A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I've been sick for a while and hadn't been able to stare long enough at my computer to get any writing done. So to thank you for your patience I've made this chapter longer than the others. I hope you enjoy it. Please rate/review/comment/follow/favorite and all that wonderful stuff! ^_^

Level Zero

"The Doctor huh?" the woman asked as she looked over the psychic paper.

"That's right and this is my lovely assistant Lilliana," he said snapping the billfold shut and pocketing it again.

"Very well then, I'm Doctor Jillian Stevens. Good to have you with us Doctor."

"Right then! What readings are you getting from Level Zero?"

"Didn't you get the report I sent you?"

"Nope! I prefer to see things for myself than read through a long report," he said walking past her a bit then turned back. "Shall we go then?"

Doctor Stevens gave him a perplexed look and looked at Lilliana who merely smiled. "Right…this way then."

The woman led the way out of the room to a hallway and down a lift. The lights lit up the levels one by one as they descended down deeper into the building. Upon reaching Level Zero, the doors slid open, and it was easy to see how much security was increased.

"Why so many guards?" Lilliana asked. "I thought this is an aquarium."

"It is," Doctor Stevens answered as she led them down the hall, passing equipment, monitors, of which Lilliana had no hope to recognize. "But what we have down here isn't for the general public to see."

"Doctor," Lilliana whispered. "The voice…it's here somewhere. It's louder."

"What's it saying?" the Doctor whispered back.

Finally, she could make out what it was it was reaching out to tell her. "It's waiting…"

"Waiting? Waiting for what?"

She looked up at him with a bit of worry in her eyes. "For me…"

The Doctor furrowed his brows as he stared intently at her. She looked away and shivered, scratching the side of her neck, a bit more vigorously.

"Why are you scratching?"

"I'm not."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah really."

"Show me your fingernails."

She pulled away from him as he reached for her hand, and he would have caught her wrist at a second attempt, but they were interrupted as they reached a giant tank built into the wall.

"Here you are Doctor," Doctor Stevens declared. "Our prized specimen."

"Oh my god…" Lilliana said in shock.

"Well, hello…" the Doctor said taking a step towards the glass. "Aren't you a beauty?"

It was a Naga Laut, a very old looking one, sitting back within the reef and reeds. It was strangely positioned, as if it was molded right into the stone, surrounded by the plant life. The golden eyes were closed, as if it were asleep. No other fish were placed in this tank, it was completely isolated. Around its neck, however, was a golden chain, and dangling in front of its chest, was a large white pearl. Within the emerald water, it glowed softly, as it were mimicking its wearer's breathing.

"Why'd you call her a specimen?" the Doctor asked calmly. He gave Doctor Stevens a cool stern look, one that Lilliana hadn't seen before. It frightened her. "For your sake I hope you're not subjecting her to experiments."

Doctor Stevens chuckled in disbelief, obviously not reading into the Doctor's mannerisms. "What does that matter? We are scientists, we study and thru study we must conduct experiments."

"That Naga Laut is a sentient being!"

"It's a serpent whose kind would kill us on sight. Know thy enemy, Doctor."

"The Naga Laut are a secluded race that should have no reason to be at war with the surface! So why!? Tell me why that's changed!"

"We're not at war with them. At least not anymore. Ever since we bagged this one, they've kept quiet. Sure we'll have the occasional rebellious uprising but we always send them back to where they came from."

"Maybe they're trying to rescue this one," Lilliana suggested, her eyes still kept on the sleeping elder.

"We've considered that, and made the proper precautions for a defense. You've no need to worry about them."

"It's not them I'm worried about."

Doctor Stevens gave a haughty look as she straightened herself. "We've been getting readings from within the tank that have been abnormal, more so than usual. That pearl around its neck is what we've been trying to study. We don't know whether it's a power source or a weapon, but we can't get near it enough to study."

"What is it with you humans? Every time there's a potential source of…whatever you always think of power or weaponry. Never changes. Alright so what are these readings you're getting then?"

Doctor Stevens motioned the Doctor to a large holographic screen. "As you're aware, the moon is nearly at its closest orbit with the planet. Such a thing hasn't happened in roughly three hundred years. We've noticed the readings grow stronger each day as the moon gets closer."

"It's already so close to the planet, why is it different than usual?" Lilliana asked.

