The Doctor came, obediently to his doom, just as the Black Guardian knew he would. Now, he had six in his grasp, and as a special bonus, that blasted Romana was with them. Setbacks; that was all that his problems had been. So then how had the Doctors eluded him for so long? How could he not have seen them? And where had the eighth Doctor gone when he should have found his way to the Black Guardian much sooner than now? It no longer mattered. They were here. They were his.

While the Black Guardian relished his victory, another man plotted his vengeance. General Cobb and the handful of his men that had survived the metal monsters had relentless hunted the Doctor through this bizarre labyrinth. The Doctor had cost them the source, and the war. The Doctor and his blasted genes had done it. He had known not to trust a pacifist or his stock and now Cobb was justified. One way or another, he would see the Doctor dead.

In a chamber as distant from Cobb and the Guardian as one may wish, the TARDIS, its blue walls and flashing light, appeared in a peculiar geometric corridor. The only perceivable shape was the pentagon, repeated over and over. The Doctors and their companions stepped into the pentagon corridor, whose end none of them could see. They did the only thing they could. They walked forward.

"Where are we?" asked Grace, after a few minutes of silence.

It was Eight that said, "Where can any of us be when we are nowhere?"

"Nowhere and everywhere," said Four. "All of this never existed. Better not to ask. We might find out that we're not here, either. That would be very unfortunate."

Rose said, "Well, then I hope that means that those Daleks aren't here."

Indeed, two Daleks appeared from the opposite end of the corridor. At first, the corridor looked as if it only had one path, but as they looked, they realized that this was an optical illusion of the geometric patterning. As the time travelers dove for cover, the Daleks spotted them. The leader, black with a gold dome, said, -YOU ARE THE DOC-TOR AND HIS COMPANIONS! YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!-

The triniton lasers the Daleks fired bathed the hallway in deadly light. Just as quickly as the attack began, the corridor was empty. The Daleks began to search the alcoves, readily voicing their consternation. -HALT! YOU ARE ORDERED TO RETURN! YOU MUST BE EXTERMINATED! OBEY THE DALEKS! OBEY! OBEY! OBEY!-

Amy and Rory kept silent, hoping the Daleks wouldn't notice them. They were wrong. The Daleks fired on sight, Amy and Rory narrowly avoiding death. They ran between the Daleks and down the corridor, leaving the Daleks to pursue. -EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!-

The Daleks stopped when the projectiles of a primitive gun disintegrated harmlessly into their shields. As they turned, the blast of a plasma gun struck the wall near them. River Song and Jack Harkness had distracted the Daleks from Amy and Rory.

Jack shouted, "Their eyestalks are their weak points!"

River shouted back, "This isn't my first day, Captain!"

"Just making sure."

They both squeezed off a couple more rounds before diving down the same alcove. The Daleks of course pursued. As the companions all rejoined the Doctors, it became obvious that these two Daleks weren't going to be lost any time soon. Rose lifted Jack's gun, pointed it at the Daleks, shot twice and then fled down a separate corridor, the Daleks pursuing. Rose quickly made another turn and hid at the entrance to an alcove. The Daleks passed without seeing. Rose ran between them and shouted, "Oi! Daleks!" She dropped to the floor just in time to avoid the triniton lasers. Her hair sizzled and stood up. The bitter taste of galvanism filled her mouth. She opened her eyes and looked up to find both Daleks destroyed.

Jack and Romana found Rose and helped her to her feet. Romana said, "Well, you're certainly craziest one the Doctor has ever chosen. Are you alright?"

"I'm alright. My ears are ringing and I have a metallic taste in my mouth."

Jack said, "Next time, let me pull the crazy stunts. I can't die, remember?"

The meta-crisis ran down the corridor toward Rose, followed by the other time-travelers. Only Grace wasn't there. Rose's mortal Doctor pulled her into his arms and said, "Rose, what were you thinking? You could have been killed!"

"I was thinking the Daleks had to be stopped. All of us made too easy a target." Rose didn't let go of him, but held him tighter. "I didn't mean to scare anyone. I was just trying to save everyone."

Eleven put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Yes, but I think that throwing yourself in the path of destruction might not be the best way to go about it. Be that as it may, I doubt those were the only two. Did anyone see where Grace went?"

