Author's Note: REALLY long chapter today. Basically, the first scene couldn't stand alone, and I just didn't have the heart to split up the second scene.

I wrote the second scene in so many different ways. I tried every variant. Every deviation. There was one version that I was really sad to part with, because it was basically just the Doctor and Seo riffing off each other and it was so funny! But also ridiculously slow. So that one got the axe. Most of the alternate versions of this scene didn't work because if a certain set of things happen, it cascades and eventually, the Doctor just stops the whole story from progressing. This sounds like I'm being silly, but I'm not. It got extremely frustrating.

But I spent ages on every scene with the Doctor and Kardeni together.

In personal news, I'm feeling a little better but still kind of under the weather. Sorry that this makes me a little unreliable.

Devin was still pissed off that he couldn't get back his arrows or his crashed plane. But whatever. He was so gonna have the coolest story when he got back to college. His friends were going to be like, "Dude, nice." And he was going to be all like, "I know, right? Hand me a beer." And then Lindsey from down the hall would hand it to him, because Lindsey was hot. And he'd be like, "Maybe we could do the next protest together," and she'd be all like, "Oh, Devin, I thought you'd never ask!"

And then she'd kiss him and he'd take off her...

"Yeah — I'm gonna say there's a 99% chance that none of that will ever happen," said Tom, as he and Haley ran out of the Main Complex beside Devin. "Like... ever."

"And since when were you the hero of this story?" Haley demanded. "As far as I could tell, you were just huddling in a corner, sobbing and babbling about some Apo-dapo thing, when we found you and rescued you." She looked back over her shoulder and shuddered. "I dunno — you go back in time to help out a coworker and take some measurements on radioactive mutant super-kelp, and next thing you know, species that never should have existed are swarming the Main Complex and everyone else has turned into brainwashed zombies."

"Yeah," said Devin, still engrossed in his fantasy. "It's going to be awesome."

"I'm starting to wonder why we decided to rescue him in the first place," Haley complained. "The guy's delusional. Where's that other protester? What was her name? Jenny! We should have ditched this guy and saved her."

"That's the one I was trying to save," Tom replied. "I couldn't find her." He shuddered, as he passed a line of winged frogs staring at him with glassy-eyed malevolence. "Doesn't matter. Important thing is, this protester's got a ship hidden somewhere in the underbrush of this planet. And since everything in the Main Complex is on lockdown, the only chance we've got is to..."

"Faye!" Haley grabbed Tom by the arm and dragged him to the right. "Tom, look! It's Faye! She must have been out of time when everything started, too." She waved her hand through the air, calling out, "Faye! Over here! We've got a way off-world!"

Faye Mutajar, who had been standing beside an incongruous-looking blue box with her arms extended and her eyes closed, suddenly snapped her eyes open and leveled a piercing stare at Haley.

Haley slowed. A shudder came over her.

For the first time, she noticed the swarm of flaming-feathered sort-of-birds surrounding Mutajar and the blue box. And she started to think that maybe... just maybe... this was a really bad idea.

Tom grabbed Haley and dragged her away. "Leave her, Hal!"

"It got her, too," Haley said, turning. "I can't believe..."

"Stop them," Mutajar commanded in a calm yet chilling voice.

The next thing Tom and Haley knew, they were surrounded by the flame-feathered birds, their skin burned by the flames and scratched by the talons. They screamed and struggled, but couldn't break free. Through the flutter of feathers and their own screams, they could just faintly hear Devin — the protester they'd rescued — asking Mutajar, "Did I do right, oh holy Apos'alu, by bringing you the dissidents?"

"Yes — I think I've finally figured out why it didn't work on them," Mutajar said. She gave a frustrated sigh. "These human bodies really are difficult, aren't they?" To her swarm, "Bring me their brains when you're done with them. I want to make doubly sure this kind of thing never happens again."

"But... but... you were our friend!" Tom shouted. "Why are you...?"