"Normally it isn't. The moon is always hanging low in the sky, but this time the orbit brings it closer than ever, even in reality it may have moved only several hundred miles. Still, it seems enough to evoke a change. The Naga Laut in the wild are also acting suspiciously. They've ceased their attempts to break through our fortress altogether."

"Why are you calling this place a fortress?" the Doctor asked. "I thought this place was an aquarium, a place of science, study, and learning as a gift to the public."

"It is, naturally, but here in our lowest levels we're completely submerged beneath the ocean. It makes it easier to venture out to collect new specimens and samples."

Lilliana could tell that the Doctor was beginning to lose patience with this woman. He clearly wasn't happy with the treatment of this poor being. She turned back to the glass, looking at the Naga Laut with pity. She placed her hand on the cool glass, and once she did so the Naga Laut's golden eyes snapped open and stared at her.

It froze her in place, as she gasped in surprise. These eyes were different than the ones that belonged to the other Naga Laut she encountered before. She looked into them, drawn by the voice that touched her mind. It matched the eyes, so old, so tired, and full of wisdom and a deep flowing consciousness.

"You…are my vessel."

"Your what?"

The Doctor looked up and was immediately by her side. The readings from the tank had escalated, and for good reason. The large pearl began to glow brilliantly. Lilliana was sure there was shouting going on around her by the scientists, but she could barely hear them, could barely hear the Doctor who had grabbed her by the shoulders trying to desperately grab her attention.

Her gaze was fixed upon the old Naga Laut, her mind filled with broken images. She saw the ocean in all its majestic glory and rage. She saw a shining empire beneath the waves and hidden below the moon. The moon's glow filled her mind, until she saw the pearl, and her perception grew wider to the Naga Laut who wore it, to the tank, the aquarium…

"Lilliana!"

She snapped her head up to see the Doctor grasping hold of her, with a worried and frantic expression. It confused her for a moment. Why was he looking at her like that? Why did he look like he was grasping onto something he thought was slipping away?

"Doctor, you're hurting me."

He didn't release his grip on her. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" she said trying to wriggle from his hold. "Nothing happened."

"You were staring at the Naga Laut for ten minutes!" He firmly but gently took hold of either side of her head and looked into her eyes, as if searching for any damage that may have happened to her.

Lilliana stared into the depths of his dark eyes as he searched her own. He was genuinely worried for her. Ten minutes had gone by? Well, it wasn't the first time something like that happened.

"Tell me what happened. You saw something didn't you."

"I saw the moon and the ocean, and a city beneath them."

"What else?" Doctor Stevens asked excitedly.

"Nothing else," Lilliana answered. She raised her hands and held his hands that were still on the side of her face. "Doctor, I'm tired."

"It has been a long day hasn't it," he nodded slipping his hands away from hers.

"Your room has been made ready for you, Doctor," Doctor Stevens said, obviously disappointed in the halt of this new turn of events. "We can continue our observational study tomorrow once you've had some rest."

"Yes I think that'll be best."

Lilliana stood at the window of her bedroom, the view the best she could imagine. The open ocean was before her, and though she couldn't see much of it, what she did see was painted by the glow of the moon that pierced through the waters.

"I thought you were tired?" the Doctor asked. He sat on the corner of a double bed, his hands folded as he leaned forward, studying her intently.

She turned to him. "I lied."

"Did you? Why?"

"I didn't want that Stevens woman to know what I saw from the Naga Laut. It's not for her to know."

"I think that's half true. I think you're lying that you're not tired."

Lilliana shrugged. "Doesn't matter, does it?" She was used to fighting off sleep. It was merely another night. "She told me I was her vessel."

The Doctor didn't like the sound of that. "What's that mean?"

"I don't know yet. I know she wants to talk to me, there's something important. I just need to find out what, and without Doctor Stevens looking over my shoulder. I don't need her turning me into one of her experiments too."

"That won't happen," he insisted sternly.

"If I can help it, I don't want anyone knowing I'm psychic as we travel unless I tell them myself. They either react one of two ways: either they're shit scared of me or they get all excited and start acting questions like they want their fortune read." Lilliana faced the Doctor, leaning against the wall, and he could tell by the look on her face she was exhausted, but clinging onto any spare energy. "Not you though, Doctor. You looked at me like I was something wonderful and curious…and special." She averted her gaze and shook her head with a chuckle. "I don't know why I'm even telling you this."

