Thoros-Beta was a dead world.

Ravaged by a War that had spread across Time, landscapes filled with lush trees and clifftops looming over pink seas had now been reduced to barren, wasteful terrain. The Doctor walked along the sandline, making his way towards what remained of a stronghold, once a fortress for controlling forces on the planet, looking behind him to what land was left.

Nothing but rocks and dust...

He began a steep climb, taking an hour to reach there. There, he found himself greeted by Chancellery guards.

"I'm looking for Yrcanos." There was no reply from the guards, who moved to stop him from advancing. "I'm an old friend. I'm the Doctor."

The guards glanced at each other, before the nearest eyed him; answering simply, "The King is dead."

The Doctor closed his eyes and sighed. It was time to go inside.

***

The Doctor sat across from Peri, as he had been for the past three hours, explanations over.

It had been years since she'd seen him, but they'd said surprisingly little. Her hair was a deeper shade of brown than it had been, due mostly to the long-term effects of the skies. For a while they didn't speak, until the Doctor cut the silence by mentioning her hair. Peri, dressed in a light gown, moved slightly with embarrassment at his comment.

"Most probably the skies," he commented. "You know...alien worlds, always doing things you don't expect." He paused before smiling slightly. "Hey, remember that place we went to-"

"The skies burned."

She'd answered him quickly, cutting him off. The Doctor stopped suddenly, looking down ashamedly.

"The final devastation of the last great Time War..." he nodded. "I know. Thoros-Beta, reduced to rocks and rubble. The seas wasted, landscapes barren. The skies burning with fire and fear..."

Peri nodded, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "You saw it?"

"I saw it all. I fought in the War. I watched every world touched by its fire burning. I watched a thousand ships light the heavens...another thousand behind them, ablaze, taking the lives of everyone I knew with them."

"Including Yrcanos..."

The Doctor nodded sadly. "Including Yrcanos."

"But Thoros-Beta wasn't supposed to be involved. We weren't part of your War! They wanted to kill...? They killed him!"

"They killed everybody they could, Peri. They didn't care who they touched. The War raged across a thousand worlds, and I saw the damage it did to all of them. Every innocent life taken away... the Nestene homeworld savaged; Gallifrey massacred... nothing left..."

But rocks and dust...

"...nothing at all," he gave up.

Peri looked him over before responding. "So, that's it? No going back over everything that's lost? You just...pass them over?"

"I lost an entire world. I can't just pass it over. But I'm the last one left. I'm alone..."

Peri scoffed. "Snap."

"You still have your world. You still have a chance to start again."

"I don't have him. He was everything I had...I'm just as alone!"

The Doctor sighed, waiting for Peri to speak again. When she didn't, he finally offered: "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For not saving him. For not saving any of them..."

"Too late, Doctor. They're gone, passing you by again..." He was about to interrupt, but Peri cut in before he could speak. "It was a long time before you came back to see me after you left here. You thought I was dead, but didn't know. So you waited... so did I. I was here with Yrcanos, looking at the skies every night, hoping you'd come and see me. But you didn't. That's you, Doctor; just like you've always been. Never ready to face up to your mistakes, or the things you leave behind. Oh, you're only too eager to overthrow a dictator, but never waiting to see what happens next. How do you know all those dictators weren't replaced by worse? Now...Yrcanos is dead. Another innocent victim of your war against evil. Another life taken away, because you decide everything's down to you. Maybe if you hadn't interfered, Doctor; if you hadn't started that War...maybe you wouldn't have to worry about innocent lives! You can criticise and condemn the loss of life you've seen, but I've travelled with you, and I wonder...how much of that is your own fault?"

The Doctor stopped, stung. He watched Peri as she looked him over, rounding the table, moving swiftly towards the doors. "I look at you now, and you've come a long way from the man I first met. He wanted to stop evil in the galaxy. You...you throw on a leather jacket and everything seems to bounce back off you. It's like you don't care anymore. Maybe because you're all alone; nothing's left. As if you've lost your place in the Universe..."

The Doctor stood, his eyes glazing over as he faced Peri. "You're right. I've changed. I've lost my place...I've lost everything."

"Then it's time for you to find yourself again."

"If I do, it won't bring him back; won't bring any of them back. They're gone; I couldn't save them. I was desperate to save them... but I couldn't! Now, I'm not sure I can..."

Peri held back her tears and motioned to the doors. "Maybe you should try. And I won't be watching the stars, waiting for you this time Doctor. Don't come back until you've found yourself."

The Doctor nodded, moving for the doors, thoughts of failing Peri once again swarming through his mind. Closing them after him, Peri sat back next to an empty throne.

It was time to find a new place in life.

***

The Doctor made his way back along the clifftops to the TARDIS. A single tear ran.

One thing was for certain: his past was his past, the War was over...and his future was yet to come.

It was time to find his place in the Universe again.