"Friend?" Mutajar said the word as if it disgusted her. "Do you know how long I watched you two laughing and chatting as you ran through my prison cell? You want to feel what it's like, having someone rub their happiness and freedom in your face, while you can't move?" To her swarm, she added, "Kill them extra slowly. I want them to feel it." She glanced at Devin. "Then kill him."

A group of birds suddenly swarmed Devin. He yelped, struggling to break free.

"But... but I did what you wanted!" Devin whimpered. "I was your obedient servant!"

"And some day," Mutajar said, "when I'm finally able to shed this hateful human form, I will gain the power to turn all my most loyal followers into my swarm. But not today." To her swarm, "Kill him quickly. He's earned it."

All across the planet, the swarm began to hear the screams of the dying. As they crawled up out of the vault and through the metamorphic rock layer all across the planet, they heeded that scream as a signal.

The Apos'alu had returned — angrier and more determined than ever before.

Their ultimate vengeance was about to begin again.

"It's not hurting Yimi, right?" Seo asked, as they slowly crept forwards to the edge of the battlefield, hidden from view by a pile of rubble that used to be a building. She glanced at Kardeni, nervously. "I still think I should have been the one to do the link-thing. For Yimi's sake."

The Doctor put a hand around Kardeni's shoulders. "You couldn't. Zeera's the only one who can hold down a telepathic link with Yimi — because she's the one connected to the Battle TARDIS. And I think she's doing just fine." He leaned down towards Kardeni, and asked, "You all right?"

"Go straight," Kardeni muttered, hand to her head, listening through the link. "The dimension keeps warping right now, for some reason. Yimi says..."

A TARDIS slammed out of the vortex, flames leaping off its sides as it careened through the air and crashed into the planet, showering the trio with mud and debris. A troop of Daleks immediately descended upon it, prying it open like a tuna fish can and flying inside, chanting, "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

Screams echoed across the battlefield.

Kardeni doubled over, screaming with them, hands clutching her head.

"What's...?" Seo asked.

"Don't know — some sort of psychic attack." The Doctor buzzed Kardeni's head with his sonic screwdriver. "Good news: I've cut the link with Yimi. So your friend's fine. Bad news: we are now stranded on a replicated Time War battlefield with absolutely no idea where we're going." He leaned down. "Zeera, can...?"

"Bivazeer!" someone screamed.

They looked up. One Time Lord had climbed out of the TARDIS and was sprinting towards Kardeni. "They've got us surrounded, Biv! They're everywhere!" He reached out to her, and she shuddered back. "Please! I'm so scared. Please...!"

His skeleton flashed under the blaze of a Dalek blast and he fell to the ground, his hand still extended towards her.

The Doctor shoved a hand over her eyes. "Don't look." To Seo, he said, "Get us out of here."

Seo nodded and gestured for them to move, zigzagging them across the battlefield and towards another pile of rubble up ahead. A Dalek shot barely missed them as they dove behind it.

"Sorry," Seo whispered. "That one's paper gun uncrumpled faster than I expected."

Time Lords were now flocking out of the TARDIS, screaming, "Biv! Help us! Bivazeer! Please!"

The air tore apart over the battlefield, and — with a screeching cry — the Apos'alu's swarm tore out of it, descending upon Dalek and Time Lord alike, tearing them apart and boiling their brains inside their heads. Little black blobs rose up around them and devoured what was left.

The Doctor grabbed Kardeni and shoved her down. "Don't look. Really. Just... don't look." He was trying not to look himself. He knew he was trembling almost as badly as she was.

"Does she know them?" Seo asked.

The Doctor closed his eyes. "Biv would. I definitely do. But Zeera..." He opened them and looked down at Kardeni. "I don't know. Do you?"

"I don't know anyone," Kardeni insisted. "I shouldn't be here. But why...?" She cried out and doubled over again, clutching her head, in clear and obvious pain. "Why does it hurt so much when they die?"

The Doctor leaned over her. Scanned her with the sonic again. "Stupid, stupid Doctor!" Hit himself on the head. "She was medicated for years! Her link with the TARDIS shut down. Neither of them ever healed from this. Zeera blocked it out. The TARDIS..."

