Keeps person

In his hand, he held a small water-filled dome. A tiny sculptured city lay inside it, covered in snow. 'It‘s called a snowstorm, Doctor,‘ he said. 'All I have to do is shake it and watch what happens.‘ The Toymaker shook the dome vigorously and the snow whipped up and around, then fell back on the city. 'Recognise it?‘

The Doctor snorted as if disinterested, then took a look.

'The Capitol...'

'That‘s right, Doctor. Your home on Gallifrey. Oh, and look who has come for a visit.‘

The Doctor saw a tiny, minuscule figure pop into existence and start to move. He stared hard and, after a few seconds, recognised it.

'Millennia...'

'Oh, so it is,‘ laughed the Toymaker and shook the snowstorm again. 'Now, that‘ll be bad enough for anyone, Doctor, but, should you refuse to play...‘ He drew back his arm as if to dash the snowstorm against a tree.

'All right,‘ snapped the Doctor. 'And if I win? Do we go home?‘

(...)

The Doctor rolled aside immediately, scrabbling away from the clawing mud, grabbed his pennant from Bimm‘s hands and broke it over his knee. Then, ignoring his own base, he ran to Bimm‘s camp and grabbed the other burgundy pennants, snapping them one after the other and hurling the bits in different directions.

Mature it might not be, he thought. But it was satisfying.

He looked back. Bimm had heaved himself up, but his feet were firmly stuck in the mud now and the more he roared with anger and twisted and turned, the more stuck he became, as first one boot then the other sank completely. The Doctor ignored Bimm‘s plight and dashed, breathless and out of condition, his hearts pounding, to where the last of Bimm‘s blue pennants lay. He grabbed it and ran back to his camp.

'Victory!‘ he yelled.

'You cheated,‘ said the Toymaker, suddenly floating in the air above the trees.

'No I didn‘t. I laid a trap.‘

'You broke his flags. Unfair.‘

The Doctor dropped to his knees, completely exhausted. 'I still won,‘ he gasped. 'I did what you wanted and I won.‘

'Cheating, Doctor? Is that all you will be good for in life?‘

(...)

'Master, I am sorry...'

The Toymaker shrugged. 'Winners and losers, Captain. I told you that at Ypres. You lost, the Doctor won. Square, if not entirely fair.‘

(...)

'Give me back Rallon and Millennia and we‘ll leave for ever. We‘ll never, ever come back.‘

'Rallon is mine, Doctor, he cannot be given back. He no longer exists. His unique energy has given me my new life. And Millennia? She stays too. I can always use a new doll around the place.‘

The Doctor looked at the toys he had kicked, among them the broken bodies of Captains Bimm and Bamm.

'Oh yes, Doctor. They too were sentient once. Those I collected, those that ventured here. Some even volunteered.‘

He indicated George and Margaret, now back at their familiar door duty. 'They all played my games, tried to defeat me, to escape. They all lost. As a result, they stay here. My playthings, Doctor. My friends.‘ He smiled. Coldly. 'But you, Doctor, you I don‘t want here now. Inside you burns something so passionate, something so completely different to Rallon, to Millennia, that I need to watch you, need to see you get out among the stars and live.‘

***

Divided Loyalties, Round 2, Chapter 2