"Because you haven't had anyone listen to you before," he said simply. "So tell me Lilliana, and I'll listen. Tell me a story that you've felt you've never been able to tell, and don't think that it won't matter, because it does."

"You don't want me to tell you a story, Doctor. They disturb everyone else."

"I'm not everyone else."

She stared at him and she rose to the challenge. "Fine then, if you want a story I'll tell you." She sat on the edge of the bed next to him, never breaking her gaze from him. "Once upon a time there was a girl who could tell the future, and see things that no one else could. She never spoke of it to anyone; even her own family didn't believe and chose to ignore it completely.

"One night, she saw her sister's best friend. Something wasn't right, about her, and on closer inspection a horrible omen formed in her mind. The woman was surrounded by an ominous heavy black cloud, one that only the girl could see. She knew then that the woman would leave this world, leaving behind so many that loved her.

"The girl kept the secret to herself, partly because she was in shock that she saw such a thing, and partly out of fear and uncertainty. Maybe she misread the omen. Her family didn't believe in her ability, maybe they were right and she was just crazy. Maybe this time she was crazy.

"One morning the phone rang, and the girl instantly knew who was on the phone and why. Her mother answered the phone trying to calm down her sister who was hysterically crying, just learning the sudden passing of her best friend. The girl froze, but didn't cry. She was stunned. She shouldn't be, she knew this. But this time, this time she wished she trusted herself. Wished she said something…anything.

"When her mother came to her to tell her what had happened, she nodded. Taking a chance to confide in her mother she said, 'I knew it would happen…I'm sorry I should have said something.' Her mother's expression tore at the girl's heart more than the sharp slap across her cheek. Her mother yelled and berated her for saying such horrible things, and threatened her to never speak of it again."

Lilliana watched the Doctor's expression turn into a mixture of emotions; heartache, pity, compassion, and understanding.

"Lilliana…" his voice was so soft and soothing, cooling away the sharp sting of a memory.

"I never told my sister. How could I? They all hated when I talked about visions and seeing into people's minds and hearts. So I stopped. I had to hide myself away from my own family. But Doctor, that doesn't bother me half as much as the fact that I knew that woman would die…and I did nothing. I sat back and did nothing because I was too much of a coward to fucking stand up and say something! How could I Doctor? How could I do such an unforgivable thing?"

The Doctor took one of her hands while his other reached up to hold the side of her face. "You were young, and had no one to believe in you. You had no one to guide you and to let you be who you are. You stifled your own potential because you felt forced to in order to be accepted by your own family; which is a horrible thing to endure. It's ok."

"But I could have saved her! Even if she thought I was crazy I could have said to her to just go to the doctor for an exam! They may have found something and she'd still be alive with her husband and daughter!" She shook and shook her head. "It doesn't matter if I did tell her. I know it now in reality. All of them weren't superstitious."

"Well I'm not the superstitious sort either."

"No, but you don't think I'm insane. I had to hide who I was or they would…" her voice trailed off.

"Lilliana," he said gently. "If there's one thing I've learned on my travels it's that not everyone is as open minded. Not everyone will listen. Most importantly, you can't save everyone."

Lilliana held his hand that held her face. "You look like you've tried to."

The Doctor swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah well, I suppose we're the same in that aspect."

"I think we're the same in more aspects than we yet realize, Doctor," a soft sad smile curled her lips.

"Lilliana…"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"What is on your neck?"

She froze. His hand was on the side she had been scratching, and she could feel his fingers running across her flesh. She pushed away from him, not knowing why she was so afraid.

"It's nothing," she said as she walked into the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

The Doctor was close at her heels and stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. "Lilliana. Show me."

Shaking, Lilliana lifted her hands to move her hair when she froze. The Doctor saw it too. Her fingers that she had been scratching with were turning green from beneath her fingernails, slowly spreading down her fingers.

"What is this?!" she cried.

"Lilliana, show me your neck," he ordered calmly.

With shaking fingers she moved the hair from her neck. The three scratches that were just thin lines were now deep horrible gashes. They were discolored and raw, tearing into her skin. Lilliana gasped in horror about to scream, and as she did so, the gashes moved, closing and opening again.