"Vented it inwards," Seo realized. "To Yimi's people. That's why they're so bloodthirsty."

"And now, the Apos'alu is forcing them both to relive it," the Doctor said, his eyes growing dark and stormy. "This isn't a psychic attack. It's the TARDIS! She doesn't remember them. The TARDIS does. They're each fueling each other's pain and confusion. It's going to keep building and building until it drives them both mad. And I don't know how to stop it."

"Just tell Zeera to try to destroy the multiverse," Seo chimed in. "That usually works for me."

The Doctor blinked. Stared at her. "What?"

"Or she could turn everyone into Cybermen!" Seo continued. "Or force people to worship her by threatening to tear out their eyeballs and..."

"You're purposely annoying me to make me less upset, aren't you?" the Doctor said. He sighed, then grabbed her into a hug. "You're a rubbish companion. You know that?"

Seo beamed.

A blast ripped out across the battlefield as the crashed TARDIS blew apart. The Apos'alu's swarm gave a laugh that sounded like nails on a chalk board as they descended upon the ruins, slaughtering everyone left alive. Each reached out to Zeera, begging for help, screaming...

"No," Kardeni told herself, squeezing her eyes shut. "Focus, Zeera. Focus. Find the intersection point..." She shoved herself away from the Doctor and raced out into the open. "Andrew. He's still in here. I have to rescue...!"

The Doctor jumped up, grabbed her and yanked her away as the ground blew up where she'd just been. He shielded her from the debris and mud, and Seo darted in and led them away to a new hiding spot.

"What's wrong with her?" Seo asked, struggling to restrain her. "Doesn't she realize this whole place can kill her?"

"She's being clever," the Doctor realized, as something lit up in his eyes. "She's finding something common to herself and the TARDIS. Something they can latch onto, to calm them both down. Give them both purpose." He leaned in towards her, hands on her shoulders. "Focus on that, Zeera. Focus on..." He frowned, glanced over at Seo, and mouthed, 'Who's Andrew?'

Seo mimed herself getting shot in the chest.

The Doctor's eyes went wide. "Right. Well. This'll be interesting." He rubbed his hands together. "So. Andrew Lantro. Intersection of you and the TARDIS. Well, of course he is. Not just because he's the one who found it. But because he was the first one who worked out who and what you were. And you thought it was a joke."

Kardeni curled up into herself, hands still pressed against her head, whimpering.

"No," the Doctor realized. "It's more than that. It really was a joke at first, wasn't it? You enjoyed studying Time Lords. He used to joke with you and pretend you were one. And then, one day, there was a guest lecture — something that mentioned a chameleon arch."

"Professor Denoring," Kardeni squeaked.

"Professor...!" The Doctor paused. Scratched his head. "Denoring. Denoring. Denoring. I've heard that name before. Where have I heard that name before?" He pointed at Kardeni. "Didn't he disappear mysteriously or something?"

Kardeni winced in pain, but shook her head.

"Oh well, must be thinking of someone else," the Doctor muttered.

"Excavation of the Valor of Carflonum," said Kardeni, finally managing to sit upright. "That's what he's famous for. But he didn't want to talk about that. He um..." She glanced at the battlefield, then felt a stabbing pain in her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "He theorized the existence of a chameleon arch. No one believed him. It was the thing that he was most irritated about — that he couldn't prove the existence or use of the chameleon..." She gasped in horror as a Time Lord bursting with gold light staggered towards her, screaming, regenerating over and over again as he cried for her to help him.

The Doctor grabbed her by the chin and directed her to look at him. "No one believed him. Especially not Andrew Lantro," he guessed. "So when Professor Denoring asked for questions, Lantro asked if you were a Time Lord, didn't he? Just as a joke. Just to be funny."

Kardeni opened her mouth to answer, but shrieked as a stray gun blast from a Dalek barely missed their hiding spot.