Everyone fell silent. As Eight, Jack, and River turned to search, Grace came running out of one of the invisible alcoves. "Guys!" she shouted after turning the corner, having the effect startling everyone. She paused, bemused as she observed everyone's reaction. "Sorry. I found a way out. I was running from those things and kind of just stumbled on it."

Four said, "Well then, shall we go?"

The meta-crisis finally released Rose and said, "Allons-y!"

They followed Grace's exit and continued through a chamber made of crystal. It all looked disturbingly, impossibly familiar to the Doctors, but was vague enough in their recollections that they kept going. Romana, too walked along with the air of a person trying to remember the strains of a forgotten song. She knew this place, too.

Finally, Eleven held his hand in the air, bringing the procession to a halt. "Romana, you know this place, don't you?"

Romana nodded and said, "I vaguely recall this place from somewhere but I can't think where."

"Yes, me too. I would imagine my predecessors remember it too."

Four said, "This must be someplace on Gallifrey. Somewhere nobody often went."

"Now I remember," said Romana. "This is the Memory Matrix. It's part of the Time Matrix. It records the experiences of all Time Lords."

"That's right," said Four, snapping his fingers. "When we're young, we're all brought here and our patterns are inserted into the Matrix."

Eight said, "This entire universe was intended as a gauntlet for us to face a rogue's gallery of our foes. There's no telling what we could encounter here."

The meta-crisis said, "More than that, the Black Guardian could be using this to populate this universe with our enemies."

Everyone looked nervous. If what the Doctors and Romana said was true, then this may have been the most dangerous place to be.

Four, as if reading the collective thoughts of the group said, "In that case, we should hurry on through. Onward and upward."

But the procession didn't make it more than few yards as a voice called from the left, "Doctor, you're going the wrong way."

They all looked around, and the Doctors were faced with their past, but it was Four who addressed them. "Sarah? Harry?" Peering down a side corridor was unmistakably Sarah Jane Smith and Doctor Harry Sullivan.

"Yes, Doctor, it's us, now come on!" said Sarah.

Eleven grasped Four's shoulder, but said nothing.

"How did you get here?" asked Four.

"Does it matter?" asked Harry. "We're here now, and we have to find away out. Come on. There's danger that way. Come this way."

"I think not. The day I chase shadows will be a sorry day indeed." With that statement, Sarah Jane and Harry vanished like ghosts.

"Illusions," said Romana. "Mind games to lead us off track."

"We ignore them," said Eight. "It's as simple as that."

"Simple for some," said the meta-crisis. "Perhaps this trick is too simple." Everyone turned to the meta-crisis wondering what he had to say. "Think about it, this deja' vu is more than just being displaced in time. There is a repetitiveness to this situation. We have all been here before. Multiple versions of us throughout our history taken from time and cast into an arena with a rogue's gallery of our most implacable enemies. The only thing missing is the Master."

Four said, "You're suggesting that the Black Guardian has duplicated our experience with the Death Zone on Gallifrey. The thought had occurred."

Romana said, "I don't remember that."

"We were supposed to be there. My first, second, third and fifth incarnations found themselves in that scenario. They had been kidnapped by Lord President Borusa using a time scoop. We were kidnapped too but were trapped in the Matrix. We never made it to the Death Zone, or at least I didn't make it in this form, and the spirit of Rassilon released us from the Matrix and returned us to our own time. That's why you don't remember. For me, it happened three times, and will happen once more."

They all continued on, wondering at the Black Guardian's motives. The procession broke into groups as quiet conversation was carried.

Romana pondered a moment. "I wonder when we will be trapped."

"There's no way of knowing as we probably won't remember it. It may even have already happened."

Grace said, "You know, I am glad I didn't do this. Time travel is too damned confusing."

Jack sidled up to her, a wolfish grin. "I could help clarify it a bit. You know, I used to be a time agent."

"Really?"

"Born in the fifty-first century. You know, I could look you up in 2007, or you could look me up in 2000."

Grace smiled and said, "Yeah, I think I'll have to pass on that."

"You're sure?"

"I can easily spot the type of guy that keeps a girl a in every stable."

"Well, I got you on that one. I got a few guys I look up every now and then but right now, you're the only girl I'm talking to."

Grace sputtered, recovered and said, "You're kidding, right?"

Eight said, "Now, now, Grace. Let's try to keep an open mind."

