Theta and Koschei

Once upon a time…

But that is not the way to start this story. Those whose story it is are not constricted by time in the way that most beings are, after all.

Once in time…

But who is to say it only has/will/is happened/happen/happening once? The universe holds many possibilities.

In time, and of time, there was a boy. This boy had a close friend, a companion, if you will. But, by forces neither could control, his companion was taken from him, and the person who was there in his stead was a shadow on a disturbed pool, a reflection in a broken mirror. But still, the person who he once was could sometimes be seen. The first boy, who for the purpose of this story we shall call Theta, could occasionally see his friend, whom we shall call Koschei, in the new person who had been formed. It hurt Theta to see his friend so changed, but there was something else stirring inside of Theta. A desire to explore, discover, marvel, be as absolutely free as possible. Wandering through a museum on his beautiful planet, he found her. She was beautiful , and fascinating, and promised him his freedom, so they stole each other off the beautiful planet, and explored all of the universe and time together.

Occasionally, Theta and Koschei would meet again, and each time, it seemed, there was less and less of Koschei left. But still, there was Koschei there, and Koschei was loved.

And then the unthinkable happened, and it was Theta who had done it, and he and her were all alone in the universe. But really, if he was honest with himself, it was a long time since he had been Theta. He was the Doctor now, just as Koschei, if the Doctor was honest with himself, had been no-one but the Master for a very long time. And the unthinkable had happened, and it was over, and Theta was alone, so alone, but it was worth the gut-wrenching bone-snapping heart-rending loneliness, because it had WORKED!

Except, you see, it hadn't. They were back. The wrong ones. The others, the Doctor's people, were by no means innocent, but these… these were so much worse.

Much later, if you care for such things, The Doctor met someone who reminded him of Koschei. It really was wonderful. But then, of course, it turned out to truly be Koschei, and Koschei became the Master, and all was not well.

And then the Master raped her, raped his sexy, dependable old girl, his beauty, his TARDIS with that paradox machine, and would have destroyed those wonderful humans. And it was hard to forgive him. So hard. But he did, for the sake of the remembered Koschei, who grew fainter in his mind with each regeneration.

But then, of course, Koschei was ripped from him, not once more, but twice. And it hurt. It hurt so much. But he had his girl, and he had the wonderful distraction of the humans.
Then he met her. He finally met her, and they talked together, and it was marvellous, wonderful, fantastic stupendous amazingloriousublimecstatic… and together they OBLITERATED the one who dared to try to eat her, his beauty, and who had killed so many of their sister/brother/sisters.

They were off again, on another great adventure, exploring the Great Perhaps. And yet… he couldn't help but hope, this Theta/Doctor, that his Koschei, his Master, would return. Please, please, return.