The Doctor shushed her and pulled her closer, and they waited as a Dalek approached, looked around, then left.

"It was... actually really funny at the time," Kardeni whispered. She gave a slightly terrified smile. Flicked her eyes over to the battlefield and shuddered, squeezing them shut. "Professor Denoring didn't like being laughed at much. He took it seriously and made me go up to the lectern and gave me a 'test'."

Now the Doctor was intrigued. "What test?"

"Time Lord questions," said Kardeni. "Things like 'where was the Rod of Rassilon kept?' or 'what are the colors of the Prydonian chapter seals?' I knew I wasn't a Time Lord, so I just took it as a challenge. See how much I knew. Andrew kept cracking jokes in the middle and everyone was..."

She gave a cry of alarm as a blood-strewn man stumbled towards them, his whole timeline coming unraveled with every step. His body twisted and contorted, morphed and changed, dust and sand whipping around him.

He held out a hand. "Biv, please! Please, help...!"

Then he screamed as he began to crumble apart in front of them.

"Move, move, move!" the Doctor shouted at Seo, grabbing Kardeni under an arm and bolting out of their cover. Seo quickly raced ahead of him, taking the lead and finding them a new hiding spot in the destroyed remains of a house.

Seo looked between Kardeni and the Time Lord crumbling to dust. "Who...?"

"Someone Biv and I both knew very well," the Doctor said. He leaned down, taking Kardeni by the shoulders. "Focus on the story, Zeera. Time Lord quiz. Splendid stuff! Always love a good quiz. Lantro was cracking jokes. Everyone was laughing. But somehow, you knew all the answers, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Right away," the Doctor continued. "Easily. Without hesitation."

"Yes."

"And Lantro stopped cracking jokes," the Doctor said. "And everyone stopped laughing."

"It got so quiet. Like everyone was holding their breaths." Kardeni sucked in a sharp breath. "I started getting really nervous. For a while, I thought maybe I was..." She forced a nervous and slightly terrified laugh. "But no. No, it was all a mistake. That's what Professor Denoring said. He said I'd just proven I wasn't a Time Lord! Completely human. Always have been."

The Doctor seemed surprised. "He did? After you got all the answers right?"

"Because I got them right," said Kardeni, voice still shaking. "A chameleon arch is supposed to be used to hide. No Time Lord in their right mind would ever become me. I know too much."

"Yes, that's been bothering me too," the Doctor muttered. To Kardeni, "Did you ever see Professor Denoring after that, or did he mysteriously...?"

"Oh, I ran into him a lot after that," Kardeni confirmed. "Really a lot. At least weekly. Daily, sometimes. Usually in completely unexpected places. We used to laugh and say, 'you're here too! Small universe!'" She shrugged. "Eventually, he became my graduate advisor."

"I see," the Doctor muttered. He wasn't liking this much. "And what happened to him in the end?"

"I don't know," said Kardeni. "I had to drop out of school when Craig got sick. The last time I saw Professor Denoring was when I was going to get my stuff and say goodbye. Andrew came with me. That was a mistake. Next thing I knew, I'd been knocked unconscious and wound up waking up in some kind of operating arena, strapped down to a table and surrounded by a whole bunch of terrifying-looking machines full of knives and blades, and Andrew's leaning over me going, 'Surprise! Aren't you glad you're not a Time Lord now? Because this is what Denoring would probably have done to you!'" She made a face. "I told him that joke was in very poor taste."

"Joke," the Doctor muttered.

"Andrew always does needlessly elaborate jokes like that," said Kardeni. "Professor Denoring hated it too, of course. When I said goodbye, he was too busy glaring knives at Andrew to say goodbye back."

"What did he say instead?" the Doctor asked. "Something like 'You'll be back'?"

Kardeni shrugged. "I don't remember. I just remember feeling really woozy from whatever had knocked me out, and that Andrew wouldn't leave my side for the rest of the day."