"It's not that," said Grace, "I just didn't expect it from the dashing and charming time captain, here."

Jack cast her a lopsided smile. "So you admit I'm charming and dashing."

"That's what makes you so dangerous...apparently to both genders."

"I couldn't even interest you in a drink?"

Grace's cheeks were turning red. "Look me up in 2007. I just might be interested after I've had seven years to think about it."

"It's a date."

"A lot can happen in seven years, you know."

"Oh, trust me, I know it, well. If you do get attached to someone, just remember that you owe the charming and dashing Captain Jack Harkness an hour in a pub."

Someone shushed the group. They had come to the end of the crystal chamber. They found themselves in an old department store filled with mannequins. Rose wasn't the only one unnerved. Those who hadn't encountered these creatures had at least heard of them, but then again, they really could have been simple mannequins.

"Doctor," said Romana, "are these Autons?" She gestured at the motionless plastic statues.

"It's possible," said Eleven. "In fact, given the circumstances, I think it likely."

Four said, "They'll wait for us to reach the middle before revealing themselves."

Eight said, "I think we should take the initiative."

All four Doctors said, "Run!"

The procession ran, and indeed, the Autons, seeing their trap foiled, set into motion immediately. Amy called out as a plastic bullet grazed her arm. Rory, enfolding her in his arms, found himself set upon by the Autons. He pulled the exposed gun hand of one and aimed it at another Auton, as the plastic creature fired repeatedly. They Autons staggered back and Rory found Jack pulling him to his feet. River helped Amy to her feet.

"We've been separated from the others," said Rory.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," said Jack. All around there was a high pitched whine as he and River fired into the mass of Autons that encircled them. River's gun, being energy based, had the most effect, melting and fusing plastic limbs. An Auton grabbed for Amy, but she grabbed its wrist and kicked it in the chest. Its arm pulled off as the Auton fell backward. The Auton arm took on a life of its own as it tried to attack Amy. She responded by hitting other Auton's with it. They whine grew louder, and the mass of Autons directly in Amy and Rory's path fell still.

They were shoved aside to reveal the eleventh and fourth Doctors and the meta-crisis, all three holding sonic screwdrivers. Eleven said, "Come along, Ponds. We haven't got all day."

Amy, Rory, Jack, and River took immediate advantage of the opening. Following the Doctors, they rushed past a mass of clearly dazed or disabled Autons, but there seemed an army of them crawling from the woodwork. As they rejoined the main group, everyone wondered how they would escape such a horde.

Not far from them were five others who were running from one group of adversaries after the other. They found themselves in a massive arboretum with a range of plants rarely seen in a single collection.

As they stopped to rest, Nine said, "I think we lost it."

"What was it?" asked Martha.

Ten said, "A Rastan warrior robot. We were lucky. They're the most perfect killing machines ever conceived. If it hadn't been malfunctioning, we would never have escaped."

Nine straightened up and said, "Is it just me, or does this place seem more and more like the Death Zone on Gallifrey?"

"More than that. It's like the Death Zone was the model for this place, but you know what else this place reminds me of?"

"The fiction realm. You remember, too?"

"I remember meeting Gulliver, Rapunzel, nearly cursing Jamie McCrimmon with the wrong face. Zoe was too afraid to look away from Medusa."

Nine laughed. "Yeah, but she beat hell out of the Great Karkus."

Donna asked, "What are you two giggling about? I could use a laugh."

Ten said, "Just reminiscing. Nothing like meeting yourself to bring back memories." Ten looked around and said, "Yes, this seems quite like the kind of place one can just imagine something and have it appear like that."

"Yes, this whole place seems like a trip down memory lane," said Nine.

Ten's expression hardened. "Then it shouldn't be that hard to deduce which enemies will appear where."

Nine's expression hardened, also, and he looked around, suddenly alert. "We shouldn't have rested."

"What's wrong?" asked Jenny.

"Just walk calmly," said Ten. "I may just be imagining things."

They walked calmly through the beautiful botanical garden. Despite the beautiful, relaxing setting, tension began to rise. The shadow of a threat grew in the back of their minds and they couldn't help but think that the beautiful plants were their deadliest adversaries yet. Martha thought she saw a vine move towards her, but when she looked again, the plant was as still as ever. Walking until they reached the center of the arboretum, the Doctors heard the sound they thought they wouldn't, the clicking, gasping breath of what was once a man, now become a plant, and the plants around them began to encroach, tree limbs grabbing at them, vines trying to ensnare them.

