themselves to hide from me! Chaos chaos! Who's free now?!"

The Doctor thought silently before taking the cars in his hands and going to the control panels. He put in the date and location. "Time is in your hands, Doctor! Chaos chaos!"

After a short while, he was there. It was so quick. It was as if he was watching himself from the outside. He walked through the streets of the small town. That's when he saw her. The girl. Jessica. She greeted him as he walked. Then, he dropped it. He dropped the card. She picked it up and offered to return it. The Doctor refused, but simply said to take care of it. He answered the girl's questions. They were relatively mundane. She was so considerate. When she went on her way, he felt a bit of guilt. Yet again, the life of a timelord was difficult. He did this for his past self. He already saw the outcome. Then, he leaned against the TARDIS, watching the young girl leave.

"So you let Jevil go," a voice spoke, returning the Doctor to reality. Upon turning around, he saw a dark alleyway and in it was a Darkner he had only seen drawn on a card. He wore a green cloak and hat with horns. On the cloak was a black heart and around his neck was a pink scarf. He also wore glasses and had dark fur. This was Ralsei, the Lonely Prince. "You must be the Doctor then."

"Yes, and you must be Ralsei." the Doctor responded as he approached the small Darkner. "How do you know my name when this hasn't happened yet?"

Ralsei shrugged. "Darkners are always sort of spontaneous. They know what they need to know when they need to know it, if that makes sense," he replied, adjusting his glasses.

"Believe it or not, that's not the most confusing thing I've heard," the Doctor said as he sat down on a crate in the alley.

Ralsei was silent for a while. "Kris is doing so well. They are so much different from when I was first made. I wish I could talk to them."

"Why don't you?" The Doctor asked.

"They have their own life. Besides, they've already met someone that is all three of us combined," Ralsei answered. "I wanted to come here before I fade. Jevil will be the last of our kind."

"Who is you, Susie, and Lancer combined?"

"You are," he replied. "Doctor, there are many traits that the three of us are known for. Susie is tough, scary, and loyal. Lancer is funny, friendly, and brave. I am known for being kind, a pacifist, and an idealist. Surprisingly, you have all of these traits."

"I guess, in a way, you are more like me. I was made to be a prince, but I never had a kingdom. I never had a single subject. Kris has been a great companion, along with Susie and Lancer. I felt lonely before I had them."

The Doctor sighed. "I guess we're both the last of our kind too."

"True. In a minute, I'll be fading," Ralsei said sadly, before putting his hat in front of his face. "I just wanted to say that... that... Sorry... I'm mumbling. Here."

Suddenly, Ralsei took off his green hat, immediately revealing his face. Surprisingly, his fur was actually white in color with a pinkish tint. His eyes were a bright green. His face looked like the face of a goat. He gave a bittersweet smile as tears ran down his cheeks. The Doctor gave an empathetic look as he listened to the young Prince.

"I just wanted to say that it was a pleasure to meet you," Ralsei continued with a smile. "And, I hope you don't ever feel alone. Us Darkners are always with you in the dark, even if we can't do anything after we've faded. Just... Don't forget, please..."

Ralsei's form began to turn to dust. The Doctor gently hugged the young prince in his arms. Ralsei seemed shocked for a moment before sighing, in which he whispered a familiar phrase under his breath. A phrase a young prince had said in a different universe. A phrase that the Doctor himself would almost exactly repeat. No one heard it, however, for his voice was too faint. Then, his body was gone.

The Doctor let go as he stepped back. He met a creature much like himself. How much it hurt to only know him for a few minutes. But there was one thing he could do in his memory.

"I promise," the Doctor whispered.

"I won't forget."