"I can imagine," the Doctor said. "And that was the last time you saw Professor Denoring. Of course." He took out his sonic screwdriver, adjusting the settings. "You say Lantro does these little 'jokes' a lot?"

Kardeni nodded. She was grinning from ear to ear now, tuning out the battlefield completely. "He turned my office into a toy railway once. He made little mini mountains with mini-goats on the filing cabinets, little mini people that'd get onboard and off, and a little puff of steam in the shape of a smiley face." She put her hands to her heart. "And then there was my birthday, when he transformed the whole..." She stopped herself, her happiness faltering. "Doctor — where is Andrew?"

"At the moment," the Doctor dismissed, buzzing his sonic at her, "not on my priority list." He checked the readings. "First comes you. Then the evil killy space monster. Then... aha!" He grinned and waved the sonic at her. "TARDIS panic quelled. Psychic attack fully gone. Perfect. Which means I need you..." He buzzed the sonic at her head, "to contact Yimi, so she can tell us where we're supposed to go."

Kardeni looked deep into his eyes, trying to find answers. Then, finally, she nodded, put her hand to her head and closed her eyes, accessing Yimi's mind through the link. She concentrated for a second or two. "The dimension seems to have stabilized a lot, actually. They know where we need to go." She pointed to the right. "There. This dimension sort of twists around a little. At the end, there's a wall made out of the linking rock..."

"You mean that metamorphic stuff that bounces us from place to place?" The Doctor clapped his hands. "Splendid! And that'll get us there?"

Kardeni nodded. "With a little help from Seo and the thing in..." She paused. Frowned. "My pocket?" She reached into her pocket, and brought out a small black disk. She turned it over in her hands. "I found this earlier. I still don't know what it is or how it got there."

The Doctor plucked it out of her hands. "Aha!" He began to scan it over with his sonic screwdriver. "At a guess, I'd say Mutajar slipped it into your pocket so she could drag you into the vault when she found the fob watch — or when she didn't need you anymore, whichever came first." He turned around. "Well, Seo, how about we...?"

Seo wasn't there.

"Of course she isn't," the Doctor muttered, trying to look around for her. "Rule number one, Seo! Rule number one." He spotted her in the distance. Gestured for Kardeni to follow him. "Keep down. Stay quiet. Anything out here can kill you."

They snuck their way over to a mud pile a short ways away, where Seo was excitedly talking to an old man with sad eyes and a scraggly white beard. He looked war-weary and tired, but still determined to do what he had to.

"Hello!" Seo told the Doctor, beaming. "I found your First-Ghost!" She gestured at the war-weary man. "He was coming over to torment you, but I told him you were too busy for a guilt trip." She clasped her hands behind her back. "But I said I'm not busy at all! So how about he torment me, instead?" She bounced on her toes. "It's been a lot of fun. Like a counseling session! But with more hugs."

"She might be the most irritatingly cheerful person I've ever met," the War Doctor muttered. Then, putting an arm on her shoulder, added, "She's starting to grow on me."

"She does that." The Doctor turned to Seo. "We're looking for a twisty bit of the dimension that leads to that metamorphic linking rock. Any sign of it?"

"Oh, I know where that is!" Seo ran off to the left. "Follow me!"

As they passed the War Doctor, he placed a hand on Kardeni's shoulder, and it was like she was transported to a long, winding corridor of a ship, the Doctor in front of her, the light of a teleport just beginning to illuminate around him. Something seared through her. She fell to the ground — right in front of him.

And the Doctor closed his eyes, turned, and left her behind.

As the Daleks closed in around her, with their torture implements and their grating voices and their hateful eyestalks...

Kardeni jumped as she realized someone had placed a hand on her back. She spun around and saw the Doctor — with his youthful face and floppy hair and big chin. He was giving her the strangest look.

"Are you all right?" he asked her.

"Fine," said Kardeni. "Fine." She fixed her eyes ahead of her and forced herself to focus on the task ahead. Beneath her breath, inaudible to the Doctor, she muttered, "Just learning why you really want to help Bivazeer. That's all."