"Doctor," said Martha, "the plants are attacking."

But it wasn't the fault of the plants. They all broke into a run, avoiding the thorns of angry rose bushes, the crashing limbs of rampaging ficus', and the snarling grasp of choking vines. Two creatures, appeared from the brush, or were they plants?

"Krenoids!" called Nine. "We have to stay clear of any plants."

Jenny felt something around her ankles too late. She hit the ground with a bone-breaking thud. Winded and confused, Jenny took a moment to realize that it was Donna and her father pulling her by the hands while Martha and the ninth Doctor tried to free her from the vines wrapping around her legs. Her tongue hurt and she tasted the metallic flavor of blood on her palette. She found herself free, and hoisted to her feet by her friends. Pain racked her side, the unfortunate indicator of broken ribs. Still her legs were uninjured, and she forced herself to ignore the pain as she continued to run.

They reached the door, and found it overgrown with plants. That didn't stop them from trying to force the doors open. They pushed and worked the doors as the Krenoids got closer, their raspy breath promising death. The door moved ever so slowly, breaking free of vines roots and limbs, but not enough to permit any of them to pass. All five of them put all of their weight on the door, which finally gave, and they found themselves in a room of lit blackness. The Krenoids refused to pass the threshold. The black lit room cast bizarre glowing shadows of violet upon the time travelers.

Out of place in the room was a massive grandfather clock. It was at least twice as tall as a man and twice as wide. Nothing else was in the room, except for a terrace at one side with an unoccupied chair upon it. Jenny felt drawn quite inexplicably to the clock. She couldn't hear the Doctor's warnings. Somehow, Martha and Donna could not grasp her. The pain in her ribs had vanished. There was a tiny placard on the clock door, just under the handle that read, "Rassilon and Omega Timepieces, Keepers of Time since the dawn of time. Gallifrey." Jenny opened the door and peered inside. There were no weights, no chains. There was another world inside.

She stepped into a world of ice, though it was quite warm. The ice was decoration, epically impressive as four great stalactites hung from the cathedral ceiling, their points bracketing an octagonal control console. The Doctors, realizing there was no danger, stepped in behind her. So did Martha and Donna. Jenny examined the room...massive...far bigger on the inside. This couldn't be a clock. Violet roundels were inset along ice blue walls, a foot apart, covering the walls.

Nine asked, "Has Compassion's heart turned to ice?"

Jenny asked, "What is this place?"

Ten said, "It's a ship. A ship of Time Lords. It's called a TARDIS. This particular one was once a human named Laura. She was killed and replaced with a duplicate named Compassion."

Donna asked, "How could a person become a ship?" The horror in her expression was poorly concealed.

"An accident. Usually, TARDIS's are grown. If a living person enters the growth matrix, he or she could theoretically become a sentient TARDIS, which is what happened to Compassion. She always changed her internal appearance to suit her mood."

Jenny looked at both Doctors suspiciously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're drawn to her," said Nine, matter-of-factly. "That means she's drawn to you."

Ten said, "The bond between TARDIS and Time Lord is essential to proper and prolonged operation. If she has chosen you, you may be a true Time Lord."

Martha said, "We have a way out then. Compassion can take us all where we belong."

"No," said Jenny. "She's trapped. She can't move."

"I suspected as much," said Nine.

"We'll need to step outside," said Ten.

"Why?" asked Donna.

Nine said, "That black room was the heart of the Dark Reality. We've reached the Black Guardian. Compassion won't be free until he releases her."

Terror swept through them all at this pronouncement. As the Doctors instructed, they all stepped outside. In that artificial blackness, they could clearly see the chair was now occupied. Normal light shed upon him. He was an elderly man in a black robe. What hair they could see was black. His nose was large and bulbous. His jaw was square and firm, his mouth straight. Atop his head was skullcap made from the skin of a vulture.

Then he spoke, a raspy, hate-filled voice, leaving his lips. "Doctor. I was beginning to think you wouldn't come."

The Black Guardian looked on, and even continued to stare at the Doctors as gunshots unexpectedly rang out.