Prequel to: The Story of West (Based in the Doctor Who universe)

From the day of my birth, I knew that I was different - and despite everything, I think everyone else did too, but were too scared to admit it. To a society of warriors and politicians, everything and everyone had to be the same. Go to the Academy, graduate, choose your name, get married, have kids and then grow your child up to follow the same ritual. Anyone who missed a single step out could be banished for "creating a tear in the loop of perfect life". That's what our Lord said. That was his frequent mode of scare mongering. Even though the Lord himself had never even got married. Now, although they expect you to marry, they completely forbade any type of emotionally linked attraction. Apparently it could "create unnecessary emotional outbursts that could damage the simplicity of the city". He didn't like complexity. He liked everything to be straight forward, no left or right turns, everything and everyone on the exact same path. But, I did form "emotional linked attraction". I fell in love. He was my best friend throughout my years at the Academy. My partner in crime. We used to skip Time Engineering and run off to the Fields of Arkantroxi. The bright purple grass would sparkle and shine and the second moon would settle above us. We would just lie there, staring at the bright orange sky and talk. We could talk forever, about anything. Neither of us would hold back. From 50 years of talking came a kiss, then from 50 years of kissing came the witnesses.

All it took was one. One, messed up, tell tale Time Lord. He reported us to Lord Rassilon and we were both captured in an instant. Locked up in a dark room and chained to the ceiling.

"I love you." he muttered, with tears streaming down his pale white face.

"And I love you too," I heatfully replied.

That was it. The last I saw of him. My father was part of the High Council which meant that I was worth more to Rassilon than he was. I was forced to leave whereas Felix... He was executed later that night.

I cried. Oh, God, I cried. An uncontrolable pain slithering down my body. A loss. Where my mother would comfort me, my father only shook his head in disgust. And so the next day, I was taken down to the Untempered Skism. A gateway into the Time Vortex itself. There I was shamed in front of the citizens of Gallifrey. Everyone would scream and shout, boo and hiss, throw things. Only my mother had the courage to speak to me. She walked up to me with a calming smile and rested her hand on my shoulder.

"Your life can only improve, West. This planet is currupt, and you deserve better," she snuck a single seed into my pocket and offered a rebelious wink.

"Fly away, my son... And never look back."

And so, I smiled. Turned back to face my crowd, and offered the same charming wink.

I jumped through the gate.... And soared.