Confessions of an Immortal Time Lord

The Traitor (Part 5)

***

Good day! It is I, The Doctor. I mean, it's me. No, wait... Let me just check my grammar book...  Old Equestrian... Nope. Ancient Gallopfreyan... Nope. Scoltish Dialect for Dummies... How did that even get here? English... Oh, that's the one!  Wait a minute... Yes! It is totally I!

It is I, The Doctor, and I still have a story to share. The circumstances changed, and so shall my narration. I'm not sure that Josh has enough talent to maintain such a complicated form of narration (Hey! Watch it! - the Narrator (I still can't believe I'm the one to make remarks in my own story... *sigh*)), so let me tell everything from my point of view, shall we?

Ah, my favourite form of narration: omitting details, jumping back and forth across the timeline - what's there for a Time Lord not to like?

So... Allons-y!

***

A few moments ago

"You can't do this."

I was standing in the middle of the desert, surrounded by the eternal nothingness, looking into Marex's eyes. I saw hope and determination in them, but I could also sense a tiny bit of uncertainty, upon which I wanted to play.

"I can," he replied, checking his weapon.  "The Crown strays, Doctor, and the oligarchy strays with it." He looked at me attentively, as if he were studying my face.

"The coal manufacturers are in charge now, and they have support of the Crown," he continued, facing away from me. "And if the Crown is no more... the technocrats will take their place." He chuckled solemnly. "Still no better, but at least that would mean an end to the war."

I nodded slowly, not letting myself fall into the ocean of his words.

"I will leave, Doctor. And you will not stop me." He turned round and casually started trotting away.

I gulped. I didn't want to do this. I really, honestly didn't.

"Marex."

The unicorn looked towards me, his eyes slightly widening as he saw my weapon.

"A trans-dimensional gun, huh?" His curiosity was most certainly piqued.

"You're smart." I checked the weapon. It was loaded and ready. "Marex, turn back while you still can."

He chuckled and shook his head.

"You know that I won't." He gazed into my eyes. I saw youthful passion, desire and... fear?

"This wouldn't kill me, right?" he whispered. "Just... send me somewhere...right?"

"Marex..."

"If you don't shoot, I'll leave."

"Marex, don't..."

My interlocutor sighed and turned away.

"Doctor..." He turned his head once more. "In that dimension you'll send me to... Will I write my book?"

I smiled sadly and nodded.

"Yes, Marex. You will. And your book will bring about a revolution."

He lowered his head.  And then he started galloping towards the horizon.

And then I fired away.

***

Two hours ago

"You got it?" the griffin said, inspecting his talons casually.

I tried to maintain all the hatred that I could send towards him, hatred that was dancing in my eyes, threatening to make  my head blow up.

"I can't believe you will sacrifice the lives of countless ponies and griffins!" I exclaimed and moved closer, away from the now empty prison cell. "Despite being an ex-commander, I can't see the strategic point in all of this." I mused. "The Empire and the Republic are going to win. The war's in your territory. Soon, your capital will fall. The griffins will lose."

He looked at me indulgently and smirked. "But not I. Shall we win or shall we lose, I still get my profits." He paced back and forth. "Let's say we win, by some marvellous accident." He chuckled, showing off his obvious lack of faithin such a thing. "As a hero of war, I will be granted the honour to hold fourth of my country's oil." He stopped and looked at me, his eyelids half-closed. "And if we lose, I will get fourth of my country's oil as a peace bringer."

"As a traitor," I corrected him, breathing heavily. My disdain for the griffin grew with each passing second, setting my insides on fire.

He merely shrugged.

"Traitors, Doctor, are those who betray Crown and country," he said in a calm voice. "Those who swear their oath to money can't be considered traitors. So..." He looked at me, and I felt an urge to spit and wash myself. "We have an agreement? My soldiers will take you back in some two hours."

Then I fulfilled my urge and finally spat on the floor.

"Only because I don't have any other options," I hissed, and the griffin smiled.

"It's a deal then."

***

Fifteen minutes ago

"Listen, Marex, don't do it."  I watched in horror as the philosopher-now-soldier packed his saddlebags and took a rifle.

"They killed my comrades," he said, not hissing, not yelling; just stating the fact.

"The griffins killed them!" I tried to reason him, my own temper far from serene.

The unicorn just shook his head in reply.

"The capitalists killed them. They even killed Feather - he was a colt, Doctor. Just a colt."

I marvelled at how he still managed to keep cool. I hadn't witnessed the massacre. He had. Still, I was angry, and he was not.

Marex' gun clicked.

"And now I will have revenge."

***

Two hours and a half ago

I was woken up by a prodding at my shoulder. As I opened my eyes, I saw two gruff griffins standing before me, here in my cell. I looked at them quizzically, raising my brow, demanding an explanation.

And I got it.

"Rise. Master wants to speak to you."

***

Now

I was standing in silence watching the gun fall from my mouth, as if it the Time were slowed down. But I knew it wasn't. I approached the spot at which Marex had just been standing. I looked up to the sky. I looked at the stars and thought about this pony, the one who resolved to be branded traitor for the rest of his life, just to stop the war; just to make the fighting cease. And I thought about myself, the one who prevented him from doing so; much more, who prevented him from doing so to save his life; my life, that is. Again, to save my life, I gladly gave away another.

It was becoming a habit, I guess?

I felt a tear crawl down my cheek as I thought that the war would reign, and the ponies and the griffins would be murdered alike - all because of me. I thought of heartless capitalists exploiting their labour. I thought about the future.

And then I raised my head, and shouted, shouted so loudly, for the whole desert to hear.

"Now who is the traitor here?! WHO IS THE TRAITOR?!"