The End of Time: Part Two

"We will sing to you Doctor. The Universe will sing you to your sleep."

The Doctor rose his head painfully, taking strength from Ood Sigma's words. It replaced its translation ball, watching him eerily, ethereally. The Doctor grunted and staggered to his feet, a pained expression on his face. He took a couple of deep breaths and, grimacing through the pain, the Doctor stumbled towards his one home in the Universe.

"This song is ending. But the story never ends."

The Doctor reached the TARDIS, collapsing against them. Unlocking the door, he pushed them open and fell into the arms of the young man within.

"Doctor! Everything sorted?" The man kicked the doors closed and helped the Doctor steady himself.

"That's everyone," he replied, gasping, struggling to speak. He walked past the man and up the ramp, taking his coat off and throwing it over a pillar. The Doctor's hand began to glow, a strangely beautiful glow. He stared at it, taking it in. The man behind him stared, his eyes widened.

"Doctor..?" he began.

"You know what's happening, Alex," the Doctor said. It wasn't a question. The young man named Alex nodded. The Doctor walked around the TARDIS console, leaning on it for support, gazing in something akin to longing. He set it into motion. The TARDIS dematerialised. A golden substance began to stream from the Doctor's face and hands. He stared helplessly at Alex.

"See you on the other side," Alex whispered, compassionately, swallowing.

"I don't wanna go," the Doctor replied, teary-eyed. Alex nodded. The golden substance began to speed, to increase in volume. It flowed from the Doctor's sleeves and collar elegantly. It obscured the Doctor's distressed face. Alex waved to him sadly. The Doctor took one last breath. The golden energy exploded without warning. The console exploded with it, sparks and flames jumping and flying from it. The room shook uncontrollably, as the regenerative energy flew in all directions. Shards of glass and sparks cascaded from the ceiling. Alex cried out as one of the coral pillars was blown apart and collapsed across the room.

The Doctor stood among the destruction, not seeming to notice it, somehow avoiding the debris without moving. The golden energy covered him in a mystical veil. In the blink of an eye, the face of the mystical man changed. Without warning, the man's hair was longer, darker, thicker. A bigger nose. A younger face, the mouth upon which opened, unleashing a shout of pain and surprise. Without warning, the regenerative energy dispersed as suddenly as it had exploded. The new man, the same man stood there for a moment, un-stable on his feet. The Doctor looked down and saw something of interest.

"Legs!" he called out, grasping one and kissing it. "I've still got legs, good! Arms! Hands, ooh, fingers, lots of fingers." Said fingers flew to the Doctor's head. "Ears two, eyes yes, no-o-se, I've, had worse. Chin. Blimey..! Hair!" His hands descended to the end of his long hair. His voice rose in horror. "I'm a girl! No. No.. I'm not a girl," The Doctor berated himself for his own stupidity. He grasped a clump of his fringe "and still not ginger!" The Doctor looked around for his friend. "Alex, where are you? There's someone wrong, something I'm missing, where are you? We're what? We're, we're, we-e-e're?" Crash. The TARDIS took another tumble, throwing the Doctor to the floor. "Crashing!" he cried, jumping up and leaping towards the console. He flicked levers and twisted dials, still being thrown all over the place. "Geronimo!" he cried, as the TARDIS spiralled out of control towards the Earth below, flames flying from the smashed exterior.