The four elders watched from the shadows, waiting, observing, as they had for thousands upon thousands of years before the dreadful Event. They called it the Event, for it was meant to happen all along, and they very well knew it. Others called it the Destruction, the Change…one called it the War, and nothing more, for it was simply a war to him. A war he could only stop through genocide. The worst part of it was, it was the destruction of his own people as well as every last creature that participated in this Event. The elders had hid as the time grew closer, kept to shadows on a far away planet, never to be found, simply observing the last of the Time Lords destroy their home world. Through the pain and suffering the Time Lord went through afterward, the elders decided to be merciful. A companion, they decided, would ease the burden this man would suffer. She was a special one, only the best for their Savior. Something was wrong, however. The elders watched as an organization called Torchwood tore away the companion that kept their Savior going. In silent agreement, the elders waved their wrinkled hands and waited, as a golden light flew toward their planet, followed by four other white lights.
She shall be saved, and in return, so shall he.
-DW-
"HOLD ON!" the Doctor shouted as the Void pulled at the human across from him. His companion of two years, Rose Tyler, held on to the lever for dear life, blonde hair whipping around as the suction grew. If she could hold on for a few more seconds…
It was Torchwood's fault in the first place, to be perfectly frank. If they hadn't been playing with the crack in the universal walls, she and the Doctor would be happily chatting in the TARDIS, discussing why pears were better than bananas ("I detest that statement!" the Doctor would exclaim, making a face of pure disgust at Rose's confession.) or falling to the ground as the TARDIS suffered yet another rough landing, throwing the laughing duo to the ground. It was fun and dandy, but in the end, the two needed each other. Rose was the Doctor's rock, the one who he could go to for support or a hand to hold. Rose needed him like she needed air; the thought of living a life without her Doctor was simply unbelievable, one neither of them even considered.
Too bad that this may be that very situation.
"HOLD ON!" the Doctor shouted again, reaching out toward her as she felt her fingers slipping. This was the end, and they knew it. Rose looked over and met the Doctor's eyes, struggling to keep her face looking at him. The pure fear and disbelief that was there made her heart sink. There was no last-minute saving this time. Rose's grip slipped, and she managed to whisper, "I'm sorry…" before falling toward the Void, screaming and preparing for her end.
"ROSE!" the Doctor cried, anguish and helplessness evident in his voice. Rose closed her eyes, the image of her Doctor clear in her mind—then opened the again to see a barren planet around her. She stood up shakily and looked around. Four elderly people surrounded her, staring blankly at the space around her. Four flashes of light, and Mickey Smith, Sarah Jane Smith, Donna Noble, and Martha Jones surrounded her in confusion. Martha looked at her and covered her mouth.
"Oh my god…it's you."
"Yeah…who are you?" Rose asked, looking at Mickey and Sarah Jane with a worried glance. They looked as confused as she was.
"I'm Martha Jones," the darker woman said. "And that's Donna Noble. Where've we gone?"
"Yeah," the ginger—Donna—asked, a bit dazed. "Where'd we end up?"
"You are here on the testimony of Rose Marion Tyler of the Powell Estates," the four elderly people said at once. "You will stand trial to show your potential as Theta Sigma of the Lungburrow House's guardian. And these four are your witnesses."
-DW-
The Doctor stared at the white wall in shock as the Void closed, a woman's steady voice saying, "System closed." to signify the Void's closing. He had seen the woman he loved vanish into a golden dust before his very eyes…he slowly walked toward the wall and placed his hands against it, resting his cheek against the spot she had vanished. Rose Tyler was dead. And it was all his fault.
He stepped away and walked to the TARDIS, hands in his pockets and deep in thought. His ship tried to comfort him the moment he stepped inside, but nothing could comfort him in this moment. He flew through the whole of the universe and closed the breaches in the universe, saving the one opening on a beach called Dalig Ulv Straden for last. It was there that he told Jackie and Pete Tyler the news—and where he watched them break down. He closed the gap and stared around the now seemingly empty console room. He was strong until he found her favorite jacket draped along one of the coral rigs. She had meant to come back later and grab it, just in case. Now she never would. The Doctor picked it up and stared longingly at the jacket, as if a look could bring his best friend, his love, back from the dead. But he knew better. That was the one thing that could never happen, no matter how much he wished it.
The Doctor, for the first time since meeting Rose Marion Tyler of the Powell Estates on that fateful night in Henrick's shop basement, broke down into an uncontrollable stream of tears.